Dear Gage...11 Months

Dear Gage,

You are now 11 months old...so close to one year! I can't believe it! It is so fun watching you grow and change. Well, most of the time...! I have to admit, this past month has been the most challenging so far. You are displaying your strong will and frustration these days, just as all babies eventually do, so we pray that we are doing a good job in guiding you well!

Something that is fascinating you lately is the garbage can! You love lifting the lid and seeing what you can pull out. No matter what we do to steer you away you always go right back. The first time I put a chair in front of it you crawled into the kitchen and just cried and cried because you couldn't get to it. Now you have realized that you can move the chair...You are just too strong for your own good!

In just one month you are now:

~ Standing on your own! One day you stood up using a box and then let go with your arms out for about 5 seconds. You knew you did something great and I cheered and cheered! Then a day or so later Daddy got to see you stand up right in the middle of the floor without using anything to hold on to. Do I see some walking in your near future?

~ You love to grab my fingers and take off walking! You would do that all day if I didn't tire out. You know where you want to go and lead me all around, quickly!

~ Clapping, a lot! One evening you were watching a show with Daddy and something must have struck you funny because all of a sudden you started clapping and laughing. After that you clap at all kinds of things and when anyone else claps first. It is so cute!

~ Waving! We would see it every now and then before, but now you wave when someone else waves and when we say "bye bye"! It happens at home, at church, at the grocery store...

You still love your walker and you are going faster and faster now. No more old man moves from you! Last week I was talking to Daddy in the living room and all of a sudden out of nowhere you tore past us on that walker! Oh we laughed so hard! It was such a funny sight, especially because before that you usually needed our help in getting started.

You are such a silly boy! You make me laugh so much. I love your funny faces, the way you bend over with your head touching the ground just waiting to be flipped over, and spontaneous things like this:

When I was working on something at the desk, out of the corner of my eye I could see you reach for the extra bibs nearby and when I turned you were holding one on top of your head just waiting for me to look at you. Silly boy!

"Driving" around one of your books:

Some tidbits I don't want to forget:
~ You have 4 teeth on top, 2 on the bottom and one more that just popped through!
~ You love pulling your hair - especially at mealtime which can create quite a mess!
~ You have recently started saying "ohh" when you see something you want!
~ You are very attached to your yellow blanket, the one that has been there from the beginning...It makes you so happy!

Sweet, sweet Gage, I just can't express in words how much I love you and how proud I am to be your mommy. You are so special. My prayer for you is that you flourish in all the special traits that God has blessed you with. Very soon you are going to be a big brother! I know it is so soon, and you will have to share me then, but I know you will be such a good big brother and I can't wait to share our lives with another Baby E!

Next time I write you are going to be a big 1 year old!

Loving you always,
Mommy