Blake's 11th month

To Blake:

It's really not possible that you're eleven months old now. I feel like we've all stepped on a magic time machine that has sped up our lives. I think you're the magic that powered the machine.

Again, you have challenged us with some sleeping issues...you like to get up at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning now. For a couple of weeks you were getting up at this time for the day. This meant you and I were both pretty tired. You'd last through breakfast with your sister and then we'd bundle you up in the sled for the trip to the school and you'd be asleep by the time we got home. The bump, bump, bump of the sled runners over the snow had a very soothing affect.

But, then I smartened up and brought a bottle into your room the night before so I could change you and feed you in the dark and you started going back to sleep until 7:00. Yes! But, you are still an early riser and an early-to-bed kind of guy. Do you have farmer in your genes?

You are a challenging kid this month, but in a fun way. You still go after the TV/VCR/DVD every chance you get...you understand that I say, "No!"...you just choose to ignore it. You've also developed a habit of complete silence when you're getting into trouble. If I can't hear you, I start running, only to find you climbing the stairs, pulling on cords, trying to get the plug covers off the outlets or grabbing the toilet. You've only given me a couple of heart attacks so far, but I'm sure you'll be giving me some more in the coming months.

And, while you don't listen to "no", you can now shake your head "no". Normally, you do this during breakfast when you refuse to eat any of your cereal, instead favouring a diet of cheerios, breakfast pitas and clementines. Generally, you will eat anything, which your dad delights in by giving you bits of pretty much anything that he's eating. In fact, you actually scared your babysitter with the amount of food you ate the first time you had lunch with her.


You now have a few "favourite" parts of the day. One is when you get to take a sled ride across the soccer field to drop Faith off at school. You're very cute all bundled up. The second is when we pick up your sister. And the third is when daddy comes home from work. You crawl to him laughing and saying "da da da" like he's the second coming. It's very cute although I must admit to being slightly jealous.

Love,
Mommy