To LaylaBug @ 10 Months Old

My little LaylaBug,

You're not so little any more. This morning when you awoke at 6:30 am just like you do every morning I tried to buy myself a few more minutes of sleep by setting you on the floor in our kid proofed bedroom to play. I didn't realize that when daddy took his shower before work at 3:30 this morning he left the bedroom door not latched shut. I didn't figure this out when you quietly went to the door while I was closing my eyes for "just one more minute" and opened it and snuck into the bathroom where you take your baths. In that room you pulled down the pitcher full of your bath toys and played with them on the floor, unrolled some toilet paper and eventually woke me up by FLUSHING the toilet. Luckily no rubber duckies were flushed in the making of this funny story.

Being the mommy I am I took you down from the toilet and walked to your bed room where you followed me and pulled yourself up on the changing table. You knew it was time for a diaper change and didn't object when I took away your pacifier (which you can only have when you are tired now). You did however object very loudly 10 seconds later when I had the audacity to suggest you crawl behind me down the hallway to breakfast. So I had to carry you.

For breakfast you had a Gerber cereal bar and some banana. No more rice cereal for you. You demand independence while eating. Independence and to be allowed to watch Jack's Big Music Show while you eat in the morning. So I flipped him on. You "sang" along... a term I will use loosely to describe the loud "ahhh boo booo mmm mmm lalala" ing that takes place every morning here. You clap, wave your hands and drum on the tray for your chair. When you are done snacking you let me know by handing me your tray and trying to fall to your death off the couch... EVERY DANG MORNING. This has not trained me yet to feed you someplace else, you do get your stubborn nature from someone else afterall.

Then you play on the floor until your morning nap. The day carries on in a variety of different ways. We're pretty flexible around here until bedtime. Dinner happens around 5, when you spend time shoving food into your mouth and trying (much like Helen Keller in the old black and white movies) to grab food off other people's plates without them stopping you. We stop you. Nana on the other hand in weak.

Then you play a bit more before I strip off your food covered clothing and put you in the bath where you splash, scream "guck" (duck) repeatedly and overall cause havock while I wash you down and then when you try to stand up the 2nd time I pop the drain and out you go for a dry diaper and some pjs. Sometimes baths take an hour and sometimes they take 2 minutes...depending only on how long before you try to stand up. You like the water so much I see no point in ending a bath before you're ready.

Around 7 you get a bedtime bottle, which is now your only bottle of the day, we've made the cross to the sippy cup only except at bedtime, I think you'd do a sippy cup at bedtime too if I'd let you and probably we'll start that in the next month. The sippy cups don't make you cuddle though and I'll miss that part.

Somewhere between 7:30 and 8 you start becoming a little tiny control freak. Usually right after I decide you're starting to become a jerk you start rubbing you're eyes and it's off to bed in your crib. Most of the time you just go to bed but on the nights you fight it for too long Mommy caves from the crying and you get to cuddle in her bed. I'll say about 1 night a week that still happens. You usually sleep in your bed for most of the night, but if you wake up I move you into our bed because it's easier for me and you to get back to sleep. Plus, I like the way you cuddle against me until you're asleep then roll as far away as possible and consume as much bed as possible by spreading out in every direction.

You are 19 lbs and 30 inches of determination, independence and curiousity. You are overly friendly and will play with anyone who is interested in letting you get what you want. You love music, ravioli's, water (including freezing pools) jersey knit sheets, and standing up to talk along the furniture. You still dislike green beans, sleeping in other people's houses, cats and toys that vibrate.

You're hardly a baby anymore, almost one...walking... talking... asserting your way. You are happy, growing and learning every moment and that's the way it should be. You've got us wrapped around you're little finger and we love you more than words can say... more than all the words in the world could say. We love you because you are you. And that is perfectly unperfect.

Love, Mommy