To Amelia
Happy 11 months Amelia. Wow, it is amazing that 11 months have passed since we were blessed with another baby girl. It truly doesn’t seem like that long ago. I feel like I can still feel and smell and remember all of the events of March 23rd, 2009. What a blur the last 11 months have been, yet what a joy. Amelia, you truly bring joy to this house. Your siblings still fight over who gets to hold you first, who gets to sit by you and feed you and get you from your crib in the morning.
The nicknames are many it seems as everyone has a name they like to call you. “Ameeninah” has gone by the wayside, but it has been replaced by ‘Millie’, “Melia”, “Mil”, and “Mil-mil”, not to mention the pet name “Love bug”. You are a hugger. I’ve never gotten such big hugs from such a small person. You reach your little arms around and squeeze tight. You’re also a cuddler, burrowing your head into the nearest shoulder or offering a gentle head-butt as your snuggle. This last month has brought you two new teeth on top and you’re able to stand up by yourself although you’re scared to take a step without holding onto something…or someone. It seems that your favorite spot is attached to my leg.
You wear a size 12-18 month clothing, size 3 shoe and barely fit in your infant carrier. I’m reluctant to give it up though because we’re on the go so much that sometimes that is the only place you get your nap and it offers me the ability to stroll through the grocery store during that time. You like to wave, especially to yourself in the mirror. You’re sleeping is still sporadic and erratic. Your longest stretch is maybe 4 hours. You’ve developed a great relationship with Nick (the dog). He thinks you’re pretty great for feeding him from your highchair. He camps out underneath during most meals, knowing that he’s bound to get some pretty good grub! He’s pretty tolerant of you as he lets you play with his paws and his ears, and occasionally you plop down right on top of him for a pretend nap. You’re a speed crawler and have been interested in the stairs, although to date, you haven’t gone over the edge. You also enjoy emptying the Kleenex boxes or the wipes box or even the laundry basket, although you typically put all the clothes back into the basket when you’re done taking them out one by one. The other night two grocery bags provided you with 30 minutes of complete enjoyment as you rattled them like pompoms.
You have been eating food from our table and the couple of times I’ve tried to feed you food specifically packaged for toddlers, you spit it out at me and looked at me as if to say, “Salt? Pepper? Tabasco? Anything to add some flavor??” You’ve had a bottle or two of raw milk, but you’re still nursing throughout the day too. And last but not least, you’re a pacifier junkie. We had many, but lately the dog has been eating them when he finds them lying on the floor. You delight if you find more than one at a time somewhere, but throw them if there is a different message that you’re trying to communicate, like “I don’t want to take a nap right now!” You do jabber a lot, and you certainly know what you’re saying.
Happy 11 months our precious little love bug, you are so loved.
