July 9, 2012- 10 months

Henry,

Mommy is a week late in writing your letter this month! We've been a busy little family this summer and I like to spend every spare second of the day WITH your cute little face instead of writing about your cute little face!!!

You were quite the world traveler this past month, with a trip to Michigan to meet all of your Daddy's aunts and cousins and also a trip to Colorado under your belt! Your favorite thing about airplane rides seems to be flirting with whoever is in the row behind us! You love to stick your fingers through the crack between the seats and entice whoever is back there to play peek-a-boo with you!

When I think back on the past month, I will definitely remember it as the month you stopped looking like a tiny baby to me and started to seem like a real little boy! This makes me sad and happy all at the same time! You are crawling around like a speed demon (still with your little "kickstand" out pushing yourself along), and now you also will seek out your wooden "lawnmower" so you can stand up and walk yourself along, exploring every room of the house. I just know that it will be ANY DAY NOW and you are going to be walking/running all over the place. Watch out world!

In other big boy news, you are DEFINITELY and distinctly saying "Mama." You have no idea how happy this makes me to hear! Although it's also a total scape goat for Daddy, who can now always say "He called you. He wants you." You are not so distinctly (but saying in your own special way) a few other words: Dada (Ah-Ah), Lulu (uuu-uuu), George (ore), Ball (ba), Uh oh (uh owhhhhh), Wow (owwww). I can't wait to hear what your voice sounds like once you start babbling away! You've also learned how to wave bye-bye and hello! The day you finally mastered this party trick was incidentally the day we were traveling to Michigan, with the entire aiport serving as your perfect practice audience! You are such a sweet and happy baby boy and everywhere you go people just love you (and that great big smile full of SEVEN teeth)!

You've found your independence this month! I will turn my head for one second and then realize you have crawled all by yourself around some corners and down the hallway all the way into your play room, and then I will tip toe and peer around the corner to find you sitting in middle of your room, smiling and playing with your toys like such a happy little man! I love the look on your face when you realize I am watching you! So proud of yourself! Even though you are growing to be such a big boy, you are still my sweet baby Henry! More than anything I love our quiet moments, especially just before bedtime when you are warm and clean and we are snuggling up for your goodnight prayer and song! I love you and I am so proud of you!

Love, Mommy

Sleep: You are still going down consitently by 8pm. Although with all of our travels this month, you are now waking up one time in the middle of the night (somwhere between 12-3) to nurse, and then back to bed. You usually wake up for the day around 7:00am. So yes, we have only had about 10-15 nights in the past 10 months where you have slept through the ENTIRE night. You are now taking 2 naps a day for around 1-2 hours each. You typically nap a total of 3 hours day.

Eat: Just this past week you made it VERY clear you are over baby food. You only want "big boy" food, which typically consists of flax seed waffles, bananas, yogurts, blueberries, chicken, tofu, edamame, lima beans, corn, the yellow part of the egg, etc etc etc. Oh and you are my child...you LOVE BREAD! You are still nursing 4-5 times per 24 hour period. Always right when you wake up in the morning and right when before you go to sleep at night, and then usually 2 quick times during the day.

Play: Your #1 favorite toy these days is probably your wooden lawnmower. You are also LOVING bubbles, which make you laugh and laugh and laugh. You love rolling balls all over the house too! 

Quirky new habit we are trying to break: Somehow during the past month you have decided it's ok to bite your mommy's arm! Hard! Because of this 1) We are learning the meaning of a firm NO and 2) Mommy had bruises and bite marks on her arm for the majority of June. Not good baby boy!