Dear Levi - Eleven Months Old

Well here we are. A few short weeks from celebrating your first year of life. Happy eleven months Sweetheart! You continue to be the source of so much joy and laughter in our family. It's hard to remember what life was like before your sweet smile and infectious laugh were a part of our days.

You finally cut more teeth (yay!!) after working hard for the past 4 or 5 months you cut three of your top teeth in just a couple of days and the fourth one is about to pop too. You were a drroling mess but didn't seem as bothered by these teethies as you were with the first two which I am so thankful for.

The biggest change for our family is that you are sleeping through the night (Praise the Lord!) After our trip to Barbados we decided to wean you to see if you would eat more during the day if it was in a bottle. You were so distracted that getting you to nurse longer than a couple of minutes at a time was near impossible. I wondered if you were waking at night just because you were hungry having not eaten during the day, and once we switched you to just take 4, 8oz bottles through the day you immediately slept through the night! At first we thought it was just a coincidence but its been almost a month now and you are pretty much sleeping 6.45pm - 6 or 6.30am. I feel like a new woman, Levi Rhys and I hope it shows in the energy I have to play especially first thing in the morning!!

You have learned to wave and say "bub ba" which you use as a hello greeting as well as a farewell. I am trying to help you say "Hi" or some variation but right now you are not interested in saying anywords that don't begin with a 'b' you look and point and say "Ba" to mean,"ball", "bottle,",bath", "boat", and even words that don't begin with that letter or sound, "truck", or wheels" are "ba." For a little guy who doesn't really have any words other than "bye bye", "Dada" and Mama" you certainly are not a quiet baby. You have a lot to say all the time and I am eager for you to add to your words so we can hear your voice.

You have developed such a wide understanding of the world around you. It's a joy to see you figuring out more and more about how life works. You can now follow directions when asked to bring something or find something, you toddle off and (unless you get distracted :) ) can return with the item. You are also very sweet when its time to change your diaper, I say "time to change your bum" and you wander over to the shelf and bring me a clean diaper and then sit on the change pad on the floor. It's so cute!! You have even become less squirmy during changes which is a welcome relief!

You have started asking questions by shrugging you shoulders and turning your right hand palm up. Like when you hear a noise but you don't know what it is, or especially when Daddy leaves the room and you don't know where he's going, you turn to me and make a bleeping noise as you shrug and wait for me to tell you what's going on. I think this might be my favourite new trick (besides the sleeping through the night).

Your passion for trucks and everything with wheels only continues to grow. You are constantly pushing something around the floor and "brumming", you like to load you the back of you dump truck and then dump the contents out - however, when you tip it out by mistake which pushing the truck it's a big deal and you throw quite the little hissy fit. Sometimes this results in the truck being slung across the room in frustration! You certainly make your opinion known, but I know we are going to have to start some simple correction soon to help you express yourself in an appropriate way...whatever that looks like?!

Your sense of humor is growing and when you find something funny you scrunch up your little nose and snort a laugh, looking around to make sure that everyone in the room is watching you and finding it just as funny!

You continue to eat well. Your favourites are still avocado and blueberries but there is not much you won't chow down on except broccoli which you put in your mouth but promptly spit back out before dropping the rest that is on your tray onto the floor so it can't contaminate the rest of your meal! I think its a texture thing more than anything else so I want to try and make some sort of pasta sauce with broccoli in it but blended so that you can't tell what you are eating!

Just in the past week you have started to pop up to standing without needing to learn on something for support. This will be very good news to all your little buddies who are not walking just yet and who you used as a prop to get to your feet during play dates! You are pretty steady on your feet but you want to move more quickly than your little body can and you often tumble but at least now you can get right back up if it wasn't a big deal. You are a pretty tough cookie, you usually don't make a fuss when you just tumble, so its good for us to know if you do get hurt we can count on you to let us know by your reaction.

You are great company for me during the day and I am savouring these days of just the two of us. I love that we sing in the car when we run errands or that you laugh at my silliness and give me big hugs, just because. When you come at me, arms raised above your head and just fall into my lap wrapping your chubby little arms around my neck, it's the best feeling in the world. Only made better by your raspy little laugh as you do it.

My baby boy you are growing up fast. I am enjoying planning for your birthday party. I am trying not to  go too crazy but I am also not going to deny that celebrating your first birthday IS  big deal and one I want to celebrate in a big way!

We love you baby and we cannot wait for the months and years ahead to know who you will grow into. You amaze us every day and we are so proud of you.

Love you x