Daph Stats: Month 10
Dear Daphne,
This month has been an explosion of learning for you. I just went back to read your 9 month letter and I was shocked by all of the changes that have happened in just one month. Your army crawl transformed into a real hands-and-knees crawl in a blink and just today I was marveling at how fast you can zoom across the room on those knees. For a couple of days I couldn't figure out why your knees had a red rash all over them until I realized it was actually carpet burn from all your busy moving! In fact, it was almost impossible to get a growth picture of you this month because you kept running away!
Not only do you crawl, but you also pull yourself up onto everything in sight. You are always so proud of yourself and look over your shoulder to make sure we are watching. A couple of weeks ago we had to lower your crib mattress as low as possible now that you have learned to pull yourself up. More often than not, I will hear you laughing to yourself when you wake up from a nap and come in to see you standing, slapping the railing or playing with your zebra buddy, ready to reach up for me so we can play. It makes me grin every time!
Not only do you crawl, but you also pull yourself up onto everything in sight. You are always so proud of yourself and look over your shoulder to make sure we are watching. A couple of weeks ago we had to lower your crib mattress as low as possible now that you have learned to pull yourself up. More often than not, I will hear you laughing to yourself when you wake up from a nap and come in to see you standing, slapping the railing or playing with your zebra buddy, ready to reach up for me so we can play. It makes me grin every time!
With your mobility comes a whole new dimension of parenthood for me. I had said the word "no" to you probably three times total in your first nine months, but once you became mobile, I was amazed at how many ways you could find to get into trouble! Pulling the trash out of the garbage can, throwing books off of the shelf, trying to suck on the cell phone charger cord, breaking my hand held mirror on the tile, etc, etc. I love that you are experimenting and learning to be independent, but I am also struggling to find ways to teach you boundaries. You obviously understand so much, but I often feel silly for trying to explain in detail why eating an old tissue in the garbage is yucky or why we don't chew on the computer cord. I'm working on helping you to explore in positive ways, but it is a work in progress.
You are getting incredibly opinionated and if anything happens that you don't like (ie: I walk away, we put you to bed, or take away something dangerous, etc) you emit the most ear-piercing shriek that rattles my brains loose! I try not to give attention to the scream, hoping you will quickly outgrow it, but that is a hard thing to do at church or in the grocery store line. Again, it is fun to see you experimenting with your expressions of emotion and I am confident we will figure it out. You like to eat whatever we're having for dinner, drink from my cup and hold your own spoon while I am feeding you. In the morning when I sit down in front of the mirror to put on my makeup, you love to climb into my lab and play with my mascara or chew on the chap stick tube. We usually listen to music and "talk" while primping or you admire yourself and give kisses to your reflection.
As you can see, you are still nearly bald, although you have a tuft of blonde hair that is starting to get longer all the time. I just have to laugh when I see brand new babies with an entire head full of hair next to your baldy top. You have gained three more teeth this past month (two on top and one on the bottom) and love to practice chomping with them on anything that comes into your chubby hands.
You are getting incredibly opinionated and if anything happens that you don't like (ie: I walk away, we put you to bed, or take away something dangerous, etc) you emit the most ear-piercing shriek that rattles my brains loose! I try not to give attention to the scream, hoping you will quickly outgrow it, but that is a hard thing to do at church or in the grocery store line. Again, it is fun to see you experimenting with your expressions of emotion and I am confident we will figure it out. You like to eat whatever we're having for dinner, drink from my cup and hold your own spoon while I am feeding you. In the morning when I sit down in front of the mirror to put on my makeup, you love to climb into my lab and play with my mascara or chew on the chap stick tube. We usually listen to music and "talk" while primping or you admire yourself and give kisses to your reflection.
(Daphne doing makeup with Mama - check out the mustache she gave herself the other day with my eye liner - it was all over her hands too!)
As you can see, you are still nearly bald, although you have a tuft of blonde hair that is starting to get longer all the time. I just have to laugh when I see brand new babies with an entire head full of hair next to your baldy top. You have gained three more teeth this past month (two on top and one on the bottom) and love to practice chomping with them on anything that comes into your chubby hands.
You are increasingly playful, with us and other children, as well as with your toys. As I mentioned last month, you love baby dolls and squeal with delight when you see one. At Easter, I had Grandma bring down my American Girl Doll that I received as a highly anticipated gift when I was 8-years-old. You flipped out and started to maul her, so I think we will wait until you are a bit older before you get to play with her permanently. Speaking of mauling, Daddy is trying to be more gentle with you as he often gets so excited to see you that he tickles and teases you until you yell in frustration. Yet no one can get you to laugh quite like he can.
You are still very social and have no problem being passed around your admirers. You love animals (especially dogs) and seem to have no fear of anything now that you realize the vacuum isn't alive. You love sunshine and tubby time, going for walks, pushing your big yellow ball around the room, reading stories, flapping your arms to music and much much more. I'm realizing it won't be long until you are a toddler and I am cherishing these last few months of babyhood. Besides marrying Daddy, you are the best decision I have ever made. Grow on little one.
Love you forever and always,
Your Mama
You are still very social and have no problem being passed around your admirers. You love animals (especially dogs) and seem to have no fear of anything now that you realize the vacuum isn't alive. You love sunshine and tubby time, going for walks, pushing your big yellow ball around the room, reading stories, flapping your arms to music and much much more. I'm realizing it won't be long until you are a toddler and I am cherishing these last few months of babyhood. Besides marrying Daddy, you are the best decision I have ever made. Grow on little one.
Love you forever and always,
Your Mama
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