Dear Eliot: Ten Months

Dear Eliot,

Today you are ten months old.  I am bursting with pride, but it also breaks my heart!

The other day, I was buying you new socks.  I feel like I am always buying you socks, but, anyway, I grabbed a few pair that were sized 0-6 months without a second thought.  You are much closer to a year than six months.  To think 0-6 month socks would be best for you is ridiculous, but I think that goes to show that no matter how old you get and how big you grow, I still think of you as my tiny, little baby.  Don't be surprised if I am still buying you 0-6 month socks when you're in college.

Your physical and cognitive develop seems to have sky rocketed this month.  It is something new and amazing every day.  You clap your hands, give high fives (but I think you were doing this last month too), pucker your lips to return kisses, play peek-a-boo, turn pages when we read books, roll a ball back and forth, and can put your car down its ramp.  I think that you are beginning to understand shapes and space.  You can stand up without pulling on anything, stand for a few seconds on your own, walk while barely holding onto anything, and walk all around the house with your boat or walker-cart with just one hand (or both at the same time!).

Your teething has continued, but you didn't seem bothered at all by it.  You now have three on the bottom and two up top, but the second up top isn't grown in all the way quite yet.  Unfortunately, you did get sick for the first time this month.  It seemed to start off as a small cold, but turned out to really be croup!  The doctor gave you a shot to help your vocal cords and you were just fine after a few days.  At night, you would cough, gag, and choke horribly, but you never got cranky or moody.  You were very sweet and loved to read with us.

This month, we have enjoyed all things autumn.  We picked out our pumpkins from Morris Orchard and baked pumpkin bread--which you hated, by the way; thanks.  We went to Williamsburg for a weekend and enjoyed walking around Colonial Williamsburg.  Halloween came at the end of the month, and we dressed you as an ewok.  When we took you by to see great grandma Glenna, though, we changed you into an owl, which was also quite cute.  We handed candy out to the neighborhood kids and watched Return of the Jedi.  I have really enjoyed establishing our own fall traditions with you.  Now we are moving closer to Thanksgiving and the holidays.  I can't wait to share them all with you!

The World Series came on this month and you watched the whole thing with your dad until you fell asleep at the very end.  I was upstairs doing work and your dad texted me photos of the two of you.  He said that you were a dream come true.  Your dad seems to really love watching sports with you and somehow you love it already too.

While out shopping for your shoes one day, you picked out a stuffed animals that I think just might be a long-term favorite for you.  It was a panda bear that I named Bamboo--you can change his name if you want, of course.  You cuddle with Bamboo all the time and seem to enjoy reading Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? to him.  I think that is also your favorite book.  If pandas are your favorite animal, Eliot, I think that is very rad.  I used to call you "Panda" when you were a little guy.

Eliot, you are unbelievably sweet, joyful, and affectionate.  Your dad took a video of you and I walking around the house.  You were pushing your cart and I was close behind to help you steer.  I was watching the video and noticed that at one point you turned around to check on me.  You put your hand out to me for mine.  When I took your hand, you gently led me to your side:  you wanted me next to you, not behind you.  I'm such a sap, but I definitely teared up seeing your sweet nature caught on video.  Everyone around you can recognize how full of life you are.  Strangers come up to you and tell you how beautiful you are and that you have a good spirit and a beautiful face.

Every month, week, and day keeps getting better and better.  It feels like my heart is outside of my body, crawling around on the floor and knocking down block towers with toy cars.  We love you, Eliot.