Ten Months:A Letter

Dear Camden,

This month you are officially in the double digits in months!! Your Daddy and I have looked at each other in amazement at all of the new things you are accomplishing. Many times we stare dumbfounded at the new things you have learned, and we often catch ourselves pointing out to the other things like "he looks like SUCH a big boy today", or "He's looking like toddler and less like a baby".

This month you have by far kept us on our toes. We have been side tracked with a nasty double ear infection that just seems to want to hang on and make us miserable. There were lots of middle of the night snuggles as you would wake up in tears and just couldn't settle yourself back to sleep. Sleeping has been touch and go. An average night of sleep is nine hours, and lately you've been taking a two hour nap and a one hour nap. However, on nights were your sleep has been poor you have napped for three and four hours at a time.

You have come become increasingly dependent on Mommy. I think a lot of this can be attributed to your sickness. You have had a little bit of separation anxiety, when I leave you at daycare or in the church nursery. You are usually easily distracted by toys, but you don't like to be put down and OH BOY have you learned to throw fits. You are a master. You clench your fits and holler and yell all while shaking. You do this when you don't get your way, or don't get food fast enough, or get put down when you don't want to be. You can even try to work up a tear or two, but you mostly just holler. It is impressive how demanding you are!

You are getting much better at cruising and of course you have speed crawling figured out. On top of that you are able to open drawers and open and close doors, as well as unrolling all of the toilet paper. This has lead to opening cabinets and pulling everything out, opening the pantry and pulling everything off the shelves that you can reach, and just making one big, happy mess. Well, happy in your eyes anyway. :)

Your love for Pearl continues to grow by the day. First thing you do when in your high chair is reach over the sides to look for her. You are quick to throw your hand over the side and she is quick to lick your hand which brings sweet giggles. You spent one evening chasing her around the living room. She had her favorite toy and you would attempt to steal it from her, thus a cute little game of cat and mouse, errr...dog and baby, ensued. You love to take things out of her mouth, and she loves to snatch it right back. This leads to an eruption of giggles that are just adorable. You are quick to grab onto her as well, grabbing her wagging tail or her ear. She is so patient with you and it is so much fun to watch your relationship grow. Your eyes just light up when you see her, and that is when you speed crawl to her. Precious!

You are still eating three square meals and are doing well with soft table foods. At daycare they like to make sure you are still full so they feed you your homemade food as well. You are also getting an afternoon snack of puffs/goldfish/cheetoes/cheerios with a sippy of water. You are taking about four bottles a day, and drinking a little milk or water from a sippy with dinner. Your favorite foods seem to be cheerios/puffs/yogurt melts/carrots. You haven't been a huge fan of soft foods lately, and have been wanting purees. If I put a mix of solid things on your tray to eat, you will usually pick out the cherrios from the green beans/broccoli/squash and leave the rest, wanting a puree later. Silly boy!

You had a period this month where we could NOT settle you down for bed. You would be on the go, across the room and chasing the dog and making things open and shut that we couldn't get you to relax. You would be rubbing your eyes, or even laying your entire body on the ground with your head down momentarily, but then you would be off and running. You would then refuse your bottle because Duh, bedtime is for sissies. To make you realize we were serious, we had to put you in your crib, tell you 'night night' and let you cry for about ten minutes. Then you realized, wait, they ARE serious! And you would happily down your bottle and go to bed.

I was about to write no new teeth this month, but then two days before your tenth month birthday, we felt something. After one night of waking up at three am and refusing to return to bed, and then the next day of waking up shortly after going down and screaming bloody murder; we decided to check your gums. We had all along been assuming another ear infection. Your nose had been running and you had been playing with your ears like they hurt. I just assumed the drainage was going back to your ears and we were having the same story as before. Turns out you were also sticking your tongue out all weekend and eating your bib. Apparently you weren't just being ornery, you were trying to grow some teeth! We feel some tiny little pokes on your lower gums, but so far you don't seem to be chewing or trying to help push them through. You'll get them in your own time!

You can still fit into six month onesies, you are that short. Most of your onesies range in the 12 month area and you are wearing 12 month shorts. You are wearing size 2 sandals and you have a pair of size 3 shoes that never seem to stay on your feet. You are wearing size 3 diaper but that is just because the package we found at Target was on clearance. They are starting to look a little small on you! You still wear size 4 comfortably at night and aren't making a mess. You are growing so fast boy!

Another favorite thing of yours is to drink from cups. In the tub, when Mommy and Daddy are drinking, and even when you are playing with something that resembles a cup, you are quick to put it to your lips and tilt your head back in hopes that some juicy goodness will meet your lips. When we let you drink water from our glasses you are so quick to drive in for a sip. Once you have your fill and pull back, you always flash us your huge toothless (for now) grin, proving that you just love to be a big boy!

You are loving summertime and swimming season. You splash and carry on while in the water with Daddy and you are loving our evening walks. It is becoming a nice little habit for you, and it seems to help you to relax. Pearl knows the route well, it is the time of the evening we all look forward to.

We thoroughly enjoy our time with you and continue to be flabbergasted at how fast you are growing and moving. We love that when we call you now you crawl to us, and will meet us at the door when we come in the house, or your little palms will go slap-slap on the floor as you come to find us in the other room. We love you so much baby, and are looking forward for what is to come!

Love you all the way to the moon and back,
Mommy