Saturday 11 August 2012

Dear Baby - Thirteen months

Dear baby,

Hullo!

As I'm typing this, you're meant to be napping. You crawled in to your room, pointed to your dummy that was on your bed, said something along the lines of 'duh doh do dah', and waited for me to give it to you. Then you crawled out of your room, crawled back in, and got your teddy blanket that was next to your cot. You're making a little noise here and there (playing noises, not crying out), so I'm guessing you're tired. I did have to go in once already when you called out - you had thrown your teddy and dummy over the edge of the cot. At least this time you still had your socks and your pants on (as you know how nappies work, I dread the day I walk in to find that on the floor.....).

I've been back at work for three days a week for two weeks now - you're absolutely fine. In fact, when I come home and Pa has been looking after you, it takes you a few minutes to warm back up to me - you'd rather snuggle in to his chest and just watch me. You're usually okay once I come back out with my hair up and in my track pants. You also spent your first day with your Aunty and cousin - all reports are that you had a great day. You were in a fine mood when we got home, and we pushed dinner back half an hour or so so that you could play at home a bit before before you were off to bath and bed.

You have a fun new game for bathtime - a strange order of events which you largely put together yourself. I swish and splash my hand towards you like a shark and tickle your belly, which makes you shriek with laughter, stand up in the bath, give me a kiss on the cheek and then sit down, waiting for it to start again. Sometimes you roll on to your belly so I can't tickle it, and you watch and wait until you decide you're ready and sit up, looking expectantly at my hand. I can even see you suck your little belly in before you get tickled - so cute.

You still aren't a big fan of getting your teeth brushed. You'll stand at the edge of the bath and open your mouth for me to brush your lower teeth two or three times, then you grab it and sit down and chew on it, chucking it in the bath water every so often. Which is gross. But at least you're brushing your teeth.

Speaking of teeth, another one cracked through sometime during the week! You've had red cheeks and drool on and off for a few months, and I'd check it every so often. On Tuesday, I felt the tips of your bottom right middle molar come through, but on Wednesday it felt smooth again. This morning, I could definitely see something (in the small period of time you let me look at your teeth). No panadol needed at any stage!

The husband looked after you yesterday after having had only three hours sleep (luckily the Olympics are almost over) and you decided to wake up before 7am - a very odd occurence. In fact, you woke up after 8:30 this morning! He said that despite the migraine he had in the morning, you were lots of fun (he napped with you for an hour and a half after lunch). You're at a super cute age. You've started to squeal when we play, which is super adorable.

You're getting closer to talking - I think I heard you say 'birds' the other day as we looked at the cockatiels, but you haven't said it since. You have also started saying 'Zilla' now (our dog), but you say it without the 'i', and it ends with your voice going up. Most of your noises start with 'd', but you point at what you want. Like the hairbrush this morning, on my dresser. You 'brushed' my hair too, which was actually quite nice.

You're getting more particular about things that you do and don't like. Unfortunately, you don't like getting your pyjama buttons done up - unfortunate for you, because it has to be done. You like to reach for the picture hanging near your change table, which you think is a game. It's not.

You like to turn the lightswitches on and off - daddy taught you this one. After your bath we look in the mirror, then you get to turn the heat light off and the normal light on (so that I remember to come back and tidy it up once you're asleep). You love this game so much that you grab at the doorframe as we leave so that you can do it some more - lucky we're clued in to this, or else we'd get a bit of a shock.

Pa taught you 'round and round the garden' - we'd played it a few times with your hand, but he taught you that you get to do the circles before being tickled. Once we get to 'one step....' you stop and you wait, ready to laugh. You still love rough games - being dragged around, thrown up in the air, tipped backwards. You especially like it when Grace is nearby so that you see her upside down face - this is seemingly extra funny.

You're very close to walking, but cautious like your mummy. You walk while holding one of our fingers, but we're not really supporting you in any way. A few times I've let go of your hands to see if you'll stand, but often you realise you're standing and then slowly squat yourself down to the ground (although sometimes you get shocked and cry and I feel terrible). I can't imagine it will be too long before you realise you can stand yourself up without holding on to anything, and it will all follow from there.

You love your birthday bike - quite often toward the end of the day you'll take our hand and walk us over to your bike. Very subtle. You're happy to be pushed in laps around the loungeroom and kitchen, but you're equally as happy to be pushed back and forth, or just sit in it watching.

It's lovely to see you growing in to such a happy young girl. Your hair is getting longer, and although it's mullety, it's growing out in the back. Soon we'll be able to tie it and it will just kill me to see you looking so adorable but also so much like a girl, not a baby. You're easy going, you're social, you're happy to play alone or with us. You laugh a lot, you communicate as best you can, and you cuddle your toys up under your chin with a smile. You're cheeky, you known when you're doing wrong, and you love to imitate and chide us with a waggly finger when we say 'naughty, naughty, naughty!'.

We love you very much, thank you for all that you bring.

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