11 months

Dear Lucy,

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Sweet baby, you're eleven months old today.

And girl, you are funny. I mean seriously funny. And you know it too. You are constantly cracking yourself up, which in turn cracks me and your dad up.

And this new smile that you have! It's more then a smile. If joy was a face, this would be it. Your big, blue eyes squeeze shut as tight as they'll go, your nose crinkles up like a little squirrel, the corners of your mouth stretch all the way to your ears, (making sure we can see all of the 6 teeth that you're so proud of!), and then all of that is accompanied with a funny gremlin-like hiss as you push a combination of air and spit through the spaces around your front teeth.   We do our best to entice this look from you.  To be funny, entertaining parents.  But more often then not, you'll be on the floor entertaining yourself, flashing your joy face up to the heavens.  I just love that.  Wondering what's going on in that little head of yours, but knowing that whatever it is, it's already bringing you joy.

You are still eating like a champ.  You have yet to turn your nose up to anything we've introduced.  And I have loved preparing food for you.  I still don't enjoy cooking the way your dad does, nor am I as good at it!  But I have thoroughly enjoyed chopping and steaming and pureeing fresh food for you.  And we are excited that you'll soon have a much more active role in the food process.  Helping us in the garden, picking the vegetables yourself, seeing them prepared, and hopefully continuing to gobble them up!  It's my prayer that even starting this young, your dad and I can model healthy examples of eating right so that you will have a healthy relationship with food and enjoy all the goodness and flavor that comes straight out of the ground.

You continue to gain confidence in your balance.  Your favorite place to practice?  The bath tub.  Yes, the wet, slippery, hard tub is your favorite place to stand hands-free.  And you find it hilarious.  Except for when you plop back down and land on a bath toy.

We like to practice holding your hands and letting you walk out in front of us.  Well I say walk, but you're clearly trying to run.  And of course, it's with the biggest grin on your face.  Like you can already see it.  You can see yourself taking off through the back door, running through the yard with your furry sisters.  That's why you're grinning, isn't it?

Count down is on girlie!  Party is being planned while my brain continues to try and figure out how it is that you are about to be one.

Thank you for your joy Lucy Pearl.

Love,
Mama