Eleven months.

Dear kiddo,

This picture epitomizes you this past month: on the go. You have places to go and you are going to figure out a way to get there.

I admit it, I intentionally procrastinated on writing your letter this month. My heart aches to think of how quickly you are growing up, and how much I am afraid I may have missed while washing bottles or running errands. Writing this letter is a way of saying goodbye to not only the past month, but all those that came before it; next month, you will be a year old. We won't just be counting in months anymore, and that is a pretty big deal to your momma. And I just did not want to say goodbye to this month yet.

For you, your birthday will be less emotionally charged and more about crawling and cruising and babbling and throwing food. Or at least, that is what you have been working on this past month. We have dropped down to four bottles a day, and I am trying to steel myself for the transition from bottles to straw cups. Feeding you has been the greatest struggle since the day you were born, and we have only just gotten to a place where you seem to enjoy your bottles. But yeah, we'll totally be ripping those away from you because your parents have had very bad experiences with very bad teeth and are choosing to listen to the pediatrician and pediatric dentist on this one. Sorry!

But no worries, you have other joys in your life. You seem to enjoy your daddy and I quite a lot, and all of the friends I have been fortunate to make in the past several months. You are not too impressed with their babies yet, although you do occasionally give them kisses. I imagine that you will become more friendly whenever you hit that developmental milestone of actually playing WITH babies instead of just crawling over them. Strangers are a bit trickier - if someone employs a goofy voice or clicks their tongue, you're sold. Otherwise, you give them the stink-eye.

You also enjoy your many toys (did we mention you were spoiled at Christmas?), and your loveys we give to you at your naps. Putting toys back in their container is something you recently learned how to do, and I have high hopes that we can keep up that momentum until you can actually help us put away all your toys every day. Then I will teach you that washing dishes and folding laundry is fun, and my diabolical plan will be complete.

Two new skills that bring you joy began a few weeks ago: crawling on all fours and cruising the furniture. Go you! (Please don't walk anytime soon!) You rock that super fast crawling! (Please don't walk anytime soon!) You hold on to that coffee table as you cruise your way around it! (Please don't walk anytime soon!)

You are also mimicking us a lot more. Giving kisses on command is something you mastered a long time ago, but now you are trying to blow kisses to us. You point. You "chat" with us in your nonsensical babble. When we open our mouths, you open yours. (Or, you take it as an invitation to stick your fingers in our mouths. Depends on your mood, apparently.)

So my darling boy, I want you to know I love you so much. As I said, it has begun to hit me that you are really and truly on your way to being a toddler. Although I admit part of me is sad, I want you to know that the rest of me is elated. You amaze me. Pride, relief, and joy are what I experience when I watch you be you.

Keep being you,

Momma