Sullivan: 11 Months

Dear Sullivan,

This is it. The countdown to your first birthday is on! When I look at you, busily playing with your toys and figuring out how things work, I can't believe you were just this little thing in my belly a year ago. You have such a personality now and not a day goes by where I'm not in awe of you. You make my heart beam and my whole face smile. I am incredibly grateful for you. Don't ever forget that.

This past month we've really noticed an increase in your playing with intention. Toys are no longer just to toss around or chew on. Now you look at your toys, and you love putting them into buckets and then taking them all out. You often carry a toy around with you in your hand, your favourite being a little wooden peg from a hammer/peg toy you received. That peg goes everywhere with you and you love to find new places you can fit or hide that peg. You even like to hold it in your hand while you are crawling up the stairs or while you are nursing. Your daddy and I laugh because we can't get you to show any interest in a stuffed animal, but you would gladly take a wooden peg to bed if we let you!

Your favourite game to play is peekaboo and "chase me". Daddy or I yell "I'm gonna getchyou!", and you take off shrieking while looking back to make sure we are chasing you. I think it's safe to say we all equally enjoy this game! And of course, knocking down towers we build for you is another favourite of yours.

You're still not walking, and not showing much interest in walking, but you do like to walk along furniture. You've started letting go of things while standing up and are able to stand unassisted for a good 3-4 seconds before falling back on your butt.

This month we celebrated your very first Christmas, and Christmas day also marked one of your worst days of teething yet. Thankfully, that stubborn second top tooth finally broke through on boxing day and you were back to your happy self.

{New Year's Eve shenanigans with your best bud, Harrison}

In the new year, we took a day trip out to your great grandma's farm. This was your first long car ride in your new big boy carseat and you loved it! You have a lot more room now and you can see out the windows a lot easier. Thankfully, you still fall asleep in the car like a champ. Out at great grandma's farm, you got quite the kick out of her walker and insisted on pulling out all the things she keeps in her walker basket. You also found her kitchen linoleum quite interesting, and happily sat on it while swishing your legs open and closed. You were definitely the entertainment of the day!

With the busyness of Christmas this past month, we never made it into the health clinic to weigh you, so I'm anxious to see what you will weigh on your first birthday! You're still mostly in 6-12 month clothing and still rocking the size 3 diapers. Your appetite continues to be fantastic, with green peas, smoothies, and sausage being your favourite foods. In fact, some days I feel all you want is green peas! They have been amazing for helping you develop great pincher grip and hand-eye coordination. You can pick those peas up one at a time and put them into your mouth so fast, Sully! Your daddy can't stand green peas so he finds this whole fascination of yours with them pretty comical.

{smoothie monster}

{eating the "bonus" pea}

As for sleeping at night, we went through a rough few weeks where it seemed like you were waking up every 2-3 hours and wouldn't go back to sleep unless I nursed you. This was becoming both difficult and frustrating and just when I couldn't remember the last time you slept through the night, everything changed. One night we decided to not rush into the room so quickly when you stirred, and wouldn't you know it, you put yourself right back to sleep and we didn't hear from you until the morning! Around this exact same time, I also started dressing your warmer for bed, worried that your room got the coldest at night. Since then, you've been sleeping through the night, 10-12 hours most every night and everyone is happy again! You're still a great non-napper, unless of course I resign to holding you on the couch or drive your sleeping self around in the car.

My dearest baby boy, I can't believe the next letter I write to you will be on your first birthday! This stage is so much fun, but I truly am looking forward to the little toddler that you are growing into. Everything we do with you is becoming more and more fun and your daddy and I will never tire of seeing your enjoyment and delight in the new things you see and learn. But for one more month, you're still our wee little baby and we will hold on tight to that, and you!

I love you to the moon and back,
Mommy, xoxo