Dear Paisley: Month 6

November 3rd, 2010

“You are the best thing, that’s ever been mine.”

A new Taylor Swift song came out last week, “Mine”, and as soon as I heard that line I thought of you. It’s so very true. Burn this house to the ground and everything in it, as long as I’ve got you (and that daddy man) I can’t think of a whole lot else I want or need.

Six months has never felt so brief, and yet so fulfilling, as it has with you. In the same amount of time that you’ve been here, we’ll be celebrating your first birthday. (Pardon me while I bawl my eyes out.) You’ve changed me and my life in such profound ways that if I tried I feel like I couldn’t find my way back to where I was even a year ago. Most of the time I wouldn’t want to. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have days where I’d willingly run back.

You’ve absolutely come out of your little baby shell this month. You’re funny! The faces and sounds you make crack me up! And while your BIG ADVENTURES are usually as simple as finding your ears (which you did), finding your tongue (which you did) or tasting a new food (which you did a lot of), they are some of the most thrilling moments. I love getting to experience all of it with you.

You now have two little teeth right in front. They are sharp as razors, and I know this because you were chewing my chin yesterday (I didn’t ask either) and you bit me. These teeth are used for gnawing absolutely anything you can get your little Barbie hands wrapped around (we call them that because you never open your fingers!). The teeth aren’t that essential to eating right now since it’s all liquified this or pureed that.

You have been the best little eater and I’ve so enjoyed making your food! You’ve tried: green beans, squash, zucchini, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas and avocados. Pumpkin you didn’t love, so we mixed it with bananas, calling it “jack-o-nanners,” and you were into it then. Same with the avocados. Everything else you lap up like chocolate cake! When you get really excited about what you’re eating you blow raspberries and spray whatever is in your mouth all over yourself, us and anything else in your splatter path. You also eat cereal with pear juice every morning. The bottle is still your buddy. You come unglued when you see it, stick out your tongue, start “talking” and flapping your arms. When it’s close enough, you grab the bottle and pull it in to your mouth, and, if I happen to be tied up with work, you’ll curl up in your boppy and feed yourself. It’s the most bittersweet thing – I love curling up with you to feed you, and yet I love the freedom this is affording us.

Your other new trick is sitting up. All by yourself. No support. And you’ll do this for like half an hour. You play with your toys, pull on your feet and occassionally topple over. It makes me laugh every time. Once I’ve assessed your safety. Sometimes. You just look SO BIG sitting there!

Bath time has changed as a result of the sitting because now you don’t have to just lay there like a baby, you get to sit like a big girl! You love it! You splash so hard and squeal so loudly! You like having a toy or two to play with and if we’re in the tub with you we let you swim like a little froggy. You revel in bath time and if you could ask for them I think you would.

When we prop you up against the couch or a chair you’ll use your hands for support and stand on your own for several minutes. You look, and think you are, so big doing this! It’s your fave and I have no doubt you’ll take off walking any day now.

Your biggest adventure this month was camping. Camping is one of our favorite things to do and we were so excited to take you on this trip. I was nervous but you proved to be a truly happy camper and didn’t give us an ounce of trouble. You were too cute for words with your little stocking cap on your head and when you were all bundled up like a glow-worm in the tent. We forgot to pack our blankets (and it dipped into the 30s at night) so you were so much warmer than we were and I longingly looked at your fuzzy blankets and footy pajamas wishing someone had packed for me, too! Upon our arrival home you had a 102.5 fever. We’re still newbs, so we took you to the ER. The catheter they gave you was probably one of the most heart-wrenching, painful moments of my life and the nurses were so kind and so gentle but that was nothing in the face of that shrill, piercing scream. I wanted to hold you and never let you go. (PS there was nothing wrong with you)

Finally, we were on the eve of your first Halloween this month. I skipped the costume route and just dressed you up. Amen for Aunt Jenna, she made your big obnoxious tutu and aaaadorable spider bow! You were the belle of pumpkin patch we visited and were an absolute delight as we propped you, posed you and played with you.

You, my dear, are perfection. You are more fun each and ever day making it impossible to imagine it’s going to get better.

Love you Bug!

Mama