way past due...

Dear Jayden,

Today is June 8, 2011 and you are Eleven Months Old! Wow does time go fast when we are watching you grow. You are my sweet little baby quickly turning into a busy toddler.

The biggest news of the past month is that you started walking! You took your first steps on May 25^th after weeks of us wondering why you weren’t already walking. We think the five (yes five!) ear infections you’ve had recently have affected your balance. It happened when I was sitting in the living room at Grammy and Grandpa’s house. You were at your walker and looked over at me. Then you just turned and walked to me. I couldn’t believe it and scared you when I squealed and clapped. Since then you are working so hard to walk everywhere. And by walking I mean you are trying to run everywhere! When you try to run you topple over and then get right back up. You are so agile- it’s quite amazing. You will be so good at sports someday. I can also picture you climbing Mt Everest because at 11 months you can scale the couch! We can’t leave you alone for a minute.

You really are the cutest little guy. Some of my favorite things you do is clap for yourself. When you walk or put a puzzle piece in (yes you can even do a 3-shape puzzle we have!) you clap for yourself. It’s adorable. One of your favorite toys is your shape sorter. You can always find the circle shape but the rest of the shapes we have to show you where they go. You think so much like your daddy- you’d make a good engineer. You love to open and close things. Put plugs in and out of the wall.

Your favorite foods are veggies and fruits. The other day I gave you grilled cheese and broccoli. You ate all the broccoli first then asked for more! You LOVE fruit! Bananas, pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe. You eat them all! One thing that really surprises people about you is how much you eat! Today for lunch you had; green beans, a cheese stick, whole slice of bread, a whole hot dog, blueberries and cantaloupe!

You love to be chased. Sometimes you will come to us with this mischievous smile on your face and then turn and run or crawl away. The louder we pound behind you the more excited you get. When we tackle you, you squeal with delight. If we hide behind the couch and scare you as you come around the corner, you squeal and clap. The bigger the “BOO” the happier you are. You love to go for a walk and point out the animals. Daddy likes to take you on walks when he gets home. You point to every squirrel, bird, and rabbit you see.

Lately you have been very attached to me. You are constantly crawling in my lap or begging me to hold you. No one else will do. Sometimes it makes for long days but I won’t complain- I know it won’t last forever. And to be honest, I don’t really want to be apart from you either. (Well maybe I’d like you to let me go to the bathroom. Or pull a pair of pants on without you holding on to the leg crying to climb back in my arms.)

You are such a sweet adorable boy! I fall in love with who you are each and every day. I love you Jayden and am so so so proud of you.

Forever,

Mommy