Dear Jack: Ten Months

Jack,

You are getting so close to a year.  I had better start planning your party....

You are continually growing more and more mobile.  You can now climb up the stairs without slipping (and quite fast, mind you).  You like to climb up and play with the door at the top of the stairs.  It makes me nervous, but your brother insists that he is "keeping an eye" on you.  I stay close by, though, just in case.

Every couple of weeks, your dad takes you and Eliot to the library.  You love putting your fingers over all of the books.  You love for me to read to you, and your brother "reads" to you as well.  However, you are equally interested in eating the books, so we try to stick to board books.

I've mentioned this time and time again, but one of the unexpected blessings of having you around has been the joy of watching you and Eliot grow into best friends.  He loves babies, so I knew he'd love you, yet I didn't anticipate how my heart would flutter as I watch you wrestle him or when I quietly peek in on the two of you gazing out the window together or how I push the two of you on the swings at the park together.  I didn't think about how happy I'd be when Eliot insists on packing a special snack for you on picnics or when you bounce happily when Eliot pays you even the slightest bit of attention.  He sings to you in the car when you seem tired, and I think you like it.  You two love each other so much.  Sometimes it is hard when you both need something at the same time.  There are points when you both want the same toy, and someone has to give.  Overall, though, you two make the best team.

You are becoming more verbal these days as well.  You say "dada" and "daddy" a lot, and I think you say "diddy" for "kitty" and "dig" for "dog".  It certainly seems that way.  You reserve your "momma" for when you are particularly upset (or hungry).  You seem to say "ball" for balls as well.

You are getting a lot better about eating.  You love yogurt now and will eat pureed food if it has bananas mixed in.  You do not like tart things at all (unlike Eliot).  It used to be a struggle to get you to eat one meal a day, but now you are eating three usually.  You had been pretty fussy for a couple of weeks.  I couldn't figure out why and then, all of the sudden, you had a new tooth!  You have five total.

I think we need to have a celebration of some kind because you are now officially sleeping through the night.  It only took ten months, but, you know, it's much better than it could be--your brother still gets up.  You take two or three naps a day while laying on me.  If I try to put you down, you wake up.  You sleep in your crib in your own room at night, though, so that is the main thing I aimed for.  Sometimes you cry for just a couple of minutes and then go to sleep.  On occasion, you wake up once in the middle of the night, but you put yourself back to sleep after a moment.  I never could do this with your brother--letting him cry just didn't work.  I'm so glad that you are a better sleeper.  And I don't mind the naps with you too much.  Eliot always wants to play then, but I try to soak up all the cuddles I can get from you.  I know they won't last forever.

 You're growing, changing, learning, and loving.  I love each day with you.  You make our lives so much brighter.