Month Eleven

My dear Mr. Hudson, you are eleven months old. Who would’ve thunk it? Seriously. I am about to track down those people who let you grow while you sleep and give them a very stern talking to. I mean, really. Every morning when I get you out of your crib at six am (by the way, feel free to sleep in every now and again), I swear you have gotten taller and smarter.

In the last two weeks or so I have noticed that your cognitive development has really taken flight. You have learned to clap, give high fives, and whine. You are acting like a teenager and have pimples to prove it. You very much have a mind of your own already and you show us that in no uncertain terms.

You have one favorite book that I must read to you over and over and over and over and when I am done reading it, I must start again. You sit very still and listen. You touch the same page every time I read that book — the one that has a picture of a steer.

You love story time at the library. You usually make eyes at the ladies and even grunt. You are unbelievably well behaved during those sessions and you voluntarily give up any props and books that the ladies let us play with. I am so proud of you.

You also love all things electric and electronic like wires, outlets, laptops, cell phones, the Wii, our wireless router, remote controls…With one finger you manage to cut and paste programs, change desktop settings, shut down Skype, and turn on closed captioning. You know secret shortcuts that mama has never heard of.

Most of the time after you are done vandalizing my laptop or our TV, I turn to your dad and say, ‘I had no idea it could do this.’ It’s reassuring, though, to know that you are already much smarter than your parents.

You are currently anti-clothes. The other day I put you in your crib for a nap fully clothed. Thirty minutes later I found you with no pants on. I have no idea how you managed to accomplish such a feat, but you did and then you cried about it. You do occasionally discard various items of clothing while left alone in your crib to nap. You especially LOVE to feast on your socks behind closed doors. As long as you get a decent nap, I forgive you.

This month you have decided that you want a bite of whatever everyone else is eating, even if it is only for show. You want to participate and I think it’s super cute. I usually share toast and bananas with you in the mornings. And really, it’s non-negotiable these days — you stand there, looking up at me and whining as if to say, EXCUSE ME! OVER HERE! I WANT BREAD TOO! H-E-L-L-O!

You have also been taking a few steps here and there. It usually happens when you become mesmerized by whatever I have in my hands and take a step toward me while forgetting to hold onto a piece of furniture. I hold my breath every time I witness it. You can stand independently and can even get up from a sitting position without holding onto anything. You are so close to walking, I better cherish these last few days of leaving you unattended.

This month your father and I have noticed that you desperately need a haircut, but we refuse to take you in because if we do, we will have to admit that you are not a baby anymore. You are turning into a little boy whose baby hair is not so baby anymore. Maybe after your first birthday we’ll give you a haircut, but until then, I want to dupe myself into thinking that you are still a baby.