Dear Cordelia,
Sometimes I just can't handle how fun you are.
This month, you continued to come into your own little (big!) personality. You make friends wherever you go and you love to wave at people as they pass by. I'm pretty sure your first word was "Hi" and you said it with a whisper and that the sounds "Dada" quickly followed it. However, you said "Hi Dada" to just about everything, so we're not sure if we should count it. At the very least, your cute little "Hi" has evolved into a very distinct and direct "Hey-Jo!" (Hello) as you greet anyone and everyone who crosses your path. I love that you give smiles and waves so freely, but you still hold me close as strangers come near. Honestly, it's hard to keep them at bay when you're so friendly, so we've had some awkward stranger moments lately, perhaps lets learn to be slightly more discriminating with the hellos, no?
This month, you got baptized. It was a really big deal that deserves a post of its own, but claiming God's sovereignty over your life was so special for you, daddy and I, our families, and the church community. Great Grandma even came for your baptism, it was so special to have her here! It was so amazing to stand up there and hear our church community promise they would honor God and you by teaching you about Jesus. Baby girl, you were in God's hands before you were even in ours, so it was good for us to make that commitment to you and to God as well. By the way, you looked pretty amazing in your baptismal gown, and nice work reaching for Rev. Ian's mic during the prayer.
This month, you went to the splash pad for the first time. Growing up in the Bay Area has it's perks, but summer weather really isn't one of them, sorry! We make the most of our summer days though, and you had so much fun at the splash pad when it was warm out.
This month, we started going to the chiropractor and to physical therapy because you only stand on your tip toes. You've always been really strong and stiff in your legs, so we're working to help you loosen those tight muscles and get used to the feeling of having your heel on the ground. You love your chiropractor to pieces and you cooperate with her every wish. I try to stretch you at home and you're far less interested in what I have to offer. The physical therapist seemed to think that we could make some significant progress at home with you, but we have to go back in a few weeks if we don't see much improvement.
This month, we stayed close to home! We are finally almost settled in our new place, and we spend our days running errands, grocery shopping, and taking short walks in between your nap schedule. You have decided that you don't particularly care for the stroller, which is really unfortunate. You're rather big to take long walks in the ergo, so we try to keep you happy in the stroller for as long as possible. You love going to the farmers market just down the street, and you love playing in the kitchen while I cook.
This month, we figured out sleep! You are now sleeping in your very own crib for naps and night time. It was a really terribly hard few days for us all, but we figured it out, adjusted our lives, and you now sleep from 11.5 hours at night and take two hour and 15 minute naps each day. We're so proud of you, and we really miss snuggling you and waking up next to you in the mornings. But we're all better for it. You sleep, we sleep. We're all happier both day and night.
This month, you started eating three very solid meals per day, and you're down to four nursing sessions. Somedays I feel like we spend our whole day at your highchair eating. I'm thankful that you're such a good eater! You love eggs, yogurt, carrots, ground beef, green beans, black beans, rice, avocado, guacamole, mango, sweet potatoes, apples, banana, pear, plum, peach, chicken, carnitas, basically anything that isn't bland. While I'm happy you're a good table food eater, sometimes I have trouble keeping up with you. You continue to dislike any purees that I make, which is really unfortunate because I think the stuff I make is really good!
This month, you have 6 teeth with two more
almost here. You wear mostly 12-18 month pants, dresses, and long sleeved onesies. You can get away with the occasional 6-12 month dress, shorts, short sleeved shirts, but we'll need to retire them all very soon. You are still on the middle snap of our cloth diapers, and on the rare occasion you need a throw-away, you wear size 4. You are so long that I think we'll be in 18-24 month pants before I know it.
Next month, I'm excited to see how your personality continues to blossom and maybe you'll add some words to your repertoire (hint, hint, maybe mama and dada?). I'm excited to see you learn to stand and balance as we work on getting your feet flat and I'm interested to see how much more mobile you will get. We're sticking close to home again this next month because Daddy is going to take his Professional Engineering exam at the end of October. He will be studying a lot this month, but we'll make time for a trip to the pumpkin patch, lunches out, tickle wars, and walks to the park.
Cordelia, watching you grow is such a joy. I love chasing you after dinner as you scoot around on your bottom, giving you zerberts on the changing table, playing peek-a-boo as we snuggle in bed, and building towers with you so you can knock them down. I love your little laugh and how you dive bomb kiss daddy and I with your mouth wide open. I love singing to you as you snuggle close before bedtime. You really are the sweetest gift I could have ever asked for.
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