Ten months.
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Month 10 has been your biggest adventure month yet, baby boy. You flew on an airplane, you celebrated your first Christmas, you tasted a whole bunch of new foods, you experienced snow, you visited two new cities, and met all sorts of people from your parents’ former life in Boston.I have to admit, we were a little nervous about flying with you. A few days before our trip you experienced your worst, most traumatic teething yet – crying inconsolably for hours – it went beyond any anguish we’d experienced with you since you were born. But after a few hours the pain seemed to pass, and by Christmas Eve – our travel day – you were back to your happy, mellow self. You slept through your first take-off, turned around and flirted with the people behind us during the flight, cried over the landing, but then the rest of the flights there and back you were fine. Plenty of other babies weren’t, but you were calm and quiet, though squirmy.
Christmas in Maine with all of your grandparents was lots of fun. Your Grammy J is beside herself in love with you. And everyone was surprised to see how taken with you Peter was! He couldn’t stop raving about what a great baby you are. You made an impression, baby boy, but you always do.
You slept through the opening of gifts, curled up, out like a light, on your mama’s lap. So we had to have a second gift opening later after you woke up. You (or rather your dad) got a bunch of puppets to play with. You (and your dad) particularly love the bear in the stump puppet. It pops out of the stump and hugs you and you giggle and hug it back. You also got a yellow dog puppet and, what your dad has dubbed, “Geoffrey the Geopolitical Giraffe,” who likes to read to you from the newspaper. You also got a bunch of new books from your Granbunny and Grammy J.
You were asleep before Christmas dinner, but you joined us at the table the next night for lobster. And you loved lobster! We broke off the legs and you sucked on them like the native New Englander that you are in your genes. You also discovered a fondness for chèvre cheese.
While in Maine you accomplished an entire staircase climb, with your Grammy J following closely behind you to make sure you didn’t fall.
And you experienced your first really cold weather (not “Austin cold”), tasted snow and met some ducks that were hanging out around the frozen pond.
After Christmas we spent a couple days in Boston and you got to meet a bunch of your parents old friends and their kids. And we took a daytrip up to Connecticut for dinner with another set of friends. It was a quick trip, with lots of socializing, lots of traveling in cars and planes, and you did really well.
Though, we did establish one “bad” habit during the trip. Each night we would put you to sleep in your travel crib, but when you woke up during the night – as you inevitably did – we brought you into the bed. And even after we returned home, this is how you wanted to sleep. In the big bed, nestled between your dad and I. And I have to admit, I haven’t really tried to hard to break you of it, because I like having you cuddled up in bed with me too.
And finally, after all that whirlwind of holiday travel activity, you celebrated your first New Years’ Eve. By the time 2012 rolled around you were still awake, but pretty sleepy. And so were we.
Happy New Year baby boy! You made our 2011 truly the greatest, most memorable year of our lives.
The image of Ethan in the Graco whatever, looks just like the expression I captured of you, Heather, when you were about the same age. Ethan not only looks like his dad, he has your beautiful expressions, coloring, and dimple, as well. I love you both so very much.
Granbunny
It’s time for another post, I miss learning how Ethan is growing, the changes he’s creating, and of course, your beautiful images. I know you are busy with work, motherhood, and all, but I miss the communication.
Granbunny