10 months

Dear my sweetest and amazing Baby J,
You are 10 months old today!  You've got 7 or 8 teeth and you bite hard. I would do an official count, but you really don't like me digging around in your mouth. You've cut your front two teeth, so if that is what you want for Christmas, then you've already got it.

You are a very fast crawler and like to go all over the house. Yesterday, I found you sitting in the shower. You can stand up on your own and don't need to use the table, chair, Carl, etc. to pull yourself up. Last weekend, I saw you doing "squats" in the middle of the kitchen. I'm not a super big fan of you being in the kitchen and standing since we have ceramic tile floors, but when I'm in their cooking you love to "help." You particularly like to "help" loading/unloading the dishwasher and have recently learned how to turn it on all by yourself.

We've been taking swimming lessons for a month now and you hold your breath when we go under the water and hang onto the side of the pool all by yourself with your chubby little hands. Your hands are so small that I was amazed you could grip the edge of the pool and stay there. You don't really enjoy floating on your back and you don't kick so much when you are on your tummy, but I guess we'll keep working on that.

For the past month, it's been me and you kid. Dad has been working a lot of hours and most days you don't even get to see him when he gets home because  you are sleeping (thank god, and more on that next). In addition to swimming lessons, we've found some other moms with kids. We've been on several play dates at other people's houses. You seem to really like other kids' toys and sometimes I think I need to get you some more toys (your Dad disagrees, of course).

Sleeping ... you are becoming a much more independent sleeper and we seem to have settled into a routine of sorts (again thank god and yes, I am knocking on wood). I can put your down in your crib "drowsy, but awake," just like the books say and you fuss for a few minutes before passing out. You still wake up once (or twice lately) for a bottle, but then usually go right back to sleep. When you wake up, I usually let you come sleep with me for the rest of the night.

At your 9 month appointment, we found out that your head size was off the charts. Your doctor referred us to a pediatric neurologist to have it checked out, just in case there might be something wrong. We went to see the neurologist yesterday and there is nothing to worry about. You are perfect. The doctor measured my head and your Dad's head and guess what? Your Dad's head is off the charts too. So, in the event you can't fit your head through something at any point during your life, blame it on him. There are plenty of things that you will probably blame on me, but a giant head is not one of them.

As always, you remain the cutest baby to have ever graced this earth (at least that's what I think and will likely keep telling you this throughout your life). You are growing up so fast! I'm going to quit writing now because here you come crawling out of the bedroom.

Love you to the moon and back,
Mom