Eleven Months

Well, hello there, long lost friends.  I realize that Avery is, at this point, almost closer to a year than Eleven Months, but well... as you can see, there are lots of reasons for that.  (One of these definitely NOT that the fact that the next post will begin counting in YEARS rather than months.  Definitely not.)

So, Averycakes, you are eleven months-ish old.  You are VERY busy and important.  Every time I asked if you were available for a photo shoot, you told me you just needed to "check one last email".

Well, I finally put my foot down, and told you that your fans would not wait any longer, so you very finally conceded to having your picture made, but alas, technical troubles necessitated a re-shoot.  At this point you had pretty much had it with your dear mother, so you made sure to use your "fake smile" and told me to make it snappy.

You see, at 11 months, you are starting to exert your independence.  You definitely make it known when you do / don't want something, and it is growing more difficult to distract you from your chosen goal.

The things you like / dislike are still pretty much the same as last month.

• You like:
• Veggie puffs, cheese, ham, apples, and pretty much anything your grandmothers feed you
• Bath time!
• Reading your books
• The bay window
• Playing chase
• Taking things out of drawers / bins
• You DISlike
• Having your diaper changed
• The end of bath time
• Not being allowed to chew on electrical cords
• When we leave your sight, sometimes

Overall, though, you are still a really really easy-going baby.  You are finding more and more things hilarious (mostly everything your dad does), and growing more mobile by the second.  People seem to genuinely like being around you, and you are usually pretty happy no matter where you are.  You're also sleeping great, too.



I should also mention that you are hilarious.  You now keep up a running stream of babble complete with pointing and sometimes very stern tones.  You can say "Bye-ah" when prompted!  It's all very serious and important.  But sometimes you're so happy you just holler.  It's usually in a completely inappropriate place, (which, incidentally is why you have never been to the library) but you are just so HAPPY you have to let it all out.

You are also increasingly mobile, pulling up with ease and starting to cruise.  Which, as your father declared when I came home the other day means, "Nothing is safe.  Nothing!"  You can go anywhere (that doesn't require actual walking) and rip up any paper and chew on anything you find with your 4.5 teeth!  Your favorite place to go is up into the bay window.  Or, as I like to call it... baby in a box performance art.

I'm sure the neighbors talk.  (About what an adorable baby we have on display.)

I was looking back through old pictures of you, as I do every night after you're asleep often, and it really hit me that what is so different lately is that I feel like I really know you now.  Like any good friendship it took us awhile to feel each other out, learn what makes the other tick.  I love that, for the most part, I know what you like to eat, what your favorite toys and places are, what will make you scream, but also how to cheer you up pretty much immediately.  We push each other to stretch our limits.  I miss you when you're not around.  We've laughed together, we've cried together, and thanks to that unfortunate July 4th stomach bug, we've puked on each other... pretty much, we've cemented our friendship for life.

Yesterday you were sitting on my lap facing me during one of our deep discussions about why the Kardashians are so ridiculous life, when you put both hands on either side of my face and gently touched my forehead to yours.  It was one of those moments that I felt instantly freeze frame in my heart, and that overwhelmed me with gratitude, once again, for the privilege of being your parent. 






Next month you will be a YEAR.  Someone very wise told me when I was pregnant with you that the thing about parenthood is that the days are long, but the years are short.  You, my dear, have made both of them magic.  Can't wait to celebrate a year of you!  We love you more than books and Travian.