Months Ten and Eleven

Dear Patrick,

Oh boy, I am way behind in my letters to you.  I'm so sorry, but you really know how to keep me busy!  Let me start by saying that the day after you turned ten months, you started standing up all on your own!  Since then, we are constantly keeping an eye on you, constantly wondering what you are going to get into next.  That said, you have perfected your crawling and you are very very fast.  But anyway, back to the standing.  You stand anywhere you can.  You stand in your crib and look over the rails until someone comes into your room to get you.  You stand up using your dad or I to help keep your balance.  You stand using the coffee table in the living room.  And on and on.

You also got your first tooth - lower left!  After months and months of drooling and biting on everything, the tooth made it's appearance about three weeks ago.  Now you bite into everything we give you - bread, apples, bananas, etc.  This tooth has really  made you appreciate food, I think, because you love mealtime.  You will eat anything we give you:  cheese, bread, watermelon, baby cookies, and of course, your favorites: sweet potato, carrots, applesauce, peaches.

You continue to babble:  DADADADADADADA and all its variations, including DA, DADA, DADDDDDDDDA.  It's great and your daddy couldn't be prouder than when he hears you calling for him (or so he thinks!).

You also started going to school two days a week - day care, or as I refer to it, 'baby jail.'  Except, it's no jail for you, as you LOVE IT!  You have your favorite teachers and many friends.  You play all day long and the teachers tell me you are adventurous and not afraid of anything.  You play in the sandbox and show off your reddish hair, smiling at everyone you pass.  Luckily, I am able to visit you during my lunch, and you always give me a big smile before going back to playing.  You also participate in snack time and music time at school, so you come home with all kinds of lessons:  peek-a-boo and touching your head are among your favorite things you do there.

This last month, we spent a weekend in Boston - your first roadtrip - visiting with your godmom.  You loved the trip, the sights, the hotel, even the car ride.  You also enjoy trips to the grocery store and now you participate by pulling things into the cart and even knocking over items from the grocery aisles.

You still play with all your toys in your pack and play - monkey, bear, Curious George - and usually take your naps laying on one of them.  It's very sweet to see you hug your toys as you sleep,your first friends.

I can't believe how much you have grown the last few months.  Even more, I can't believe that you will turn one in only a few weeks. 

How much your dad and I love you, you will never know...

-Momma