two thirds

Dear lia,

Eight months here and gone! Holy cow. It's like you've always been just a little baby in the house. One blink and I realize you're turning into another little kid. My little baby chubalub, growing up in a blink!

You have quite the personality now. It is so much fun to watch you wander around the house exploring (still getting stuck backwards). You of course love the tv and all its bright shiny buttons. Growling has reached a new level. Sometimes it's for attention, but mostly it's when you're concentrating or engaging in a great physical feat (such as standing up). We're pretty sure you might be a gremlin, and thus feeding you after midnight might prove to be a bad idea.

You scream when you're standing up and lose balance, or when you're tired or cranky or just want Bella to pay attention to you. You love whatever Bella has and fight vehemently when she takes anything away from you. And yet, she is your mini idol. You guys could spend an hour just giggling at each other (when she's not attack hugging you).

As for us, our conversations usually consist of Heh. Heh heh. When you're on my hip you lean over and sway your head into my line of sight and stare at me until you catch my attention. You spend the rest of your day growling, whether you're playing alone, goofing off with Bella, or on a mission to find a new toy (or raid the dishwasher... I mean, really. Who can resist all those shiny little spoons?).

Dinner time is so much fun. You get to join Bella in your own eat seat now, gnawing on bread, gagging on bits, and sprinkling it all over the floor. Bella does her best to get you growling, shrieking and giggling through dinner. I thought for sure you'd be my child that eats, but no such luck. You refuse most foods, but seem to enjoy paper and bits of lint from the floor. We're going to have to work on your taste, methinks.

My darling, after our first few months together i dreamed of the time that we would finally fall into a rhythm and learn to speak each others language. I just never imagined that it would be a language I already knew. How is it that you do it so well? When you need to reconnect, you press your forehead against mind. There is nothing sweeter in the world than that feeling. It is exactly what I did the entire time I labored with you- the counter, the cabinets, my hands. Strange little world, huh?

You made it through all our colds, too. You have become the Queen of Snot Bubbles. You were a superstar at the ER and even made it through a chest xray with...minimal screaming (and no vomiting for once!) To verify your tubalubitude, you've got 22lb on that little 28" frame of yours... It's no wonder I can't get pants to fit over your thighs.

Let's just say you have made quite a mark on this family and we love having you here.

You are my squishy ray of sunshine.

Love,

mama

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seven months of lillia

Dear Lillia,

This was quite the month for you! All this time we've had a little baby in the house and suddenly we have a mobile, active family member. Look out, world!

After a few weeks of taking one crawl step and stopping to cry for help, you finally figured out crawling... Except...you could only go backwards. Poor little Lia, you got stuck in every place imaginable throughout the house (and you let us know you weren't too pleased about it).

It was quite an exciting moment when I left you on your tummy and came back into the room to find you sitting upright. Triumph! Little by little you're getting the skills to keep up with Bella and move those chubby legs of yours. Oh that chub. How I love it.

I would wager to say that this has been your most vociferous month yet. The little bit of freedom you gained with your mobility was a bit of an overload, I think. You can barely stand to have me put you down, let alone of of your site. Don't even think about letting someone else hold you for more than three seconds. The screeching has reached a new level.







But your cuddles are all the sweeter. You reach out to me while nursing (when you aren't twiddling and pinching the rest of me) which is something new. You've never really been one for holding on, so it's a pleasant change for the moment.

There's quite a difference between being clingy and cuddly, and despite the endless hours of Lia Lia Lia, I'll take all the cuddles I can get. I always will.

Love, mama

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Welcome to 2011, Lia!

Dear lilla,

Oh my. The word of the month is teeth. You got your first tooth! Let's just say you're not too pleased about it. You used to love clenching your teeth, breathing through your cheeks like the Godfather. Now you're not sure what to do with one nuisance in your mouth and another on the way.





Teething certainly has brought out your aggressive side. At one point you grabbed a stuffy and started growling and attacking it like you just might tear off its head if you could. Your nursing has become a bit panicky, and I can only suppose teeth are the reason. Again, not a new fan of the new intruders, methinks.





You enjoy standing up most of all, but aren't a huge fan of the falling part. Your balance was getting great until you learned you could lean forward and I'd catch you. Now it's your favorite game and you refuse to stand anymore. You have an unbelievable grip that you use to pry off my nose and grab at my neck and hair. On the other hand, when Bella tries to grab your hands, they flail about so much that it's impossible to hold on! And boy, what a mean karate chop you have (accompanied, of course by the appropriate sound effects).





You're working on your babbling in all your spare time and got stuck on mama for a whole week- what's not to love about that? Still, my favorite thing this month is your sleepy wake ups. After a nap you're all heavy and squishy and just relax your weight right into my shoulder. Normally you flail all over while I carry you and this soft weight is so cozy.



What can I say? That's the stuff of motherhood. Days and days of upset tummies, long nights, biting and screaming all melts away with one little head snuggle. You make it easy to love you (and I do).



Love, mama

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