Eleven Months.

You get better and better with each passing month. Although I am sad about how quickly the months are passing, my sadness is diminished by how amazing you become the older you get.  This past month was particularly special because I really started seeing you as a human in miniature. You were no longer just the baby; you were just like me but a third of the size and without the vocabulary.

You have the funniest sense of humor and find everything amusing and interesting. You make us laugh with your giggles that don't seem to match the sweet and high pitch of your voice. I'll never forget the fit of giggles I put you in just by saying "squeak" or the way you squeal and smile every time you see Perla.

You started walking this month and I think that's what set off my "human in miniature" thought process. You are so tiny and yet so big. Not even a year old and you are a walking little person whose growing independence at times feels like a stab to the heart. I love to hold your hand and walk with you; the feel of your little hand nestled in mine and of your body rocking back and forth as you take steps is something I never want to forget.

With the onset of walking I feel like you have become more independent. You have always been good at playing by yourself and keeping yourself entertained but walking has opened up your world. I try to sit and play with you but as soon as I'm at your level everything fades as you throw yourself at me and proceed to either climb on me or pick and point at anything covering my body (your favorites are my earrings, necklace, hair, and, ironically, my boobs).

I feel like the first ten months of your life were spent fattening up and the last month was spent lengthening up. You still have rolls but they aren't as numerous. You are stretching out all over and everything looks so much bigger. I can hardly remember what you looked like as a newborn. Or rather, the truth is I can hardly believe you were ever that small.

One tooth broke out this month. So much for teeth coming in pairs and in quick procession. The beginning of the month was spent with the tooth making its full appearance and the end of the month was spent waiting for the stubborn second tooth to break out.

What makes teething really annoying with you has nothing to do with a differing sleeping pattern at night or a grumpy personality, it has to do with your solid feedings. You drink your milk just fine but getting you to eat anything is a struggle. You literally go on a hunger strike and either refuse to eat anything at all or only eat things that I'm assuming feel really good on your aching gum. I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better but it seems like we just need to ride the teething out.

Because teething has put quite a damper on feeding you, we haven't made much headway in the new foods department. I think the only new things you tried this month were beef, fish, and broccoli. Other than that I have been giving you new combinations of the foods you've already tried, more finger foods, more snack foods, and more table food. While I still make all your food I am beginning to enjoy the freedom that comes with not having to prepare you something completely separate from what we eat. So it seems that while I have not introduced many new foods to you this month, I have introduced enough variety of food to you before that you are fully capable of partaking in our meals.

You amaze me every second of every minute of every day. You are beautiful, lovely, sweet, affectionate, and you have my temperament to boot (cute as a baby, probably not going to be cute as a teenager). You have a tooth, you walk, talk, smile, giggle, throw tantrums, and feel hurt when we tell you no. You fit perfectly into our world and my hope is too make our world good enough for the perfection that is you.