letters for levi: September 2010

:: eight months ::

Oh baby. You are such a big boy now. You really are changing so, so fast. So many times I’ve looked at you lately and thought… you’re looking less and less like a baby every day, and more and more like a toddler.

The biggest change this month is that you are constantly standing! Constantly. You’re pulling yourself up on anything and everything – people, your crib, the table, chairs – and you no longer need our help. Today I found you standing up with your hands on the wall with nothing to actually grab onto. You must have spiderman’ed your way up there and once you were standing you didn’t know what to do next. You just called out for me to help you with a very concerned look on your face. It’s fun to watch you struggle and learn.

You have your fair share of spills now too – it’s a challenge to not always want to protect you, but I know that’s a part of your leaning process. Usually you just get a little fright (some tears) and only need some encouragement and affirmation. But every once and a while you have a good one and genuinely need some extra cuddles to help you feel better. I gladly scoop you up and kiss your owies away - something I will have many years to perfect, no doubt. I’m afraid those bumps and bruises will only increase from here on out my boy.

And ohmygoodness, how you love to walk! You have been doing this for weeks (at least a month), but just the last two weeks or so you have gotten fast... really fast! We can hold your hands and walk around the whole house in seconds. You’re strong and confident and I’ve realized there’s no way you’re waiting until next year to walk like I had hoped. I’d be very surprised if you’re not walking before our trip to America. Gigi is convinced… and I’m now beginning to think she’s right. We’ll see.

You’ve also discovered how to make many different sounds… namely a deep, guttural, throaty yell. You love it and think you’re hilarious. You sometimes do it when you’re mad, but more often than not you do it just to be noticed. We let you do it unless you’re in your highchair – then it’s “no yelling at the table” manners. You’re definitely learning… but still test us a lot on this one. You also do a lot with your lips puckered – lots of blowing and funny noises that I don’t know how to describe in written word... other than to say it's completely endearing.

Naptimes are great – long and regular. You have two naps a day—at 9:30am and 1:30pm—and sleep for an hour-and-a-half at each. (And usually you fall asleep within minutes of laying down, with no fuss whatsoever.) I’m not gonna lie – I love the predictability of your schedule now and the fact that I can finally plan my days a little more. It felt like it was a long time coming.

You’re also sleeping through the night most of the time. Since you became pretty well established on solids, I didn't feel like you needed to nurse through the night (you've been waking up to nurse once a night since about four months). Now that I've stopped feeding you at night, you have no reason to wake up. That's making for a much more well-rested (happier, saner) mama. Good job big boy.

Meal times are interesting. You nurse four times a day and have three meals of solids. Some days you love to eat and wolf it down. Other days you take for-e-ver. (We’re talking 40 minutes.) You eat carrots, pumpkin, all kinds of potatos, zuccini, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, chicken, apples, pears, bananas, avocado, cantelope, prunes, cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, all sorts of spices, crackers, rice cakes… and probably other stuff I’m not thinking of at the moment. More and more you are gobbling up finger foods, but it really depends on your mood at mealtime. (Your pincher grasp is getting better, but you still “rake” too.) You also chug water from your sippy like it’s going out of style, and you certainly don't need our help any more. (You love to do things by yourself as much as possible.)

As always, you love bath time. You also love the naked play time that comes after bath. Daddy takes you into our room and you run around on the bed with daddy chasing you and giving you raspberries on your clean nudey bum. Often I come in and play for a few minutes too, unless I'm making dinner. You scream and giggle and scurry around the bed. It’s a precious time. (Even when I'm not in there with you, I adore this time... just hearing you and daddy scream and giggle in the other room is more than enough to put a smile on my face.)

My favourite little trick you do at the moment is clapping. You figured this out a couple of weeks ago and it is sooo cute. I once put you in bed for a nap, and then looked at the video monitor and there you were, sitting up in your cot clapping away. You must have wanted one more round of the nigh-night song.

{you've even been known to clap while getting your diaper changed}

You also clap in the car when the radio is on and when you’re at worship at the base or when we’re singing songs at bedtime. You love clapping so much that sometimes you do it for no apparent reason at all. I'm not gonna lie - it melts my heart. Those are moments that I just want to freeze forever in my mind.

You are also crawling all over the place. Seventy percent of the time you still get around by the commando crawl, although you do also know how to crawl on your hands and knees, and do so about 25% of the time. The other 5% you are walking on your hands and feet, reminding me of Mowgli from the Jungle Book.

I haven’t been able to pick up a pattern on this so I’m not sure why you choose one type of crawling over the other. Some days you are all hands and knees and other days you are all belly. But in any case, you are a fast little mover! You are all over the house and I really have to keep an eye on you.

At the moment your favourite toys are a doorstop, board books, your plush soccer ball, and your little chick toy. You’re also obsessed with cords, remote controls, phones, and my make-up brushes. All of those are forbidden toys though… so you’ll have to settle for the doorstop for now.

You are wearing all 9-12 months clothes, but don’t really seem big for your age. You seem average to me, but that's just a guess since we haven’t been to the doctor’s since your six-month check-up. You do seem a little tall, but I’m not sure if that’s just me assuming… In any case, you’re certainly chunkier these days. That little tummy of yours is so adorable and my your chubby little thighs are my favorite. Oh, and the cheeks. Love the cheeks too.

You still love story-time and songs and now you “sing” along. It just might be the cutest thing ever – right up there with your clapping.

We’ve also now put you in the toddler swing at the park and you are thrilled to be in there! You scream and laugh and throw your head back in delight.

You are also much more interactive on Skype now, much to the delight of Nanny and Bop and Gigi and Gramps.

This month was daddy’s first Fathers Day. It was pretty special. You and I worked hard to make it really wonderful for him. He had a great day and will enjoy showing you photos of it one day. You may not remember it now, but we helped him pick out a new fishing pole. Before you know it, you’ll be having boys trips to the beach to catch us dinner.

Your hair is growing longer and can be styled easily now. It never lasts though because I don’t let daddy put hair product in it just yet. J

Your eyes are huge and deep, deep brown. In many photos they look almost black. They are truly beautiful. You also have long, straight eyelashes – maybe the one little part of you that looks like me.

And finally, you are so curious! You are so easily distracted and want to look at, and listen to, and experience and touch everything. You just don’t want to miss out! I love this about you (except when you’re eating… then I find it trying - you little distract-o-boy!). I hope you continue to be inquisitive all throughout life. If so, you will learn and appreciate much!