Dear cuddly guy,
You are an almost hugger now. You will cuddle close and your wiggly arms will squeeze in a bit. I can't wait for genuine running hugs... well minus all the bumps of learning to run ;) You like to watch your brother play running hug games and you get this huge wide smile on that little face. Your cheeks aren't taking over yet (and I'm not sure they will) so you can really see that side dimple and chinny chin chin pop out.
You like to sit and play and then oh so quietly you will plunk forward on your tummy. Then you get up on your knees, and I knock you over.... only kidding, I do hold my breath though because once you can move those knees under you we are in B-I-G trouble. The cable cords are in trouble. Your brother's legos are doomed. We already started using a steam cleaner so at least you will have a clean floor to traverse. But seriously, let's just cuddle and hug and forget about forward movement for another few months...
You have a ferocious appetite for paper towel, napkins, socks, and red wine (none of which we allow). In the real food department, the first bite of food is usually accompanied by a gross out face even if it is your favorite food. The favorite is a mushed up pear. The addition of your very British mashed peas and spinach was eventually welcomed and sometimes it seems like you ask for seconds. You tried your first air puff which you stuffed in your mouth with the help of your sticky palm. The straw sippy (which I can squeeze at the bottom to show you how it works) seems to be interesting to you, and you will occasionally bang it around. When you get it in your mouth it's typically upside down, but you'll get it eventually.
Your brother said the other day as you belly laughed at his skeleton dance, "I didn't know little babies could laugh! They start laughing when their big bros go coochie coochie coo!" You love a good coochie coo from your brother and it will usually knock you out of a fuss fit. The other discovery is that you will usually stop fussing in the car if we sing Bingo over and over and over again... If I lose it someday, I will be in the corner humming Bingo. I wake up with it in my head. I hum it in the shower. Oh, the things we do as parents. But at least I can sing it properly now... keeping in sync and all that.
You love having both hands full of as many toys your tiny hands can hold. You've started clapping toys together while staring right at your brother. You are looking to spark some excitement in the most exciting person in your life. If you can get your brother excited that huge smile of yours expands even more! It is amazing how much you look up to him already.
You had plenty of loving from grandparents (even those all the way from Arizona!) and family this month. When you weren't being cuddled, you usually prefer to be plopped on top of a blanket that you occassionally try to eat. But when you aren't trying to pick it up to get it in your mouth, I noticed you pulling the blanket towards you to get a toy that is too far to reach. That stroke of brilliance will be followed by a squawk when you push said toy too far down your throat. I guess you're learning.
You love playing with your hand me down little people barn. The poor little people usually get a good slobber shower before they go bashing along the roof top. You love pulling at the barn doors to open them and then trying to stick your head through it. Yep, your head is a bit bigger than the little people, so that didn't go well.
You decided that you would like to be a 4am rockstar. The early, early morning squawking was not welcomed by my empty reserves. Your dad's ball bounce is not quite as effective as it was with your brother. Sometimes the only solution was a late night play room visit, and you would eventually fall back to sleep. I blame a growth spurt, teething, digestive flora maturation combination of baby related ick. Aiden says that you must have tummy butterflies that need to get out. Once you do fall back asleep, it's a toot alarm clock that wakes you back up again.
We've been visiting play groups and music class just you and me. I feel lucky that we have this one on one time while your brother is at school. It's fun to see you reach out and show interest in other kids. You charm the socks of your music teacher by giving her the constant smiley face while trying to lunge at her. Little does she know that you just want to put her ukelele in your mouth. There is a neighbor in our play group that says you study her lips as she teaches you little guys mandarin words.
You like to play with your shadows in the bright playroom afternoon sun. Your brother thought you looked like a spooky ghost and you two giggled about that for the entire afternoon. You missed some of the halloween fun this year since you like to snooze against your dad in the ergo carrier. But oooh boy, next year we are in for even more fun!
Our visit to Ohio sans daddy went so smoothly and I think despite your squirmy plane routine, it was much easier this time then it may be the next. But even though it will be more challenging, it will be more fun at the same time. There is something to that - more challenge = more fun!
Can't wait for even bigger hugs as we hunker down for winter. After all this crazy weather and even some October snow in NoVA (!), we deserve a mild winter, right?! I suppose it doesn't really matter as long as we keep our tootsies warm and we can do that while making sure you don't eat your socks. Oh, the baby days... But your hair is growing in just enough that you can get some hat hair and a itty bitty case of bed head... maybe those fuzzy locks will keep you warm as they grow over your ears a bit.
We're going to continue to holiday celebrations. We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Your brother already made his sharing thankful leaf for school. His third answer, after being thankful for his monster puppet and his cutting work at school, was being thankful for you his brother! We look forward to this thankful month.
Love, Your thankful mom
