10 month letter

Dear Jenna,

I've struggled with starting this month's letter to you. Each month, I am more and more proud to be your Mama, to watch you grow, to see you smile, to comfort you when you cry and to love you. However, with each passing month, I feel like I'm trying to put my hands under that hour glass, and stop the sand from falling. I wish I could stop time. However, with each month, I fall more and more in love with you. With your personality, your spirit, your heart and your presence so I really look forward to the next month. Quite the conundrum.

This month has been fantastic. I'll apologize to you now, because I've been shoving that camera in your face more frequently now than ever before. I got a new lens, and finally am understanding how to use the camera, and you're my favorite subject. I suspect it will be this way the rest of your life, after all, growing up with a shutterbug Dad (Pop!) I've been on the receiving end, and although you'll get sick of me snapping away, you'll look back at the images and, hopefully, be thankful.

You're so beautiful. I don't know how else to add to that sentence. I get stopped by strangers on the street to comment on your eyes. Most look at me and assume they came from me, but they didn't. You've got your Nanny's eyes. The light crystal blue that captivates me and makes my heart melt. I can only imagine what those eyes, coupled with a pouty lip and a toddler voice will do to me when I have to leave for work in the morning. I shudder to think of that day. For now, at least you wave bye-bye.

In terms of developmental milestones, you're crawling all over the place, you wave, you can now stand, and squat, and stand independently, you're moving around the house enough to get into trouble, but we don't have the heart to keep you from exploring. You've 'met' Vinnie, our chinchilla... and you've both starred each other down. We haven't let you touch him yet, because we're just not sure how he'll respond yet (well, to be honest, we're not sure how you'll respond, either). You also have 8 teeth (2 more popped out this month).

Your playing has kept us on our toes. You're starting to get into more of a groove with the sleep, the feedings, the naps, day care, weekend activities. You're a real trooper, and I must admit, we have been doing much better truckin along with you.

I can't believe you're 10 months old. I've started to plan for your 1st birthday bash, and it just amazes me. I keep flipping back through old letters to you, old photos and I can't believe how far we've come in such a short period of time. I can't believe you used to sleep all day, and wouldn't smile in the beginning... It just doesn't seem real. Time slips away so quickly, and yet, I can't wait for more...

You are the highlight of my day, each and every day. Whether I'm trying to wrangle you into a high chair at a restaurant and feed you, trying to get you to sleep, wishing you would want to snuggle with me, comforting you after you've toppled or just playing with you... you make me smile.

Smile and laugh out loud. I can only imagine how things will be in the future. I can see bits of attitude in you already. Irma says you're going to be like Lauren, one of your day care buddies, with just enough attitude to test the waters, frequently. I'm not saying I'm planning on that, but I will say that you do like to test the limits and boundaries often.

This month, I became a baseball widow. See, that means that baseball season is in full effect in our house. Daddy was so happy to dress you up for opening day (and for the Yankee's opener, and for the new Yankee's stadium premier, etc.) you've never spent so much time in Yankee blue. Last year, you were born during the season, and you used to snuggle with Daddy on the couch. You'd both watch the game (OK, Dad watched the game, you snoozed), and I'd catch myself just watching the two of you. So much has changed in so little time. And yet, now you and Dad still will sit on the couch and watch the game. Funny how that works, huh?

I have to admit, I snicker when I put you in dresses... it hinders you, just a bit, from crawling. But, on Easter, it backfired. I think it was that weekend you realized that you couldn't crawl in a dress... but standing was easier, MUCH easier... since then, you've been testing those little legs.

Also sometime this month, you started that whole cruising thing. I don't know when, but it started happening. You also learned to say the word 'cookie' thanks to the cookie monster Grandma & Pop got for you for Christmas. Words that come out of your mouth include: cookie, dada, gagaga, uh oh!, gu gu, gogogo along with many other phrases that I have no clue how to type. You sing yourself a little diddy, made up by you, in the car to entertain yourself.

You LOVE music. Your musical table, the xylophone, the maracas and shakers we have all over the house, music in the car, in the house, if there's a beat to it, you're dancing. You also love it when Daddy sings "There was a Dad who had a bean and Jenna was her name-O... J-E-N-N-A" (you get the picture.... Daddy's gonna kill me for putting that in here, but too bad)

You've also started to increase the amount of time in between the night wakings. You're only up about once a night, unless you're teething. This is one crazy ride, my dear. Thank you for picking us. Thank you for allowing us to experience this with you. I can't quite remember what it was like to not be a parent, but I'm certainly enjoying being one now.

Love,

Mama