Letters to Oliver: 11 Months

Dear Oliver,

You are now 11 months old.

We are mere weeks away from you no longer being a baby and officially being a toddler. I can't believe we are almost about to celebrate your big first birthday. But since you are our last baby, I suspect that the title of "baby" is going to follow you for quite some time yet. (Sorry.) (Not really.)

Now Oliver, this past month has been a bit of a doozy. I can no longer call you "mellow." Baby dude, you have been anything but mellow and I'm pretty sure that's due to four molars trying to poke their way through. Oy. OY. You have a finger jammed in your mouth all day long and your sleep is disrupted and you reject pretty much all of the teething remedies I offer you. Cold fruit in the mesh feeder? No, no, a thousand times no.

But when you aren't being Mr. High Maintenance, you have also turned up the cute quite a bit. Your waving and clapping and pointing and even learning to do actions to your favorite song 'Hello, Friends', well, CUTE. That is just the word for it. It makes me smile and swoop in to kiss you. Look, I got proof! My hair looks like that on purpose as it was the style in 2012. (False.)

I find it so much fun to watch you and your sister play together more and more. You truly play. Interestingly, I've noticed that instead of telling Bella to be careful with you, I am more often telling you to be careful with your sister. You love to wrestle and attack. I often will see you out of the corner of my eye with both your arms raised, ready to come flopping down on your target.

Other shenanigans of yours include the insanity that is changing your diaper. The wrestling and escaping and pinning you down is just hilarious. Or it would be hilarious if there wasn't, you know, POOP involved. I need to get it on tape to show you some day because you are just a maniac when it comes to having your diaper changed. So I make do and even change poopy diapers with you standing up. This works out well approximately 5% of the time.

You love food and really prefer to feed yourself, even wanting to take over the spoon. You can now drink from a straw and sort of from a cup, although you generally let it all dribble back out, soaking yourself in the process. Interestingly, during the two times I offered you something other than water (lemonade and a smoothie) you had no trouble keeping all that in. Suspicious, I tell you! Unfortunately, I believe you are mildly allergic to eggs as I noticed hives after you ate them. I'm going to hold off on trying those again until closer to 13 months. I hope you don't have any allergies, but we will manage if you do. And your favorite food of all remains those that are on the floor. Dessicated pea that I missed sweeping up? Mmmm...delicious.

You are getting bigger and stronger everyday and your newest trick is climbing. Climbing on children's tables, climbing onto your sister's bed and climbing onto the couch. Busy bee. But you continue to hold off on walking, even though I have seen you take a couple steps when motivated to get between furniture. You crawl incredibly fast, so I think that until you feel like you can't get somewhere quick, you don't see a need to walk.

What will this next month bring? An official walker? A distinct first word? Definitely your first cake. WOO HOO! Can't wait to live it with you, buddy boy.

Love,
Your Mama