Dear Ameli- Letter to an Eleven Month Old

Hello beautiful girl,

How we have come 11 months in the blink of an eye I just don’t know. Our lives have changed so much in so many ways, and yet in some ways they don’t really feel like they’ve changed at all. It’s so hard to explain, but it is what it is.

This has been an incredible month. I’ve felt motherly pride rise up in my so many times in ways and for things I never thought possible. I know you’re not the first baby to go through these things, but you’re my first baby to go through them and they are your firsts.

You walk perfectly now – in fact, in the beginning we couldn’t pick you up when you wanted to walk. You’d get really upset and cry and scream and wriggle till we put you down again. We took you to Battersea park and you practically ran for probably a kilometre. When Daddy tried to pick you up you screamed and cried so much we were shocked and eventually put you down – and you were off again.

You are so inquisitive too. You are always searching in things, moving things to look behind them and climbing over things. You have also learned what door handles are for. It’s rather cute watching you stretch up to the handle on your tip toes and I’m secretly glad you don’t reach yet.

Last week we were walking around Hobbicraft trying to find bits and pieces for your birthday party when not once, but twice, you picked something up off the shelf, held it up to me then walked behind me and put it in the basket. I thought that was pretty amazing. I didn’t let you see me putting it back, but I was beaming with pride. That just seems so clever to me. It also makes me worry that we go grocery shopping too often!

You’ve started copying sounds that we make. When we eat you go hmm-hmm just like I do. If I say ‘come’ you say ‘hm’, if I say baby-girl, you say ba-bee. Dad-deee is still your favourite though. You’ve also learned to kiss. It started as an open mouthed leaning towards the mouth, then you started blowing kisses and now you’ve learned to kiss properly and we so love your kisses.

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The last week or so has been rough on you as you’ve been teething again. Finally a couple of days ago a fifth tooth made it’s appearance, but by the next morning it was gone. It seemed to retract. I was surprised teeth could do that, but it’s done it twice since. I wish it would just come out and give you some peace!

So there you are, little girl. Superbly cute, clever, chatty and you make me smile every day.

The clinginess has passed a bit and you’re much more easy-going at the moment. Your sleep is better too, when the teething isn’t bothering you too much.

You’re a joy to be with and a pleasure to raise. Yes, I have tough days, yes, some nights I could cry for sleep, but all in all, I wouldn’t give you up for the world.

We’ve had a ‘homey’ month this month, and a month from right now we’ll be on an airplane ready for the next adventure in our lives. We’ll have had your first birthday party and we’ll be saying goodbye to our first home – the home you were born in. This month is full of change, but I’m pretty certain you’ll take it in your stride, just as you have everything else.

Love you, beautiful.

Don’t grow too much this month.

Mummy