Gummin' It

Dear Chloe,

You are almost 11 months old and still only have to teeth. It doesn't stop you from eating three solid meals per day though. People tell me to enjoy this time of introducing new food and you trying everything eagerly. They say when you turn two, you will start sticking your nose up to food and demand to eat a limited diet. I hope you do not become a picky eater, I try my best to offer you a new food daily. You have tried everything I have put on your highchair tray thus far. That's all I'll ever ask, that you try a few bites of whatever I have prepared for you. I will never force you to finish all your food or "clean your plate." If you refuse to try new foods, I will refuse to give you dessert.

Your front top teeth are giving you heck. I know they must hurt because when I feel them, they feel huge under your gums. On Sunday, MawMaw and the rest of the family came to the restaurant after church. I was busy but I ran over and gave you a kiss and did the Itsy Bitsy Spider for you. I guess when I walked away to take care of my customers, it upset you. You put your head down to your chest and started crying. You don't understand that I'm working and I can't carry you around while I take plates out.

When I went to pick you up an hour later at Grandma's, they told me your teeth were hurting. I put my finger in your mouth and you bit me! Hard! Your little bottom teeth are like razors and you almost drew blood. I had indentations that looked liked a little mouse bit my pointer finger. I let out a shriek and you laughed. I picked you up and you then decided to try and bite my cheek and chin. I was laughing then, as you slobbered up my face. MawMaw said it was payback, you were trying to eat me so you could carry me inside you. I think you were mad at me for walking away from you in the restaurant. You haven't done it since.

That night, Dad made some homemade chicken wings. Since your mouth is bothering you so much, I decided to let you try a drumette. I though you would enjoy gnawing on the bone. You sure did. You kept rubbing it back and forth in your mouth like a hungry puppy.


After you cleaned the chicken off the bone, you got dessert. I cut up a kiwi for you to try for the first time. You loved the banana kiwi combination and would pick up one kiwi and then one banana. You cleared your tray.


You saw snow for the first time yesterday. You knew something was very different when you peeked out the glass door to the deck. Everything was covered in white. I opened the door and you felt the cold air and snow flakes hit your cheeks. I bundled you up in your new winter coat from MawMaw, some boots with fur I bought you. The only thing I didn't have were gloves so we didn't stay outside long, just enough for a few pictures. You scooted your pink van like a snow plow.


Then you got down and felt the snow. You weren't too impressed at the coldness so we headed back in to fix dinner.



We were running low on groceries so we decided to make breakfast for dinner. Daddy is a pro at making omelette's. Since you are only supposed to eat egg yolks until you are over one year old, we made you an two egg yolk, chicken, spinach and cheese omelette. Daddy's omelette for you was too cute. He also made your very favorite, blueberry pancakes.


You did well eating your first omelette, you ate over half. It was packed full of protein, the egg yolks, chicken and cheese. You loved your dessert and finished both of your baby blueberry pancakes.



With all this good eating, you are growing too fast girl. You are wearing size 18 month. You aren't even 11 months old yet. Daddy likes to say you will be a WNBA pro. My Dad is 6'4" so you may end up being over 5'11". I need to buy you more clothing, all your 12 month old pants look like high waters now.

I love my little giant,
Mama

An Epic Update

Dear Lil Lovey,

I haven't written for awhile, the holidays are always a busy time of year. I baked my heart out. All the gifts I gave were homemade. Daddy helped bag, box and ship things out. I will be happy if I never see another beater bar, stick of butter or cookie sheet again.

We decided not to buy gifts for each other this year. It's been a tough year financially, in the winter time, the electric bill kills us. A $300.00 power bill, on top of rent, water and cable made December a tight month. We have everything we need, a home, food and an abundance of love. Every day is like Christmas, Daddy comes home almost weekly with a new gift for you. A new baby Einstein DVD, Elmo Live a new Elmo DVD. We did splurge and bought you a play deluxe dream kitchen. It's a little too advanced for you now but you'll grow into it. It took Daddy about an hour and a half to put it together for you.

Daddy went out on Christmas Eve to pick up dinner because I was sick of cooking and baking. He was gone a long time and I got worried. When he arrived home, he said he stopped at Walmart. I thought he was crazy, to stop at Walmart on Christmas Eve. What did he possibly need to fight the crowds? He said he picked up something for you. I said you have tons of toys, enough formula and diapers. He said he bought something you needed. I guessed socks. There are mornings I am packing your diaper bag for the sitter and go into a frenzy because I can't find matching socks, I swear the dryer eats them. He acted shocked. How did I know he got you socks? I told him I hoped he bought 12-18 month old socks because you have Sasquatch feet. He looked disappointed. He said he thought he bought 9-12 month, I better go to the car and check. When I peeked into the bag in the car, what did I find? A portable DVD player. He knows you well, now you'll be able to watch "Down, Down, Baby Elmo does Karate" on the go. Next year, you'll probably own your own laptop.

Christmas Day was a busy day too. We went to two places, MawMaw's and Daddy's parents. On the way to MawMaw's you fell asleep and I had to wake you up when we arrived. You had on your crabby panties at first and gave MawMaw the scrunched up sassy face.

You quickly got over your interrupted nap when you saw the spread MawMaw made for you. Ham, a fried turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, deviled eggs. You didn't understand Christmas or presents this year but the feasting was the highlight of your day. You are a chow hound, girl. You will sit in your highchair and pick at food for over 30 minutes per meal. After you stuffed yourself with MawMaw's Christmas goodness, you got some lovin' and were ready for a turkey induced coma.


When you awoke, we had the kitchen cleaned up and your cousins had opened all their presents. Your pile awaited you.

Like I said, you didn't understand the gift part. Your cousin Emma did and she was dying to "help" open your presents.

Daddy brought in his present and set you up with Elmo's Holiday DVD. You and Emma were in a trance.


He probably should have waited to turn on Elmo's Christmas because you had a melt down when I took you away to get pictures of you with your cousins in front of the tree. In the first picture, you could still see Elmo, in the second he was out of view. Elmo withdraw.





After our food digested, we headed to Daddy's parents. Once again, there was more food. You tried black eyed peas for the first time. We were still stuffed from the first round. Not you, my growing girl. You cleared another plate of peas, ham and creamed potatoes. Daddy's family got you more gifts. You got jealous when he was playing a rock band game with his sister. He was playing the guitar and wasn't playing attention to you so you crawled over, climbed up his leg and tried to pull his pants down. Once again, you loved the food at Karen's the most. A close second was the family dog, Duke. You have seen dogs on baby Einstein but you were fascinated by a real, live one.


The car was stuffed full of gifts and we headed home after a long day. You probably weighed about two more pounds by the time we got home.

You still love you bath. I think you will be a little swimmer. This summer, I think we'll do a water babies class at the local pool, I have a feeling you'll love it. You aren't scared of getting splashed or water in your face. You actually will put your entire mouth over the spigot and spray water all over the mirror. You still only have two teeth, Mom says the longer it takes to get them, the better teeth you will have. I don't know about that but you are a drool machine. Since you have been teething forever, you still put everything in your mouth. The spigot, the remotes, pretty much anything that isn't nailed down.






On warm days, we will take you outside on the porch. You hate your hat. You pull it off every time I make you wear it. You are still pretty bald so you must wear a hat in the winter. The other afternoon you kept pulling off your hat outside. Daddy took your hand away from the hat and said, "No, Chloe, leave your hat on." You looked at him and gave him the scrunched up ugly face and breathed real hard, flaring your nostrils. Your secret is out, we know that you know the word "No". The hard part is enforcing it. We laughed when you got your attitude.



You are turning into a night owl. I used to put you to bed at 6:30pm with no problems. The past several nights, you have wanted to stay up with us until 8pm. We took you in bed with us two nights ago. When we turned off the lights, you sat up like a little prairie dog and took in your surroundings. You knew this wasn't your room and kept looking out the window at the headlights passing by. I think you are going through a separation anxiety phase, you don't want to be left alone or left out.

Or maybe you think you missing out on some good food. If you are almost asleep and hear pots and pans clinking in the kitchen you'll stir as if to say, "What are you eating without me?" Last night, you got your first slice of pizza. You devoured it. Your eyes got wide as the slices of pepperoni from excitement. Good-bye Gerber, the days of jarred baby food are now over.





Finally, I hope you know how much you are loved. If I have a hard, tiring day, I feel energized driving to the sitter's to pick you up. It's my favorite part of the day, going to bring you home. When you see me and kick your little legs with glee, it melts my heart. I never will stop feeling excited to see your beautiful eyes shine or hug your little body and smell your fuzzy baby hair.



All my heart,
Mama