Dear Evan-Eleven Months Old

Dear Evan-
This has been quite a month for you. You change daily. You are constantly learning new things. You are so alert and aware. You notice things that I would never think you would even pay attention to. You definitely know what you like and what you don't. You have no problem making that known to us. You are constantly gesturing to things that interest you or what you want for me to fetch for you. It is so cute when I take you to get what you were pointing to as you get so excited with receiving results after asking for something. We are communicating and it feels so good. I love all of your noises you make. You are not only making a couple of syllables worth of words but the sounds you are making are becoming lengthy sentences!

You have some stranger anxiety. You have not been sure about Monica and Ceasar when they come to clean the house. You have actually gotten quite nervous and cried. This past week when they were here you didn't cry and kept looking at them and checking them out.

You have your first cold. We went to Portland and you developed it from vistiting with our friends or from the plane ride home. I have a small one too and we have spent these first days back recuperating at home. I have been telling you we are taking sick days. We play and take one walk a day. I am trying to keep you comfortable as you have been having a difficult time breathing. You are teething at the same time so things are very happy for you at the moment.

Evan you love to walk, walk, walk. You can now stand behind a wheeled object, push it and walk behind it. We discovered this in Portland when Daddy helped you walk behind a toy chair. You loved doing that and around the dining table you would go. You can also stand on your own for a few seconds. You will then notice you aren't holding onto anything and sit right down. It won't be long until you are standing and walking on your own. Right now I am your wheels.

Evan you make a great traveler. I am so glad about that as I love to travel and have big hopes for us of all of the places I want to take you.

Your communication has really increased this last month. I can ask you "where is.." and you will look around for the object. I can ask you about a dog, a cat, a balloon and Gordy! You will look all around until you find the object and either point and look at me or see it and giggle. You are repeating the words I say to you. I will say "Ow" and you will repeat it perfectly. I am trying to teach you what "ow" means so whenever one of us has a "Ow" I say it and hold the part of me that hurts. If you have an "Ow" I will say it and then touch the part of you that hurts. You can say the word "Dog" and you have your own word for "Balloon". You are crazy for balloons!! You go so crazy when you see them. You understand small commands like taking your clothes off, off and on to light switches. You are just starting to wave. We went on a walk yesterday and you were waving constantly to anyone that could see you. You haven't quite done it at the appropriate moment yet (i.e when someone waves at you, you are suppose to wave back) but you are catching on.

This month you found out how to gag yourself. Thank goodness the excitement for this new skill didn't last very long.

You are crazy about putting things inside other things. Your shape sorter and stacking cups are still your favorite toys. Lastnight I was cleaning up and you started to help me tossing toys back into the baskets.

You still take two naps. You are not sleeping through the night yet. You will sleep 5 hours max before waking up to check in and see what is happening with me.

Son, you are a delight. I love you!

Mommie