Gage - Eleven Months Old

Dear Crusty Booger Nose,

I will warn you in advance that I am using your 11 month letter to catch up on everything else that's been going on as well. Of course, that all includes you and your life, so deal with it. The world revolves around no one single person. Ok, I'm done being THAT mom. You're the whole world to me and your dad and we love you so much that we ask each other randomly "How much do you love Tank (or Big Head, or a number of other things we call you both to your face and behind your back)?"

It's been a month since I've written anything on here, and I can sum all of it up pretty easily. Ah bin bizzy! (I've been busy, my friends who can't read that out loud to themselves and get it.)

Let's back it up from the ending because that's probably the only way I can accomplish the task of processing it. The past two weeks I have been watching a friend of mine's kids because she went back to work. I remember seeing on a series of her Facebook statuses that she had an interview, got the job, looked for a daycare, interviewed some private daycare givers, and was pretty much S.O.L. (shit outta luck, people. I won't break anything else down for you tonight. Hehe!)

I had been thinking and praying and discussing with my husband on the day she seemed at the point of not taking the job, and I sent her a message and asked her to call me if she was interested in talking to me about watching her little ones. A few conversations and carseats in my car later, we got it all nailed down, and I have been watching Hannah and Noah for the past two weeks. They're awesome kids. Noah is the same age as Tank (they're 4 days apart) so it's kind of like raising twins since they're going through the same things at the same time. In fact, they've both been teething, and Gage's tooth finally broke through over this weekend. I am hoping poor Noah (who looks like he's getting THREE) has had some successful teething this weekend too. Hannah is like a built in helper. She's obviously use to her brother, so she's automatically use to Gage. Except Gage is a bit heavier and more rough than Noah. And Gage is obsessed with Hannah, especially the other day when she wore pink tights. He grabbed her leg on the couch and was trying to figure out what the heck was going on. But, she makes them both laugh, and she's such a sweetheart.

Gage, you now have SIX teeth. Four on top, two on bottom. And, you've only bitten me like seven or twelve times now. Thanks, kid. I appreciate that a lot.

You are, oh it pains me to say it...walking. Like full on waddling through the house, on the porch, in the yard. You're walking and crawling even amounts, I would say. But, you only crawl when you're in a hurry (like you have anything to do in a rush. You pee in your pants, so it's not like a mad dash to the bathroom after too many drinks.) Or when you're butt naked in the middle of a diaper change and you want to get away from me.

You're eating more and more people food. Because, let's be real, that crap called "baby food" is NASTY! You want to eat what we have, of course. You crack me up, throwing fits if we don't share. It's really not that cute, but we ignore you and let you do your thing. I don't want to stunt your emotions. Feel them, let them out, but act like a nutzo and you won't earn our attention. The other day I was eating some fruit snacks, and I didn't realize you had seen me, and when I crumpled up the empty wrapper you threw yourself on the floor and I thought you were hurt because I didn't see any reason for you to be acting like that. And, then I realized you were expecting me to share and thought I ignored you. So, we got another package and I gave you all the orange ones, because they're my least favorite...what? Like I am not allowed to be selfish with my fruit snacks and save the red and purple for myself? Whatever. You're lucky I gave you candy at all. You sat in my lap, being very sweet for about 3 minutes. Which brings me to my complaint for this month...

YOU DON'T WANT TO CUDDLE WITH ME. You're a very very sweet boy, giving kisses and patting the dogs and stuff. But, you won't sit and cuddle. You don't want to be rocked or snuggled or loved on too much. Your independence is getting old. I want a cuddly baby. You're going to make me have another baby soon just so I can have a cuddler. You must STOP getting big. Your great grandma even suggested laying down with you on the floor with a blanket to take a nap, and when I tried it, wanna know what you did? You crawled over to me, gave me a kiss, laid your head on me for a second and then got up and crawled away giggling. Man, you're adorable.

Oh, here's where I embarrass you. So, last night we went to your Uncle Scott & Aunt Miranda's new house. At one point, we had been outside, and you had on your little zip up hoodie, with the hood up. I changed your diaper, and in the middle of it, you crawled off and proceeded to roll around their living room with your legs open and closed laughing and showing off your butt and other goods. And, you KNEW you were being cute and ornery. You're such a little cute hamburglar. Yep, daddy calls you that too. Since you're so quick to grab stuff you shouldn't. So, there you are, looking like a bare-assed mini Unabomber, and we're all laughing at your antics.

I think you're getting sick. Well, you probably already are. Your nose is nasty and crusty. And it's getting sorta green. So, Tuesday you're going to the Doctor to see why you're so gross. But, we still love you.

You had your first Halloween this past month. You were a lion and everyone said how adorable you were. Which of course, is true. Because you're the cutest kid on the planet. We've let you eat SOME candy, and you got to ride a pony and a little train, play in a ball pit, and go down a big blow up slide (on my lap of course). And we let you get two tattoos of dinosaurs.

You're just getting so big that it's almost painful for me. You're not going to be a baby for very much longer. You're walking, eating and drinking by yourself, and repeating words we say. They may not sound exactly clear, but you're definitely trying out new sounds. You've repeated down, boo boo, snack, outside, daddy, and I swear you were saying "I want a bite" for a while, but you've stopped. You clap your hands and wave at people. Sometimes you say "yeah!" and sometimes you say "na na na na na" really fast because I say "nononononononono" to you about things. You've finally learned what yucky and danger mean. I base that on the fact that you won't put something in your mouth if I say it's yucky, and you stop what you're reaching for if I say "danger".

You know what "no" means, but you're totally into testing us. You'll slowly reach for something after we say no to you and see if we still say no. And, you smile about it. That's because you're OUR kid. And karma sucks like that.

You're quickly approaching your first birthday, and it makes me want to throw up. Where did the time go? Life speeds up with you in it. We can't pause time, but I sometimes wish I could. I won't get all depressing this month, but it's an inevitable path...you growing up. Right about now, I wish I could stop it.

You're my little man. You're our whole world. I love everything about you and your innocence and wonderment with the world around you. Everything is a joy to you, and you're a complete joy to me.

I love you when you're messy, I love you when you stink. I love your white blonde hair and how you've got your daddy's two front teeth. I love your chubby fingers, and how you still hold on to our fingers tight. I love hearing you growl when you wake up in the morning and babble to yourself til you fall asleep at night. You've captured our hearts and re-ordered our life. I've learned to prioritize what really matters and grown up right along with you at times.

Happy Eleven Months of Life, Baby Gage!

Love, Mommy