Anna, Month Eight October 17, 2011

Dear Anna,

The word of the month is teeth. In the space of ten days, you sprouted six new teeth. Six! (Actually, the last of the six hasn’t quite popped through yet, but we’re counting it since they all were moving at the same time.) When you want new teeth, you don’t mess around. This mouth full of teeth really solidifies for me just how quickly you are growing up. If you could just slow down this quick-step to toddlerhood, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

With those five hundred new teeth, you’ve decided that baby food is for the birds. I steamed a diced sweet potato for you last week to see what you would do with it. You took one look at those chunks on the tray and reached right out with your tiny pincer grasp and shoved one in your mouth. Then another and another — until the tray was empty. Feeding yourself is fun! You’ve had avocado and banana chunks, too — all winners, as long as you can do it by yourself.

You’ve added a number of sounds to your repertoire this month. You love to blow raspberries and spent much of a week’s worth of your waking hours practicing. Oh, the gallons of dribbled drool! You will also say “kheeeeee, kheeeee,” a sort of hissing-out-of-the-sides-of-your-mouth sound. We’ve had lots of “kheeeee kheeeee” conversations this month. You’ve also mastered the long a vowel. You like to clap and say “Ayyyy” on a high-pitched sing-song tone, as if to say, “yay for me!” You will also answer questions. I’ll ask you something and you’ll look at me very seriously and say, “Uh.” Being the word nerd that I am, I love to see your language develop. It’s a fascinating process.

You are so fun, Anna. You love to play games with us — especially Sam. He likes to play peek-a-boo with you. He hides his face, says, “Where’s the baby?” Then flips his hands open and shouts, “There it is!” You never laugh harder than when Sam plays with you; he is still your favorite form of entertainment. This month you’ve also learned “So big” and love throw your arms in the air with great gusto. You will wave, too, but only when you feel like it.

Perhaps the biggest change is that you are now decidedly mobile! You can army crawl everywhere. You’ve gotten up onto your hands and knees, too, but still prefer to be low to the ground to get around. What I find most amazing is that you can get from your belly to a sitting position! You get up on your knees, then sit back onto your bottom. You use this skill to move from point A to B, too. Onto your belly, then up to a sit, then you turn and go onto your belly, again. Over and over until you reach your destination.

We’ve started going to music class together every Tuesday and you love it! The first time we went, I plopped you down on the floor in front of me and you were silent, just staring at all the babies in the room. (We happen to have a very young class this time.) I don’t think you knew so many babies existed in the world! You wiggle with happiness when you see the egg shakers come out and beeline for the instruments as fast as your army crawl can take you. It is so fun to share that time with you, listening to you sing and watching you dance from your spot on the floor.

It is such fun to see your personality bloom as you get older, Anna. You love to be with people, in the middle of the action, and already participate in conversations with your baby babble. You love to click toys together and “sing.” I think you feel proud of your accomplishment, because you beam up at me and shake the toys, as if to say, “Did you hear that, Mommy? I made that sound!” You are a happy, happy baby girl. I am so excited to hear your first words, see your first steps, and marvel at the little-girl-you that you are so quickly becoming. How lucky I am to be your mother! How lucky I am to be there for every little moment, every little milestone, cheering you along your way.

Love,
Mommy