Dear Booboo —
Sorry, kid. Another month, another nickname, and I feel like this one’s going to stick for a while. That’s okay, though. We still call one of my cousins Boo and she’s rad, so I feel this won’t damage you terribly.

Speaking of cousins, you got to meet one this month! My cousin Stefan was in town for work and stayed a weekend with us, and you and Grayson had a lot of fun with him. I did, too! Cousins are the best.

This month you made your culinary preferences known, chowing down on pork cooked all ways, grilled butternut squash, baked potatoes, mushroom risotto, and what my mom called goulash.

That last one warms my heart, kid. I don’t always have time to slice and grill a squash, but we have goulash on the regular.

Anyway, we’ve reached the point at which I just make you a small plate of whatever we’re having and keep a pouch on hand for the end, as you seem to treat them as beverages. I guess that makes sense; they’re basically smoothies. You’re able to eat out of them without assistance, but assistance is what keeps you from squirting the contents out wherever you please.

First cheeseburger: In ‘n’ Out, obviously –>

You’ve got two more teeth trying to poke through, which has made you a little cranky, but nothing makes you crankier than attempts to get you to crawl. You are adamant — NO CRAWLING. But you’re pulling up on everything you can reach and love to be walked around the house. In your walker, you’re a danger to toes human and canine.

We spent most of October sick and coughing — coughing with a cold, and coughing in the smoke from the fires that raged through the North Bay. You and I were the first to know in our house, as a heat wave had our bedroom windows open. Actually, most of our windows were open, which made it pretty hard to figure out where we could be without breathing it all in…and we’re more than an hour away from the nearest fire.

Scary stuff.

This month also showcased both the power of Mother Nature in a slew of terribly powerful hurricanes and the inequality embedded in our government’s deployment of resources to those affected.

We will talk someday about the presidential administration that began just after you were born. If we’re lucky, we’ll have cleaned it all up before that day comes.

You also experienced your first ferry ride! It was naptime, so you nursed and then didn’t nap because the ferry was full of other folks heading into the city for Fleet Week.

First Fleet Week! I hope you don’t mind — we’re keeping your brother’s Blue Angels uni for you. It’s too cute and expensive not to pass it down if you’ll wear it. But you’re growing a little faster, so I’m not sure how well the costume hand-me-downs are going to line up.

You do love your brother’s stuff, though, including his magnet tiles. You don’t know how to build yet, but you’re trying! You also seem to love books but really don’t like sitting still for reading time.

You are a total cuddle monster, though, and I love it. Somehow, I’ve neglected to capture it before now, but your way of asking to nurse when you’re in the carrier (a constant on weekends…and much of the week when we’re running to and from school) is consistent and lovely — you lean back, reach up, and gently pat my cheek.

When you’re not in the carrier, you dive toward my chest and demand immediate service, so this other method stands out. Daddy’s pretty sure you’re going to wean yourself soon because of the general gluttony for solids, but I’m not so sure. Every morning, before Grayson comes in to get us, you hang out in the bed, playing peekaboo and clusterfeeding a bit before the day starts.

I’ll be honest, kid. I won’t be sorry to see the breastpump go, but we can keep this other part up for a while yet.

Love,
Mama