My Dearest Joslyn,
Today you turn 8 months old! It is Saturday, of a very special weekend, and another first for you. Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a special time to gather with loved ones and give thanks for all the goodness in our lives. Expressing gratitude is something that is very important, and we will do our best to make sure you know what that means as you get older. I am so incredibly thankful for you this year. You have entered our lives & turned it completely upside down. You have shown us what unconditional love and devotion truly means. Something this huge was once hard to imagine in its entirety . . . until you came along sweetheart. I am so grateful to be a mother to my most precious little peanut.
This month has been full of outings! We have joined a whole bunch of mommy & me groups that keep us busy pretty much on a daily basis. We started a stroller fitness group that meets at St.Vital mall on Monday & Wednesday mornings before the stores open. It has been a bit of a challenge to get us both up, and ready, and out the door at such an early hour, but it has been well worth it. I get to socialize with the other mommies and participate with them in a really great 1 hour strength training and cardio workout. You on the other hand, get to sit in your stroller looking cute, have staring contests with the other babies, and talk to everyone who will listen. Very loudly I might add! You have stopped the trainer in mid-sentence with your verbal antics, and have left her in stitches laughing. That's our little Jambon alright!
On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have joined 2 different mommy & me groups at a few public libraries in the area. The group is called "Baby Rhyme Time" and we meet at the Fort Garry library and the Osborne Street library. There are about 15 mommies and babies, and we all sing songs and read fun new books that are different from the ones we have at home. I wasn't sure how much you'd like this class, only because of how active you are, and how you never like to sit still. But when you put a bunch of us in a room singing the same songs and doing the same actions, you are hooked every time! I've also discovered recently how much you like to look at books, which I couldn't be more pleased with. Books enrich our lives in so many ways. They teach us things about ourselves, about others, tell great stories, and spark such imaginations. I certainly hope you continue on, and enjoy reading for pleasure as much as I do.
Starfish & Duck is the latest group we've joined this month. It is the first level of many in the Red Cross swimming program. Starfish & Duck is for children aged 6 months to 3 years (along with their parent) to become familiar with the water. We take it Wednesday afternoons for 10 weeks at the Bonivital pool. We sing songs, splash the water, get our faces wet, and blow bubbles. Just as we've seen so many times in Grammy's pool over the summer, you LOVE the water. I think this is the perfect place for you, and see you doing very well with your swimming in the future.
One of my favorite new things this month is your new found love of snuggling. Every time I pick you up from your crib, you rest your head on my shoulder, put your arm 'round my back, and settle in for a little snuggle time. You also like to cuddle a little bit more on the couch, as well as when you're tired, and I can't even put into words how much I love this! I can only hope it continues, and that you'll forever know that my arms (& your fathers' too) are the safest place for you to be.
We've seen a bit of a change on the talking front this month. You've always been very vocal, especially in comfortable settings. Meaning, if you're surrounded by people you don't know very well, who are talking to you, you tend to be a little shy & quiet. But if you're on your own, with your dad & I, or don't think people are paying much attention, you really like to belt it out! But what were once "Ooooh"'s and "Aaaaah"'s and grunts and screams, have now turned into more word-like formations. Your favorites of course are "Dadadadada", and "Mummummum". But you also put other sounds together to make, what you appear to think are, words. You talk to us so seriously that it seems you know EXACTLY what you are saying, and are just waiting for us to respond in similar fashion. For all we know, "Gurgledorf beish aaah!" could mean "please pass the gravy mom". But we'll never know, now will we?
A few more important things to mention, are some "firsts" and new developments. You've learned to stand all on your own this month, and just last week you took one step forward while staying on your feet! Your first 2 top teeth came in this month as well. The front ones, which now give you a whopping total of 4 teeth! You love to stand at the window with Nikki and wait for daddy to come home. You have learned how to switch off the light in your room while standing in your crib. Let's hope the "on" motion for the switch isn't learned as quickly as the "off" was, otherwise you might find your crib in it's new permanent location in the middle of the room. (I see bedtime antics of repeatedly turning on the light, in our near future). Your new favorite foods are cheerios and yogurt. We can't feed them to you fast enough, you LOVE them! You also tell the best stores when you eat your cheerios. You're likely commenting on the texture, taste, and other things like how glorious they feel between your gums, your concerns on how nobody has shared these little pieces of heaven with you sooner, and that the inventor of such delicacy should win a Nobel prize (or something of the sort). No?
You came down with your first cold this month. It started yesterday actually, and your poor little self has been coughing, and sneezing, having a runny nose, and a fever. We knew this day would come, and are lucky it has stayed clear this long. But we still hope it goes away quickly. And lastly, this is something that should have been mentioned a few months ago, but better late than never I say. You have learned your name. We've seen for quite some time now how we can call your name and you will always stop to acknowledge it. You're one smart cookie sweetheart, and we can't wait to see more!
Love,
Your Mama Bear
