10 months

To my Leila,
Wow...you're 10 months old! It sounds so big. Looking back at the last month a lot has changed. Gone are the days of choking on anything anymore. Much of this has to do with your two bottom front teeth that showed up a couple weeks ago. With the help of those chompers you can chow down on puffs, yogurt bits...and anything and everything off our plate. You're not really a picky eater at all and whatever we make for dinner or order at a restaurant, you eat tiny bits of pieces too. Nom nom.

I feel like everyday you are catching on and comprehending the different meaning of words and phrases we say. Watching you throw your hands above your head with enthusiasm when we shout "so big!" is absolutely adorable.

Today we leave for California and the last time family and friends in the Bay saw you, you were 2 months old. To us it doesn't seem like you've aged a day until we look back at photos. They are going to eat you up when they see you...hopefully you remember them.

Sleep. Your sleep habits are growing up. We still swaddle to put you down, which you manage to wiggle out of in the first couple hours. Sometimes you completely get out of your swaddle and sometimes just your arms make it out, but the fact of the matter is you remain fast asleep until your early morning feeding. I hope you'll learn to get by without it soon. I love to peek in your crib when you're fast asleep and out of your swaddle, arms by your face, and look at you in pure amazement. I'm so proud of you.

One thing I love about you is your curiosity. You're so fascinated by the world around you and are constantly looking around stretching your little arms to try and touch everything...especially when we're carrying you around and walking through a store or as I'm sitting here with you on my lap writing this letter. You love to clap your hands and are working on waving hello and bye bye.  You're so close to crawling. You can pick up your little body and get on your hands and knees and  have the backward movement kinda down but not moving forward.

You're dad is often referring to you as a little DIVA these days. Quite frankly, you're behavior when you don't get your way is diva-ish. Obviously, you're a baby so this type of behavior is to be expected but it's one thing to expect it and quite another to experience it. Sometimes you act like a real baby - we say this lovingly. The only thing that satisfies you is to get your way, and it's becoming more difficult to distract you from the things you want (nap, bottle). We wouldn't say you're the easiest baby...but we love you just the same.

If I had to describe you in two words it would most definitely be: wiggle worm! That little body must be growing by the second because you absolutely cannot sit still...ever. I've never seen another baby as wiggly as you. You can chill on mommy's lap for a bit but soon get over it and wiggle yourself out of my arms (some days you can last longer than others). This makes attending church extra difficult...and you better believe we are dreading the plane ride today. Let's just hope for a pretty empty flight. Please be good for us.

Leila, at 10 months you are absolutely charming. Though you typically work your charm on strangers, it works on your mommy and daddy too. "Every little thing she does is magic". Everything you do is so stinkin' cute, the way you breath, giggle, get excited, cry, smile. You are so pumped on life and get excited about even the littlest things. Your excitement is displayed by a combination of grunts and wiggle/body shakes. This happens when we open the car door to get you out of your car seat, when we pick you up out of your crib in the morning, when you see your bottle coming your way, and other random events you deem worthy of such excitement.

You become more fun every month, and every time I write this letter I think it's my favorite stage of your life.

Your daddy and I love you very much,

Mom

P.S. It's still so weird signing a letter "mom".