Eleventh Month

For those keeping score, this should have been posted on Tuesday of last week. So, I should be deducted for timeliness, but I think I should still receive full credit for neatness. Neatness still counts, right?

Dear Sarah,

Another month of ups and downs with you. Fortunately, the ups far outnumber the downs and that's why we haven't traded you in for a wild burro. (I've always wanted a burro. How can something with such long ears and such a sweet face be resisted? And, burro. Come on, that's a great word!)




(Oh, where was I? Oh yeah, the kid.) You are a crawling fanatic. I can hardly keep you in the shopping cart anymore. I'm embarrassed to tell you and you'll probably be even more embarrassed to know that in order to silence your screaming and to let me pick a toilet bowl cleaner in peace, I let you crawl free in the aisles of WalMart. I just didn't know what else to do with you at that point! You wanted to crawl. I mean, you had the burning urge of a smoker in a non-smoking restaurant, so I put you down on the filthy floor and let you roam free. Hey, at least you were wearing more than just a diaper. See, we still have some class, and besides, early exposure to staphylococcus will keep you healthier in the long run.




Probably due to your bruised knees, you have also developed the desire to pull up on just about everything. My favorite thing to watch you pull up on is your dad's legs. The expression on his face as you use handfuls of his leg hair to hoist yourself up is priceless.




When you aren't moving around - wait. You're always moving around. Let's try - when you're squirming around, you're surprising us and strangers by blurting out things that sound like: "ball", "balloon", "hi", and "bye". I don't care what I said before. I'm certain you are saying these things.




The other thing you like to surprise are the other babies in your play group. You give them a real jolt when you poke them in the eyes (this must stop!) and when you shove them out of the way to snatch a toy out of their hands (this must also stop!). Please, tell me you will outgrow this aggressive behavior. I have all of the parenting books that tell me how to deal with this stuff, but honestly, I just don't want to read them.




What I really want to do is spend more time just watching you discover the world. A few days ago, you stopped, looked up at the sky, and pointed at the moon. It was the first time that you saw the moon! You kept pointing at it and having me say "luna" to you. I can't think of anything more incredible than that. I know someday you'll think that I'm the most boring parent with the worst fashion sense and a ridiculous taste in music, and at times, you might be right - well, except for the music part (Don't ever knock The Tragically Hip! Gord Downie is a genius.). But, I hope that you'll always share your wonder with your lame old mom.




Love,
your mama