Navigating the Mothership: Letters to Oliver: 10 Months

Little note first: Happy Mother's Day! I'm wrapping this (very late - whoops) post up as I sip coffee in bed while happy chaos reigns supreme downstairs. Lovely, lovely. And since I know this can also be a very difficult day for many reasons, I would like to send out some cyber love to anyone who might be having a hard day. To you I wish a peaceful and relaxing Sunday.

Dear Oliver,

10 months!

You continue to be delicious and also gigantic. We now have some official stats after your 9-month appointment in mid-April. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but I know that you are 24 lbs (87th percentile), 95th percentile for height, and your head size is around the 98th percentile. Big boy. I'm so curious about whether this will continue for your life. Your daddy can't imagine that someday you will tower over him, the way he towers over his own father (your "Papa").

Me? I can very much picture hugging twenty-something-years-old you and only coming up to your chest. For now, however, I can still cradle you in my arms (sort of...when you aren't wiggling away from me!) and admire my wee little baby and kiss your chubby little arms and legs and face.

This month we had a break from any teething and you held steady at 8 teeth. Since you didn't have any teeth to break your stride (or mess with your sleep), you were pretty much a cheerful and bubbly little guy.

When you were at the pediatrician's office, the doctor watched how active and curious and just plain quick you are and she told me to baby proof EVERYTHING and that you would be walking before you turn a year old. But (luckily) you aren't walking quite yet. You are moving in that direction but don't seem to be in a rush. Oh, I am more than okay with this. You will be less likely to hurt yourself if you take it slow. Which reminds me - you already have 3 chipped teeth. Dude. DUDE. Please, Oli boy, BE CAREFUL.

This month also seemed a bit calmer while you switched your focus to more of the cognitive milestones instead of the physical ones. This means you have a new interest in reading and also things like clapping and waving. So cute. A particular favorite new skill of mine is that will turn pages in books when asked, especially when we read your favorite - Brown Bear. I need to also document that you turn and grin at me after I say each new animal.

We introduced you to dairy this month - yogurt and cheese - and you are a big fan, especially when it comes to cheese. You continue to eat a surprising amount at meals and you don't like it when you can't eat what I'm eating. You still nurse twice a day - and you are all about trying to move and wiggle and see what's going on while nursing, resulting in some ridiculous positions - and you also take 3-4 bottles each day (4-8 ounces).

One of your favorite activities is taking a bath. You are less crazy in the tub these days, making it more of a medium-intensity workout for your daddy and me, rather than a vigorous aerobic workout. You do not mind water in your face or even dunking your head under the water. You will straight up stick your face in the stream of water coming from the spout and then pull back out and laugh in delight. (!) You are so content to splash up a storm and crawl around in the tub. I only have to tell you to sit down about 30 times each bath :)

Interestingly, as fearless as you are in the tub and with water, you were less sure about the swings and about your daddy tossing you in the air until recently. You would get this slightly nervous face and look at me to see if it was okay. This has changed in the past month. Now you enjoy swinging and the feeling of being tossed up a little bit by daddy.

Oli, you continue to be so naughty at times in the most charming way. I cannot even believe how cute you are when you are doing things that you know to be a "no-no." You have this particular face that you make when we tell you no. You scrunch it up and huff and puff a bit, but then grin and move on to something new.

One of the funnier things you have begun doing is falling over on purpose when you are mad or tired. You will go from a sitting position and then just BOOM lean backwards and fall to the floor and lie there crying at the indignity of it all. I can't seem to convince you that this is perhaps not the best way to express your frustration :)

You also do a similar fearless falling over - or launching off - thing when I set you on the glider armchair or on my bed. It has become a game for you. You lunge out at me and even though I'm supervising you, it is still scary and surprising when you do it. So far I'm at a 100% success rate for catching you, but HOLY POO is it certainly a little scary. You like to keep me on my toes :)

You know, now that I think about it, there is something really sweet about the fact that you assume I'm always there to catch you. That it lets you fearlessly leap out into the unknown. That is right on track for a baby your age and just what I would want you to think. That I'm here for you, ready to catch you and protect you, and keep you safe.