Month Eleven

 
 
 

Dear Liliana,
 
  At 11 months old, you are now in your last month of infancy.  Be still, my heart. This year went faster than I ever imagined it could. 

  I am desperately trying to capture all those details I don't want to forget. The dimples in your arms.  Your soft, white-blond baby hair.  Your tiny, button nose.  Your top baby hippo teeth.  The rolls on your thighs.  Your tiny feet that are unbelievably soft.  Your chubby hands.  The wrinkles under your eyes.  Your barely-there eyebrows.  Those long, pale eyelashes that touch the top of your cheeks when you sleep.  The smell of the baby detergent that lingers on your clothes.  Your sweet, freshly-bathed baby scent.  Your huge eyes. Those perfectly shaped lips. Your soft skin.  How sweet you look when you suck your thumb. The way you stick your pinky up when you eat or suck your thumb. The way you gaze up at me while you nurse.  The way you melt into my arms and lay your head on my chest in the morning.   The way you fit perfectly in my arms.

  I am clinging to your last month of babyhood, but it is slipping away much too quickly.

  In reality, you are very much a toddler.  You are walking, talking, and feeding yourself.  Raising a child is very bittersweet.  I love watching you grow, learn, and change, but I also wish you would stay my baby for just a bit longer. 

 11 months ago, I was wondering if you were a boy or a girl, who you would look like, and what kind of personality you would have.   Now I know.  I fell head over heels in love with you the moment I saw you, and my love for you has grown every single day. 

  I will never stop loving you, Lily.  My arms are always open for you to fall into. I will hold you close, comfort you,  and protect you for as long as I live.   You will always be my sweet, perfect, baby girl.

  Happy 11 months, Liliana. Every day with you is a blessing.

Love, Mama

 
 

  
MILESTONES:  You are walking all the time now! 
 
 
 

STATS:  21 lbs 2 oz, 32" long.  You are in the 50th percentile for weight, and above the 95th percentile for height.  You mostly wear 9-12 month clothing (although I still use 3-6 month dresses as shirt/bloomer sets, and you still fit into some 6-9 month stuff), a size 4 shoe, and a size 3 diaper.
 
 

TOOTH COUNT: 10!!! You got 4 new teeth in just 1 month!
 


COMFORTS:  You are still a thumb sucker. You have really done it a lot this month, thanks to all the teething! You did express interest in your pacifiers again, but preferred to use them as teethers.






FIRSTS:  First trip to the spray park, First popsicle (you loved it!), and you spent the beginning of the month stringing together your unassisted steps until you were full out walking!



EATING: You stopped eating homemade baby purees, because you want to feed yourself. We feed you all table foods now, with the exception of baby food pouches that you feed yourself. You will eat anything, from banana peppers to pickles to olives to fish to beets to lemons!  You love food, and your meals often last up to an hour! Sadly, you are cutting back drastically on nursing.  You only nurse 2-3 times a day now: in the morning, before your long nap, and before bed.  I had planned on weaning you at a year, and it isn't going to be hard.
 





SLEEPING:  You continue to be a great sleeper!  You take at least 1 long nap day that lasts several hours, and often a short second nap.  You sleep over 12 hours at night without waking up. 



SOUNDS/WORDS: Dada, Mama, Hi, Bye, Bailey, Dog, and Dyl (Dih).  You started woofing when you would see our dog, and that turned into you woofing at every animal you see!



LIKES:  Dancing!  You start bouncing up and down the second you hear music of any kind! You love animals, especially dogs.  Playing with your siblings and friends.  Eating.  Playing with your toys. Looking through books.  Sucking your thumb.  Getting into trouble (Toilet Paper! Trash can! DVDs! Electronic Equipment!)!!!




DISLIKES:  You hate having your hands and face wiped.  You hate staying still for diaper changes.  You immediately roll over, and attempt to crawl away!  And...you still hate your monthly stickers, and just want to pull them off!





FRIENDS: Charlotte is your BFF!  You two are very lucky to be so close in age, and I can't wait to watch you grow up together.  We are also lucky to have a group of friends that we frequently get together with.  Lily, Victoria, Bre, and Alyssa are some of your baby friends!
 



PERSONALITY:  You are still a sweet, content, laid back baby.  The only change this month, is that you began to show a hint of your temper! 

 
 
 
 

NICKNAMES: Nugget,  Lily, Lilybug, Bugs, Bugaboo, The Little One (Dylan), Lily Belle, and Babycakes.

The next monthly installment will be her 1 year update!  And with that, we wave goodbye to babyhood.