Dear Mavi,
The days of you approaching the one year mark are flying by. Day by day, you are growing by leaps and bounds, and these passing months can still concretely be measured in inches and pounds. It's important to me to document this stage of your life with pictures and measurements, because soon enough your growth will be much less evident. This time only happens once, and I cherish the documentation I now have with your sister at this age, and I undoubtedly will cherish yours in a year's time.
It seems like every month, I recall in my mind as I prioritize what I will write and the same initial thought always pop into my head "so many things happen this month." That is the nature of raising an infant, the ability to see growth in such a concrete way.
Right after you turn 8 months, we had a little play date with a family who have a son born a little over than a month after you. I suppose that in these meetings, it's hard not to compare two boys who are so similar in age. He was crawling, you are not. You both were the same in weight. You both had two teeth. The list goes on and on and it's evident that he didn't let his later arrival stop him from catching up to you. I hope that the comparison spawned off more from curiosity than competition, and I know on my part it was, because I know for a fact that I can claim very little credit for what you are capable of and what you are not capable of at this stage of life.
Despite the fact that you didn't do even so much as inching yourself at the beginning of the month, you ended up crawling at top speed by the end of the month. I love that as soon as you see my face walking through the door after a day's work, you immediately inching your way to me. I always joked about how hard those moment can be when both kids demand my attention at once, but it is also one of the greatest source of joy in my day, every day.
I left you for the first time since you were born for a girl weekend get away. You were left in your father's care. You survived. I missed you. It's healthy to do these sort of things. That is all.
Some time while I was away, you decided that you wanted to stand, and so you did. I didn't see it until the day I returned, so that became the first time you stood to me. I got it on video. I forgotten how these abilities develop so fast. Within a week, you went from standing for about 3 seconds to a good 15 seconds by yourself. You want to take a step so bad, I can see it, but right now your legs are feeling like lead and you just can't quite make that leap yet. No worries, soon enough baby.
You are drooling by the bucket. Everywhere you go, there's a trail behind you. Your four upper teeth are coming through, for a total of 6 altogether. You don't even so much as make a bit of a fuss about it. This is something I'm quite grateful for as both my kids do so well with teething, I hardly notice it.
This month really is a happening for you development wise. Last night I decided to go through all 9 months pictures at once, and boy what progress you made. Slow down baby boy, let Mama catch up with you, physically and mentally.
I love you so much.
Mama