Dear William (11 months)

Dear William,

Today you are 11 months old. Almost ready for your first birthday!

I really think that red is your favorite color. You go after anything that is red. You love your dad's lucky red hat, and whenever he wears it, you try to take it off of his head and chew on it. One of your favorite toys is a red monkey that plays music. You love strawberries. Well, at least you did for 2 days. After that, you wouldn't touch them.

I still think that you are left-handed. You always reach for things with your left hand. If you happen to pick up a piece of food with your right hand, you always transfer it to your left hand before you put it into your mouth. They say left handed people are more creative. I think supposedly a lot of the US presidents have been left handed.

You figured out how to clap this month. You love to clap when you are sitting on the floor. You get so amused with your own antics that you squeal with delight. I think you like the sound that clapping makes, because you also like to slap things. You slap the floor, your high chair tray, my arms, legs, neck, and face.

You crawl (kind of) backwards by laying flat on your stomach and pushing yourself back with your hands. You also rotate or go around in a circle, but you do not go forward. Just about a week ago (July 7) you pushed yourself up onto all fours for the first time. It kind of startled you. You have kept doing that, but I guess you don't like it because it always makes you cry. A couple of days ago you also started pushing yourself way up off the ground-- so just your toes and hands are touching the floor and your body is hovering some inches above it. It's kind of like you are doing push ups.

You got a lot of teeth this month. In fact, you have been teething without any break since June 2. In addition to 2 bottom incisors you got back in April, you've now got all 4 upper incisors. I really thought that last one would be in by the 4th of July, but it took a couple more days. On the morning of July 7th, it had finally broken through. I hope, for all of our sakes, that we can have a break from teething for a while.

You were very fussy for most of the month. I blamed it on teething, but even though you don't have any teeth working on you at the moment, you are still very fussy. And with the crying. Oh the crying. You can stop with the crying anytime now, you know?

After we got home from San Francisco, you slept great for about 3 weeks straight-- 11 or 12 hours without a peep from you. But the last couple of nights, you've been getting me up again! Last night you got up 4 times. What's up with that?

You were really fussy about eating this month. For the last several weeks, it's been difficult to get you to eat anything at all. Just when I come up with something that you'll eat (such as strawberries), then 2 days later you refuse them. Your sudden pickiness has been very difficult for both of us. There is a lot of screaming, crying, and throwing things when I am trying to feed you. You seem to want to eat only pieces of fruit and bread. Oh how I miss the days when you slurped up pureed kale and broccoli. You need these things, William, so that you can grow up big and strong.

Here is a list of the new things you have (grudgingly) tried this month: whole wheat pita, tahini (both of these actually last month, but I forgot to include them), watermelon, soy yogurt, animal crackers, sunflower seed butter (wow, I made this), pumpkin seed butter (aren't I creative?), organic whole wheat macaroni, mango, sweet potato fry, yellow pepper, teething biscuit, golden beet, beet greens, quinoa, broccoli risotto, wheat crackers.

You were in a parade this month (for the 4th of July), and you even slept through part of it.

You got your own swimming pool.

You met 2 of your cousins.

It's been a busy month! Hang on, William, because it won't be long until you are a whole year old. I'm already practicing, so that I can make you the best possible cake.

Love,

Mom