Letter to Miss Dot at Eleven Months

Miss Dot,

You are eleven months old!  This last month, you have been hilarious and wild.  You cannot stop moving and sometimes injure yourself trying to get away.  We have to hold onto you tightly, or you’ll flail out of our arms!  You are a very talkative girl and love to babble endlessly, saying things that sound like words.  You also have begun screeching – to your daddy’s horror!  I told him to get ready for many years of little girl screams.  Generally, you are screeching out of happiness and joy!  The sounds you are making are definitely starting to sound like words.  I still don’t think you have said any “intentional” words though.  You have begun to copy mama and daddy sometimes when you hear us make certain sounds.  You’re very interested in how our lips are moving. 

 

 

 

 

This month you did a lot of things.  You went to Charleston, SC for daddy’s birthday, had your first Valentine’s day, and hosted a baby play date with our mama and baby group!  
Our trip to Charleston was a big one for you – it was your first time being on a plane since you went to California at 6 months old.  We were hopeful that it would be an easier trip with you, but it was harder than we thought!  Our flight got cancelled, and rescheduled to 7 pm (your bed time), and then got delayed!  We thought that maybe you’d sleep on mama on the plane, but you refused, because you know sleep is best in your crib…  You didn’t sleep until about 10:30 pm – after a quick trip to Walmart to get your travel crib and some food.  When we finally got to the house we rented, you were so angry and tired, and would not be consoled by mama.  Luckily, you fell asleep after crying for a few minutes. 

The rest of the trip, thankfully, was smoother.  We did so many fun things – we took a horse carriage ride with Ruby the horse (which you were very entertained by), we went to the famous pier and saw dolphins, we ate all types of delicious sea food and some Lewis BBQ (your favorite was the banana pudding ice cream), we toured the Calhoun mansion, and we went to Folly beach.  You loved the sea breeze and thought wind in your face was hilarious, but you did not appreciate the cold water on your feet when daddy dipped them in the water.  You were very confused by it all!   

Mama and daddy also got some evenings out while you slept at the house, with a babysitter watching you!  You didn’t even know we were gone.  Your favorite part of the trip was seeing new people on the trip and on the plane.  When other people talk to you - mama jokes that you're an attention hog.  If anyone talks to you, even if you're super grumpy, you immediately light up and start smiling and charming them!  

 

 

You also loved your small gifts from family for Valentine’s Day.  Aunt Helen and Uncle Steve sent you a gorilla that you are obsessed with – you think it’s hilarious when Elvira, your nanny, puts him around your neck like he’s riding on your back.  Your cousin Tiffany also sent you a very cute book, that you’ve enjoyed reading.  Lastly, you got a hilarious, singing card from your Aunt Diana and Uncle Atwood – which was customized with your photo on the card!  You spent a couple of hours playing with the card, and we’ve held onto it for future entertainment. 

 

You’re such a wild baby these days.  You want to be on the move, but are still working on it.  You are trying to crawl, and can go backwards, or back into a sitting position that we call your “yoga pose.”  You also are looking to pull up on things, but aren’t quite there yet.  You love standing and bouncing while someone is holding you.  You jump with so much force, for an 11 month old baby!  You love the swing at the park and laugh so hard while you are swinging on it.  

You also want to grab everything and mama has to watch you closely.  If she leaves anything within a foot of you, you will try to get it.  When we go out to restaurants, we have to ask them to put the food far enough away from you that you won’t just stick your hand in it while it’s hot.  You don’t exercise a ton of patience when waiting for your food to cool and you want a taste of everything and anything that mama and daddy are eating.  If mama is getting a food you can’t have (something spicy or raw), she also orders you a food so you don’t get angry when you have nothing to eat!  You love Chinese dumplings, scrambled eggs and quiches, any kind of pasta, veggies of all kinds, and you adore fruit.  You are drinking about 22 oz of formula a day and will switch to cow’s milk next month.

 

Chocolate Face

You are still taking two naps a day from 9:30 am – 11:30 or noon, then again from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.  You are also still sleeping well overnight, from about 7:30 pm until 7 am.  You seem to not be teething as much this month, but still only have your two bottom teeth.  Mama is waiting for those top ones to poke through any day now!  You weigh 23 lbs, 6 oz!  You’re starting to bust out of the 12 month clothing, and it looks like you’ll be in 12-18 month, or just 18 month, soon.

This month is the count down until your first birthday!  We have a party with our mama/baby group to celebrate, and you will be doing a cake smash photo shoot, which I’m sure you’ll love – mostly the cake part.  Hopefully it’s a fun month and soon you’ll be a year old! 

Love, 

Mama