Dear Everleigh (11 Months!)

 Everleigh Harper,

Today you are eleven months old. It's difficult for me to accept that you are almost one (where does the time go?!), but also equally impossible to imagine our lives without you. You are so beautiful, brave, and strong. This month has been challenging, because I've been extra busy with work and school and have been more stressed than usual. And you, little miss, have been busy too!

Here's what you've been up to this month:


Now that you've got walking down pat, you're experimenting with running, climbing, and doing what appear to baby yoga moves. You are really exceptional.

Watching the Quixotic street performers at First Friday with Daddy. You loved the drummer the most.

We've been taking you to the park to get some exercise and fresh air as much as possible lately, and you've been loving it. Whenever you see other kids playing, you get super excited and start kicking your legs and talking. You LOVE the "big kids" and believe that you are cool enough to be a part of their group (PS: you totally are). Something I love about you is that every time you go to the park, you seem to make a new friend. It's so sweet to watch you connect with other kids, even if you can't climb the rock wall like them but think you can.


You love the outdoors, which is something I was thrilled to discover. The Missouri winter was not kind to us, so we're just now discovering spring in all its glory, and I love that you're literally seeing everything for the first time. It's so amazing to watch your face as you see a bird fly by, feel rough tree bark in your hands or delight in splashing in a puddle. Sometimes you just stare and stare at people with your fists clenched and an intense look on your face. I'm pretty sure you're just processing it all, but you also seem kind of intimidating, which is hilarious.

Plotting your next move on the playground.

You are talking more, which is so fun! You now say "Mama" (sometimes), "Dadda" (over and over constantly), "Doggie" (which you specifically have said a few times in the right context and blown us all away), and "Nang- Nangs" which is not a real word, but is the word you have chosen to represent your Gerber cereal snacks. You are also communicating better non-verbally by using some baby signs (primarily the sign for MILK) and responding to the question "are you hungry?" by pretending to chew if you want fed. It's pretty awesome to finally get some feedback and reduce the guess-work about what you may or may not want. Beyond that, there's lots of conversational babbling and some singing thrown in to the mix. I love hearing your voice and playing games with you where you imitate what I'm singing. I'm pretty sure you're going to be a rock star ;)

You love to hold your little Oragel tube, which I think is adorable.

One of my favorite times with you is early in the morning when you first wake up. As long as you got enough sleep, you're so sweet and happy, with your little puffy baby face all sleepy-looking. You smile at me and I say "good morning!", then you cuddle me and kiss me and stretch and yawn like a kitty in the sun. It's such a quiet, sweet time, and I love being right there when you wake up for that very reason. You give me so much joy.

All my love,

Mommy