Saturday was Lydia’s ten month birthday. Happy birthday, Sweetheart!
I can’t believe I’ve only got two months left before my baby turns one! Where does the time go? Remembering how quickly Alethea’s first months went by, I’ve tried to be very deliberate to savor every moment of infant closeness that I could with Lydia, but somehow it went even faster and now I’m sitting here, thinking about my pre-toddler, who shows me every day, “Momma, don’t cha know, I’m not a baby any more!”
This month Lydia did a lot of growing up. Most notably, she is now pulling up to standing all the time and everywhere. She still army crawls around the floor, but as soon as she reaches a chair, bookshelf or the stairs, she promptly pulls herself up to her feet so she can take a look around. She also does some cruising around while holding onto furniture and seems to be contemplating how she might be able to go no handed. This girl wants to get walking!
Lydia is also starting to communicate more. She regularly uses the signs ‘more’ and ‘all done’ when she’s eating. What really surprised me though was the other day when I asked her if she was all done, she made the sign, but then also said, “Ah da!” Her first words! I probably wouldn’t have even believed my own ears, but we were over at a friend’s house for a playdate and my friend totally heard it too. I shouldn’t be too surprised though, since Lydia clearly understands so much of what is being said around her. If you ask her, “Where’s your water?” she will look around and locate her sippy cup with her eyes and she makes excited noises whenever I ask her, “Do you want to nurse?” What a smarty pants!
As far as physical changes go, this month Peter and I have both noticed that Lydia’s eyes are turning brown and she is definitely getting more hair. She has a couple hairs that are maybe an inch long in the back. It’s still a ways from a full head of hair, but it is something. As far as the eyes go, they do still have a blue/gray ring around the outside, but the middles are pretty much solid brown. Oh and teeth, gotta mention teeth! After a marathon month of teething in September, we ended October with the same six pearly whites. However, the last few days have been a drool fest, so perhaps the remaining two of her baby eight are on their way in.
Lydia’s very most favorite activity is eating. She loves trying new foods, her recent favorites being turkey (lunch meat) and raspberries. You’d swear those berries have wings the way they disappear off her highchair tray! She is really starting to get the hang of her sippy cup and is interested in bowls and spoons, although she seems to view them more as playthings than eating utensils.
Speaking of playthings, she also enjoys playing with toys, as long as she’s sure they belong to her sister. She can spot a baby toy a mile away and regards them with utter contempt. But if she gets her hands on something that she’s seen Alethea play with, she’ll spend minutes on end trying to figure it out, even if it is nothing more special than a comb or bottle for Alethea’s baby dolls. This of course drives Alethea crazy and leads to a fair amount of conflict in our house on a daily basis.
The girls do occasionally have moments of playing together nicely. I think these will happen with increasing frequency as Lydia becomes more and more interactive. However, I still have to remind Alethea that Lydia is not yet so grown up that she can pretend to ride her like a horse.
I’m sure that it’s not wise to wish for time to stand still, but I’d almost like to hit the pause button in this month. And it’s not the impending holiday season that’s got me worried. I’m just not sure that I’m ready to give up my sweet baby girl and get a toddler in her place.
My dear little Lydia, your Mommy and Daddy love you more than you’ll ever know! Try not to get so busy growing up that you forget that we’d still like a cuddle ever now and then!