Thursday, February 2, 2012

Letters to Milo (#4, 35 weeks, 8 months)

Dearest Milo,

You're 9 months old now, and as far as your parents are concerned, you're the most brilliant baby on the planet, in pretty much every way possible.

You're the fastest army crawler around, and it looks like you're getting ready to graduate to crawling soon. You're especially quick when you have your eye on an iphone or laptop cord. You've also started pulling yourself up to a stand, and you get this really pleased look on your face when you do. You've been doing swimming lessons for three weeks now, and you weren't a bit afraid--not even when we dunked you under water. Four times. I can tell already that you've got an adventurous spirit, which is an excellent character trait.

You're very fond of jumping and bouncing in your tree frog jumperoo these days, which makes all three of us laugh. Though you do often pause to watch Criminal Minds with us, which has your daddy and I a little concerned, frankly. I hope it's not leaving much of an impression on you.

Your favorite toy, I think, is your wooden activity cube. It was beautiful colors, with beads to move, blocks to spin, and doors to open and close. You can entertain yourself for a good 45 minutes with that thing, gazing at it intently from every angle, contorting your body to peek around the corner to the other side. you also have started crawling underneath your jumperoo, so it's a it of a fort for you to lay under. You'll grab at toys that dare hang over the edge, and you'll study intently the joints in the base, and then you'll lay quietly underneath, looking up at the light shining through the bright orange fabric seat.

You've gotten quite enthusiastic about eating lately, and I'll venture to say that corn is among your favorite foods, based on the excited noises you make and the way you lunge at the spoon as I try to refill it. I love corn too, and so does your daddy, so I suppose it makes sense. Let's hope you don't inherit my taste for ranch Doritos as well.

Your daddy delights in finding new ways to make you laugh--the most recent of which is playing peek-a-boo. That really cracks you up. You also REALLY like when I sing to you, which officially makes you the one and only fan of my singing. Your current favorite is what I sing "I love you, I love you, I looooove you," which I sing in a way that mixes a beatles song with a current pop song, making both pretty unrecognizable.  You're tickle-ish where your legs meet your torso, and under your arms, but the best spot is under your chin and your neck.  Daddy and I tickle you mercilessly and repeatedly just to hear your sweet laughter erupt like a cheerful volcano.  You also really appreciate animal sounds--particularly a hearty mooooo.

One of the things you do that cheers me immeasurably is attack kiss.  Sometimes I can tell it's coming by the way you smile at me. But sometimes you grab my face and/or hair with both hands and come at me with mouth agape and a twinkle in your eye. You are indiscriminate in terms of location...most often, you "kiss" my cheek, but you'll settle for my forehead, nose, or even my eye. A few times you've gone right to my mouth, which is a little awkward but also sweet and joyful. You are unabashed in your kissing. While forward, your technique is bound to make you popular with the ladies one day. Or the men. Either way, just don't tell them you perfected your moves at 8-months-old. With your mother.

You've just started hugging, snuggling, and waving as well, though you're a bit coy about waiving which makes it hard to tell if it's really intentional.  But hey--we love it all the same, and we'll take what we can get.

I have to tell you--you're pretty much the best-behaved baby I've met--everyone says so, even complete strangers. Sometimes I have to bring you to various meetings, and you'll hardly peep, playing quietly with a toy and eagerly sipping water from the side of mommy's cup.  You're a dream in restaurants, and we even took you to see cousin Lily in her first musical. You sat on my lap for the entire two hours and mostly just watched the singing and dancing. And yesterday, when I was so sick and lacked the energy to be super fun mommy, you took two long naps (so I could sleep) and pretty much entertained yourself while I watched you, barely able to sit upright.

Anyway, I could easily write you a small novel of a love note, but you'd probably get bored reading it, so I'll try to wrap up. But I want you to know this: you are the happiest, most adorable, joyful, clever baby. And you are so loved. I have this journal I try to write in at the end of each day. And somehow, no matter what else has happened that day--good or bad--all I'm left with at night is joy and gratitude. Because of you. I don't know how we got so lucky.

Happy 8 months, peanut. We love you to pieces.