09 September 2011

10 months

Della, you are 10 months old and you are amazing. Kinetic does not begin to describe you, busy, active, moving, thinking, doing, babbling, grasping, trying, studying, contemplating, eating!
You love eating, and will try anything. Hate bland food or food that is too smooth. Last week a fever and rash scared me, and your tongue kept pushing food out when delivered via spoon, but fingers? Fine fine, so we ate that way all week.
This week, 22lbs, 27 1/4 inches, healthy, crazy beautiful.

Daycare starts next week, and I am feeling shaky about it. I want one on one attention for you, even though I know it is not possible in every moment. I hope you will learn to share, and learn not to pinch and bite. The place is peaceful, I was worried too peaceful. But the second visit this week included stomping boys who bang things together so that is good news for me. I did not want you to get used to too much quiet.

Your favorite book is goodnight gorilla and you turn to the goodnight goodnight goodnight page over and over and grin while I read it over and over and over.

You play peekaboo by hiding behind the chair, and giggle in anticipation before you pop out. It is adorable and you really laugh.

You do not laugh easily so when you laugh it is extra special delightful. You smile often, are totally charming and engaging. You cry to let me know you are not happy with a choice, a moment, or a sensation.

You have abandoned your foray into early language except for a noise you repeat often, sort of an aoup noise. Sometimes appp. But when mom visited us yesterday you said many things right after her, which you never do with me. I am amazed at how different you are with each one of us.

Your dad is coming home (praise god/goddess/all-that-is) tonight for 4 whole days... the weekend home, monday and tuesday working with normal commute, then back to maine, but I am hopeful that normalcy can be created for us all very soon. You are not difficult, but this has been very hard.

You love music. You turn on music and dance, arms flopping, a big grin on your face.

You love being outdoors, love our walks, love pulling grass, love swinging.

You do not like being put down while I am up. I have become adept at face washing one handed, but still need two for dishes and for buttoning my pants.

Breast feeding is still working well for us, but you are suddenly not that interested in breast milk from a bottle. Formula? Fine fine. Breastmilk? Not so much. This is causing me angst. Nursing works fine, but working means pumping and pumping means bottles.

So, my little one, happy birthday. You are the most amazing thing that has happened to me. I can hardly remember "before". I do remember sleep though, and look forward to it sometime in the future.

10 months. Wow. What a wild and wonderful mindblowing ride this has been so far.

10 comments:

Jem said...

It seems like yesterday you were going for the "hail Mary" IVF and she was just a twinkle in your eye. She has grown so.

linda said...

She is so adorable Kate! :) Your observations are amazing.

Michele said...

She's beautiful Kate. So beautiful.

Baby Smiling In Back Seat said...

Burrito and Tamale think that their little buddy has good taste in books.

B. said...

She's more adorable in each photo you share. Daycare can be tough, but harder on Mom than on baby, I think. In fact, I think my little one missed it when I got laid off. I worry now that she won't be as social as if she still went to daycare, but every time we go out and she tries to strike up conversations with EVERYONE we pass, she puts those fears (temporarily) to rest.

Hurrah for a bit of normal in your life! Be well.

sprogblogger said...

She is so very beautiful. Glad D's home soon, and looking forward to the end of the season for your sake! Take care of yourself, you're always in my thoughts.

Lisa said...

Della is such a pretty baby! Good luck with daycare. I totally agree that it's harder on you than her. And soon, it will just be the new normal. But you don't have to like it. :)

What IF? said...

Incredible that 10 months have flown by. Della is simply gorgeous, and making such strides.

Sorry to hear about the daycare/work/pumping dilemma with expressed breastmilk. Have you considered a backup solution of trying a mixture of formula and breastmilk for those days when she refuses a bottle with just breastmilk?

Good luck with the transition to daycare. The adjustment is definitely harder on the mom than the baby. Della will do splendidly!

Kate said...

What a beauty! She'll do great at daycare and will love interacting with all the other kids.

karen alonge said...

della is magnetic - I have no doubt she'll attract tons of loving attention from her daycare provider(s).

When I worked in daycare, there were always some babies who just had that irresistable spark to them that made us want to eat them up. Even in the pictures I can see that sweet Della's got it in spades!!!