My eleventh month was pretty great. It's pretty neat how from one day to the next the changes are so gradual, but when you look back on the month they can be dramatic.
There were the big things. Like I can CRAWL now - cool right? Mom thought I might skip the crawling bit altogether, but in the end I did decide to crawl before walking. I think back on a few months ago when mom would put me on my stomach and I would get upset or maybe pike forward on my feet and worm forward. Crawling is definitely a much more efficient way to get around. And it is really fun to decide where you want to go and make it happen. Like across my bedroom to the crib, or across the living room floor to get to the cat.
Of course I still love moving on my feet best. I can cruise pretty fast, now from my room down the entire hallway into the living room and around the room. I am moving faster and faster; even tonight I wanted to just walk across the room. Pretty soon I am going to just go for it. I've watched other kids to it, and I checked out the walking illustrations in my Everywhere Babies book quite a few times, so I think I am pretty ready. Plus my thighs keep getting stronger.
I have been 'talking' more this month too. This morning I tried to say 'book' though I admit that it came out a little like 'buh' but mom knew what I meant (and was excited). In return, I get super excited when she picks my favorites. This month there is an awesome book from the library called Ten Tiny Babies, but the best one by far is the book with two cats in it called Miaow (this is the Indian spelling of Meow). Appa brought this book (among many) home from Tamil Nadu when he visited in April - it has letters that mom can read and a pretty script that neither of us can read (yet), and it has a great story about two cats - one black and one white. This reminds me of my own two cool CATS (one which is black and white), who I love to watch a bunch. I can kind-of say 'Taka' by saying 'Aja', and now that I can crawl around, I have fun trying to get to their tails (though they are pretty spry).
So from my pictures you may have noticed that my hair is getting longer. Not one hair on my head has been cut yet, and it won't be until October (after I am at least a year old, well actually I will be 15 months old by then). I am going on a trip way around the world to southern India (via Frankfurt - by the way, hi Nastja!), and there will be this ceremony where I get my hair shaved. That's what mom says that Appa says. Anyway, as a result, my new 'do is to wear headbands. This keeps my hair out of my face, but especially makes me look like a rock star (or a tennis player).
I have been somewhat adventurous on the food front this month, tasting all kinds of things. I love raspberries! They are just the perfect consistency for me to chew, besides tasting yummy. I don't love all things - my first taste of asparagus wasn't so great, but I suppose mom will keep trying another 10 or 15 times and then I might like it, who knows. I also drink from a bigger bottle now, which means that I can drink more in one sitting, and that I can drink it much faster.
The weather really has been perfect. Which makes me happy because that means that we get to go to the park almost every day and SWING a bunch. Or go on a hike after mom gets home from work, where there are beautiful views of big mountains far away and colorful flowers along the way. Or even take a bath OUTSIDE, which is just great. Or eat dinner outside next to the waterfall, and you know I love the sound of falling water. Being outside also allows me to look UP, which means I might see a fast bird flying by, or the wind rustling the trees, or even a rainbow (like last night). Of course inside has its own fair share of interesting things up high, like whirling FANS, lights (that I can turn on and off with the pull of a chain), or a tinkling wind chime.
We also had a good trip (with mom, Appa, and Karin) up in the mountains near Breckenridge. There was a gently flowing stream that sparkled, a rushing stream that had a chaotic but calming sound, a lot of bright and soft snow (good thing I had my cool sunglasses for the snowshoe trip, even though sometimes they got annoying and I wanted to take them off), high mountains, and new friends. Oh and a hot tub, I almost forgot - this was super cool because Appa kept blowing bubbles and you couldn't help but laugh.
Ayamma came back from India for the summer, so at the end of every week I get to go hang out with Appa and Ayamma, which is fun. I also get to hear a lot more Tamil spoken when I am there, and that is good.
Finally, I spend a lot of time at home with Karin, who is awesome. She just makes me laugh, hiding behind things or tickling me. She takes me swinging, sings to me in Portuguese, and makes me good food. She even builds up blocks for me because she knows I love to knock them down.
Here is a photo collage of my 11th month on this beautiful earth. Thank you God for everything.
There were the big things. Like I can CRAWL now - cool right? Mom thought I might skip the crawling bit altogether, but in the end I did decide to crawl before walking. I think back on a few months ago when mom would put me on my stomach and I would get upset or maybe pike forward on my feet and worm forward. Crawling is definitely a much more efficient way to get around. And it is really fun to decide where you want to go and make it happen. Like across my bedroom to the crib, or across the living room floor to get to the cat.
Of course I still love moving on my feet best. I can cruise pretty fast, now from my room down the entire hallway into the living room and around the room. I am moving faster and faster; even tonight I wanted to just walk across the room. Pretty soon I am going to just go for it. I've watched other kids to it, and I checked out the walking illustrations in my Everywhere Babies book quite a few times, so I think I am pretty ready. Plus my thighs keep getting stronger.
I have been 'talking' more this month too. This morning I tried to say 'book' though I admit that it came out a little like 'buh' but mom knew what I meant (and was excited). In return, I get super excited when she picks my favorites. This month there is an awesome book from the library called Ten Tiny Babies, but the best one by far is the book with two cats in it called Miaow (this is the Indian spelling of Meow). Appa brought this book (among many) home from Tamil Nadu when he visited in April - it has letters that mom can read and a pretty script that neither of us can read (yet), and it has a great story about two cats - one black and one white. This reminds me of my own two cool CATS (one which is black and white), who I love to watch a bunch. I can kind-of say 'Taka' by saying 'Aja', and now that I can crawl around, I have fun trying to get to their tails (though they are pretty spry).
So from my pictures you may have noticed that my hair is getting longer. Not one hair on my head has been cut yet, and it won't be until October (after I am at least a year old, well actually I will be 15 months old by then). I am going on a trip way around the world to southern India (via Frankfurt - by the way, hi Nastja!), and there will be this ceremony where I get my hair shaved. That's what mom says that Appa says. Anyway, as a result, my new 'do is to wear headbands. This keeps my hair out of my face, but especially makes me look like a rock star (or a tennis player).
I have been somewhat adventurous on the food front this month, tasting all kinds of things. I love raspberries! They are just the perfect consistency for me to chew, besides tasting yummy. I don't love all things - my first taste of asparagus wasn't so great, but I suppose mom will keep trying another 10 or 15 times and then I might like it, who knows. I also drink from a bigger bottle now, which means that I can drink more in one sitting, and that I can drink it much faster.
The weather really has been perfect. Which makes me happy because that means that we get to go to the park almost every day and SWING a bunch. Or go on a hike after mom gets home from work, where there are beautiful views of big mountains far away and colorful flowers along the way. Or even take a bath OUTSIDE, which is just great. Or eat dinner outside next to the waterfall, and you know I love the sound of falling water. Being outside also allows me to look UP, which means I might see a fast bird flying by, or the wind rustling the trees, or even a rainbow (like last night). Of course inside has its own fair share of interesting things up high, like whirling FANS, lights (that I can turn on and off with the pull of a chain), or a tinkling wind chime.
We also had a good trip (with mom, Appa, and Karin) up in the mountains near Breckenridge. There was a gently flowing stream that sparkled, a rushing stream that had a chaotic but calming sound, a lot of bright and soft snow (good thing I had my cool sunglasses for the snowshoe trip, even though sometimes they got annoying and I wanted to take them off), high mountains, and new friends. Oh and a hot tub, I almost forgot - this was super cool because Appa kept blowing bubbles and you couldn't help but laugh.
Ayamma came back from India for the summer, so at the end of every week I get to go hang out with Appa and Ayamma, which is fun. I also get to hear a lot more Tamil spoken when I am there, and that is good.
Finally, I spend a lot of time at home with Karin, who is awesome. She just makes me laugh, hiding behind things or tickling me. She takes me swinging, sings to me in Portuguese, and makes me good food. She even builds up blocks for me because she knows I love to knock them down.
Here is a photo collage of my 11th month on this beautiful earth. Thank you God for everything.
(when you hear from me next, I will be one year old!)
