If there was any hint of infancy left in you last month, there is certainly none now. Tonight you insisted on going to bed with your stuffed chinchilla.* Not that we've ever put you to bed with a stuffed animal before, but that certainly doesn't stop you from blazing new trails. You are my big little boy and I just marvel at all the new things you are doing.
Your biggest accomplishment this month was walking. One day I grabbed your hands and pulled you up and you just stepped forward. Then for a while you just lifted your legs up and down and stepped on things in front of you just because you liked the feeling. You got your first pair of shoes this month, wore them all the way to California and back (which, by the way, is where you spent the majority of this month) and they are already dirty, worn and almost too small. You no longer walk when I hold your hands. You run. And of course that leaves me to run after you.
When we ask for a kiss or when you decide you want one, you lean forward with your mouth wide open, and at the last second, drop your head down so that our lips are planted directly on your forehead.
It is SO CUTE. You were your Daddy's favorite distraction as he worked in California and when it came time to test the weight capacity of the drawer he was building, you were right there to lend a helping
This picture looks hauntingly like a picture of myself at the same age with the same stance and the same expression.
You did not, by the way, get into this standing-up position by yourself. Nor did you know what to do once you were there, but the view delighted you none the less and so did the buttons on the firetruck at Grammy and Grandpa Shaun's house.
You did like standing up quite a bit, apparently, because now you pull up to standing on the side of whatever you can, and you're starting to ease your way around using those things to hold onto. You often get stuck there though, as you haven't quite figured out how to get back to sitting. At least you trust no other support to sit down besides mommy's hands. And frankly, I'm savoring that. Because frankly, you're growing up entirely too fast for me.
I find myself savoring a lot of things lately: An arm void of circulation because you want my hand cupping your face while you fall asleep in your crib. Slobbery items that you want to put in my mouth. Endless games of "give" and "take back." A sweaty forehead against my face when you wake up wanting a hug in an unfamiliar place (there was a lot of that this month). Dirty hands and feet all over me.
Clinging to me when something is a little too dark, a little too noisy, a little too big or a little too unfamiliar for comfort. These things won't last long and so rather than worry about training you out of bad habits (we do plenty of that anyway) I'm just enjoying the times when mommy's comfort is more important.
Grammy taught you (or maybe you just did it) how to treat books with care. Yes, this picture is your Grammy, not a more distinguished me. I know we look just alike. Especially from the back. Especially when I wear her clothes for a month because I only brought four days worth of my own clothes... Nevermind.
You now turn pages carefully and though you are particular about which books you read, you love the activity of turning pages. Although the words don't interest you yet.
Speaking of words, you say lots of them. Not that I know what you are saying, but you are an endless stream of babble as you play quietly (or not so quietly) in the living room by yourself. You crack me up when you suddenly decide that not enough people are listening and so you turn the decibals up about ten notches and holler with a look that says, "Um, hello?! Is anyone listening?!" And then we do.
You haven't lost that contemplative look, nor have you lost your winner of a smile. Happy 14-months-old-birthday, kiddo. I love you.
Love,
Mama
*Our last name is Chinchilla Porras. No, it's not hyphenated. No, it's not partly my maiden name. The ll is pronounced like a y, and no, Alejandro was not excited when he learned that the first half of his long Costa Rican last name was a furry cute rodent people find in pet stores. Yes, I've explained that too many times. So, yes, that's why Danny has a stuffed chinchilla instead of a teddy bear to go to sleep with.
