Eleven months

Dear Lexi,

You are eleven months old today. Eleven! I really can't believe it.

As your brothers have grown, I have welcomed each stage and milestone, thrilled to see them change and develop. Although I do appreciate your health and progress, it's hard for me to watch you grow up! Can't you just stay little a while longer?



This month you learned to stand all on your own. I cried the night you perfected the skill. You have also started cruising along furniture. I'll admit that I look forward to your walking, but only because your hands, knees, and feet will no longer act like a dust mop on my dirty floor. Even though your brothers walked earlier, I really don't think your tiny self should be walking yet. Crawl, baby, crawl. Then you can still be a baby.



Somehow you developed an irrational fear of the bathtub this month. I'm guessing something scared you -- maybe the brother who usually shares your bath. It took some tender coaxing to get you back in the tub happily after this unknown trauma. But last night, as I kept one arm around you and you tightly gripped the side of the bathtub, you finally let me pour water on your back, your arms, and eventually, your head. You even smiled towards the end. Maybe next time you might splash and play.



You have five teeth now. Two (both on top) arrived in the last few weeks. I'm pretty sure you've been miserable (perhaps other teeth are coming, too), since I have found pools of diluted blood on your crib sheet and you've been waking up a lot at night. You love-love-love to nurse, and I have given in to the easy nighttime pacifying. Tired as I am of your frequent midnight snacks, I'm pretty sure I won't subject you to sleep training for a while. I love the bond we share when you nurse, and I love the feeling of your completely relaxed body resting in my arms in the middle of the night.



Your hair is growing quickly and your bangs hang in your eyes. You don't like anything securing your hair into a cute style -- especially accessories like ribbons and bows. Contrary to what I expected before you were born, I really like ribbons and bows! But you won't have it. I'm lucky to manage a rubber band to sweep your hair out of your face.



I do love hearing you talk. You can say "mama," "dada," "hi" (with an enthusiastic wave), and "go." Sometimes we think you are saying "thank you," "Zach," and "Gavin," but we can't be sure yet. You have a delightful gibberish babble.



You love to eat, especially when you can have what everyone else is having! Even though we are still keeping eggs, milk, and nuts from your diet, you are mostly eating the same things the family eats. You mastered the soft-tipped sippy cup, and although you hate formula and won't drink breast milk from a cup, you do like juice and water. Despite the great increase and variety in your solid food intake, you still nurse every 3-4 hours, almost around the clock. And yet you remain tiny -- about 18 pounds.



Gavin is clearly your best friend, although you adore each member of the family. You will quickly crawl (your precursor to running, I suppose) toward anyone who enters the room. You are pretty leery of anyone not in the family, although you will allow a couple of my friends to hold you if I am not around.

Lexi, you have a soft old mom. You are my little princess...and I hope you always will be!

Love,

Mama