Dear Thomas,
Well, your mom is running behind once again. I guess I should start calling these Month-and-a-Half Updates instead of Monthly Updates. But just to be clear, all the stuff I’m writing about here actually happened between April 28th and May 28th. And, I’ve even gotten smart and started writing the next update as things are happening this month, so hopefully I’ll be able to be (closer to) on time with the Special Birthday Edition.
This month has been an outdoor adventure, and you’re loving every minute of it. When we were in Illinois in May (the night after our exciting hotel stay), you went to a park for the first time. We weren’t sure whether you’d like it, but there was no need to worry. You couldn’t believe how fun the swing and the slide were:
(Click to play movie.)
Since that first visit, we’ve been trying to stop at one of the parks near our house as often as possible. I guess it’s not surprising that you love the sensation of swinging through the air or swooping down a slide. You’ve always loved it when we’ve swung you in our arms or run suddenly and quickly while holding you. It fits right in with your fearless personality, your desire to fling yourself headfirst off the couch or to use a loaf pan or a cooler as a step for climbing up our kitchen shelves. I imagine we’ll be spending plenty of time at the park this summer, if only to channel your fearless sense of adventure onto things like swings with straps and slides that are only 2 feet tall.
The warm weather has also given us the chance to get outside for walks almost every day. You have really begun to enjoy taking in the scenery in our neighborhood. You get excited about all kinds of things – flags, flowers, trees, dogs, etc. – and you express this excitement through your version of pointing, which involves dramatically casting your arm in the direction of the exciting thing, then looking at us to see if we see you pointing, then drawing your arm back and repeating the gesture. It’s very cute. You do other cute things while out on walks, too:
You haven’t started officially walking yet, though you’re getting to be sturdier in the 2-3 steps you take between the ottoman and the couch, or between the couch and your dad. You’re also getting more proficient at walking while holding onto someone’s hand, though you’re not totally reliable in this format and can suddenly turn into a little gumby as your legs buckle beneath you or you decide that it would be more fun to be sitting down. This month you’ve actually done more crawling that you’ve ever done before. Whereas you used to be obsessed with standing or cruising along the couch, the novelty of this activity has now worn off and you’ve realized hey, I can crawl ALL THE WAY FROM THE LIVINGROOM TO THE KITCHEN! AND FROM THE KITCHEN TO MY BEDROOM! AND FROM MY BEDROOM BACK TO THE KITCHEN! You crawl quickly and with determination, and your dad and I are usually running on ahead to remove Otto’s water bowl or make sure that both the door and the gate are safely blocking your access to the basement stairs.
You’ve added a number of new foods to your diet this month. You’re getting to be really good at feeding yourself, and so we’ve been experimenting with all kinds of new finger foods: whole wheat toast, bits of cooked broccoli, diced carrots, sweet potatoes or green beans, and, most importantly, cheese!! You LOVE mozzarella cheese, and you love it so much that you’ll pick around the other stuff on your tray until you have picked up and eaten every single tiny piece of cheese, before moving on to your veggies or starches. We make sure to give you some cheese every day. We do live in Wisconsin, after all.
For Memorial Day, we drove to Iowa to hang out at the lake with your grandparents, aunt and (soon-to-be) uncle, great-aunts and -uncles, and cousins. There were lots of little kids, and you were enchanted by them. Oh, how I wish I had had my camera out when your 3-year-old cousin Anika held you and the two of you beamed at each other in mutual wonder and adoration. It was priceless. You had lots of time to play with grandma and grandpa, and you also got to go on your very first boat ride. You loved it! And you may not know it yet, but it’s a good thing you did love it, because boating is very important in this family, and not enjoying a perfectly good boat ride would call your genetics into question. But, as you can see, you were all smiles and interest as we cruised across the lake:
All in all, it was a great month. I can’t believe you’re already more than 11 months old, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer full of family and friends, long travels and short trips to the park, and most of all I’m looking forward to watching as you continue to discover the world with enthusiasm and joy.
Love,
Mama
