11 Months

Well Avery, here you are, 4 days shy of your 11-month birthday. Where did this year go? It seems like it would've gone by slowly as we were awake for most of it. But your daddy and I were commenting just yesterday about how this by far the quickest year we have ever experienced.

You are a hoot & a half and already have the biggest personality in the house. Watching you play is one of our favorite pastimes: you'll pick something up - anything - and shake the hell out of it. If it doesn't rattle, you go on to the next item to be shaken. And you adore anything with buttons. We've taken the batteries out of both a remote control and a cell phone just so you can play with them, but you want the real ones that work. Last night I caught you with the remote control. You put it in the hand opposite from me, waved it in big circles over your head, and crab-walked across the front of the couch as fast as you could, playing keep away from Mama, laughing hysterically the whole way.

You have also discovered the button that changes the lights on the Christmas tree to various stages of flash/twinkle/scatter/blink/seizure-inducing light display. And you can only reach the control for the bottom half of the tree.

You're so cute, people like to give you free stuff. I can't tell you how many free cookies you've been given, just because you smile at somebody. You especially love the grocery store and going out to eat.

Dante is your special friend, and you adore him. You will reach out your hand to him sloooooowly, and when you finally barely touch his soft fur, you dissolve into a fit of shrieking giggles. He's not so sure what to think about all that, but he loves orbiting your stroller as we go out for our daily run.

Kearney still likes you too. You're too heavy to crawl all over him like you did just a few weeks ago, but he'll still let you pull his ears and tail, and you light up every time you see him.

We are anxiously anticipating the arrival of your third cousin, Ann Trotter, who is due any day now. Bubba is exquisite in her pregnancy, and you think she's the bees' knees.

We took you to Highland Village for your photos with Santa. Again, you were given free stuff for being cute: I paid for five prints, but we were given nine! I thought you would freak completely out with Santa and was prepared for a screaming-fit picture, but you were very, very good and seemed to really like him.
(c) Lisa Patti

You are still a cuddlebug, and my heart melts when you lie your head on my chest or go forehead-to-forehead with me. I hope we can do that always.
Your giggle is the sunshine of the house. I'll sit cross-legged in the floor with you and play with one of the little horses Cindy bought you from the co-op in Hazlehurst. I'll hide it behind my back and have it pop out on either side of me while you like to try to predict from where it will come. Then I'll let the horse attack you, and you dissolve into a fit of giggles and belly laughs.
Your daddy is your HERO. You light up, dance, babble, and DADADADADAAAAA when he comes home.
You are generally sleeping well, but you went on a bit of a sleep strike this weekend that really threw us for a loop. One night you finally went down at midnight and woke up again at 6:30. I think you're gearing up for a big milestone, like perhaps standing on your own. You'll stand right now very briefly - generally you have a toy in one hand and the coffee table in the other. You'll decide you want to play with the toy with both hands and let go of the table. Then, like Wyl E. Coyote, you'll slowly realize you're standing up and bump down on your booty. It's pretty precious.
Nine months old, no teeth.
Daddy took us down the Natchez Trace on my birthday for a picnic with the camera, tripod, and camera remote control for family pictures. You were pretty good......

..... but you really liked playing in the leaves and dirt most of all.
You were a peacock for your first Halloween. We're original like that.

Your first four teeth have popped out! One day you still had your gummy grin, then the next afternoon you cruised over to me and started CHEWING on my hand. I panicked and thought you had broken glass in your mouth, but it was just your teeth. TEETH?!? When did my sweet baby do that? Now you really enjoy crunching on Cheerios with them. You also like to sharpen your new pearly whites on our stone coasters, which sets your dad's teeth on edge. You love it when we brush them.
Dante's toy basket is your favorite place on the planet.

I have officially started exclusively using cloth diapers on you, and we both love it. I wish I'd done it a long time ago and am looking forward to a summer in which you have nothing but cotton against your skin.
Every day with you is like Christmas, and I find myself lying in bed at night looking forward to the joy you'll bring in the morning. Your daddy and I delight in and are so very, very thankful for you.
With so much love,

Mama