Dear Alexander–
Mmmmmm…food.

You loooooove food. We started off a bit cautiously this month, using applesauce and baby oatmeal (with probiotics, because you are not as prolific a pooper as your brother was). I put frozen fruit veggies in the little mesh teether, which you seemed to like well enough.

<—Prunes.

When it comes to actual eating, though, from day one, you were ON. BOARD. At first, you weren’t sold on baby food, but you changed your mind. You grabbed the spoon and managed to get more food in your foodhole than not.  From there it was a quick slide to toast and your first pizza crust. You are particularly fond of graham crackers. You weren’t thrilled about the veggie-heavy puree, but you slowly came around. (I can’t blame you, kid. Those smell pretty unappetizing.)

I swear I checked the handy-dandy “baby’s first foods” charts during the first week or two. Then I just started giving you baby food and tastes of whatever we’re eating because ain’t nobody got time for that kind of worry these days, and here we are. You try everything and it’s awesome. Also messy — you really don’t like having that sticky goo wiped off (and I’m learning to be more efficient about it, as your brother skipped this bit).

You’re sort of reluctantly working on some proto-crawling. You’ve gotten pretty good at sitting and you’re really frustrated by not being able to run. You’re trying! You want an adult to hold you in a standing position all the time so you can bounce and shuffle. You are exceptionally determined and good at grabbing stuff.

Like, really, really good.

You’re so committed to moving that we know the baby-containment devices will soon be a tough sell. Your brother leaves a lot more toys on the floor than you have on the bouncer, so duh.

<–All business. (Photo credit: Auntie Stef)

You’re sleeping better most nights and backsliding at every available opportunity (teeth, colds, messed up nap schedule, etc.). It’s hard to enforce this, not least because your bed is in our room and will likely be there until you hit 1.

This month, you started hanging out with other caregivers from time to time. Our beloved sitter adores you but is out of practice with infants, so she’s just done a couple of mother’s-helper afternoons (it’s drum corps season). And Auntie Stef hung out with you and Grayson so Mommy and Daddy could go see a “Hamilton” matinee.

You are a really, really sweet face-patter and hug-giver, a lover of all trees and dogs, and continually delighted by wind in your face. We’ve started doing some Saturday morning hikes with Uncle Rob and Auntie Rachelle, and you’re totally cool with it — the breezier, the better! I think this is why you also love your swing so much, although your truest joy only comes out when Grayson pushes the swing instead of a boring old grown-up.

You also got to see a bit more of your extended family this month when we drove up to a tiny pocket of the early 1980s trapped in the hills near Sonoma. Your cousin Ryder had a birthday, and without a really, really good reason, we don’t miss those parties.

(Although we are sometimes very late to them.)

You’re growing super fast, little bird. Your screeching is getting louder and louder as you compete for air time with a 4-year-old and the adults who also occasionally need to be heard.  You’re growing so fast that I have a constant “too small” pile next to the changing table; so fast, in fact, that some hand-me-downs are too small before I unbox them. You haven’t quite hit 20lbs, but you appear to be gaining height faster than your brother. Now that solids are in the mix I have NO idea what to expect.

(You’re growing so fast that I occasionally write these long after I should.)

Your personality is definitely starting to shine through. We have to remind ourselves, on particularly long days (or nights), that goodnatured kids can still be very strong-willed.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way, buddy.

Love,
Mama