11 Months

Dear Aven,

Your 11th month brought so many new things into our lives! One of the fan favourites is "kick like a dolphin" ; before bathtime, we get you all stripped down naked, then hold you up high and say "kick like a dophin!" until you start flapping your rigid little body like scissors opening and closing! Muma and Papa wait for it every night before bed.



You also have learned how to clap... on demand! I'll say "where's your clap clap clap?" and you smile at me and throw your hands together... sometimes you miss, but that's even cuter. Another fine motor skill that you FINALLY learned is how to put your own soother in your mouth! AVEN! Why did it take this long! It makes my life much easier. A really cute part of it too is that if you stick it in upside down, you do a little twirl trick with it to right it.


You have a new favourite food: avodcado! When I first put some little pieces on your tray, you weren't too sure. But once you tasted it, you just couldn't get enough of that slimy green stuff. Lots of good fats in there, so eat up!


One day Muma and I took you to the Purple Turtle, a baby and kids store in Exeter. When we walked in with you, you looked around at all the stuff, wide-eyed, and exclaimed "ho-LEE! ho-LEE!" We both had quite the laugh over that one!

I'm excited to tell you that our new home is almost ready to move into. I can't wait for you to grow up there, Aven. I can't wait to lay on the grass with you on our lawn, and take walks down our country road. I love thinking about all the things we'll do and how I'll get to see you turn from a baby, into a toddler, and into a kid while we live there. It's scary to think about! But I know we will make strong and beautiful memories there.


Love,
Mommy

10 Months (photos delayed due to moving)

Dear Aven,

This month has brought some big changes for us, and I need to stop and thank you for being such a flexible and accommodating baby. We packed up and moved out of our house, then moved into Uncle Tyler and Auntie's apartment for 2 weeks, then moved to Muma and Poppa's, where we still are! At the apartment I couldn't believe how well you slept ... they live on the intersection of two highways and the trucks and snowlpows going by sounded like jets taking off! You did struggle a little bit with me leaving the room after putting you in bed, mostly because the floors were very creaky and it woke you up and made you realize I was leaving. I had to become an expert floor-creak-locater, otherwise I would remain, trapped, in the room where you were sleeping! At Muma and Poppa's house you have been sleeping better than you have in your entire life. It's crazy, because you're in a playpen, in the same room as me. And yet you sleep from 7:30 to 6:30 straight? With only a slight peep now and then? I'm baffled. Especially because a yappy dog lives here.

Muma has a fox that lives on top of her cupboards, and you love him. We'll say "where is your fox? Wave to your fox!" and you'll scan all the vases until you see him, then you'll break into a huge smile and wave to him! You now have an adorable variation to the wave... we call it the "no, no, no!". It's when you combine the pointing with the waving into a cute little finger-wag scold.. and now that we've said "no, no, no!" every time you do it, you know to make the gesture of it when we say no! Stop being so cute. It's really not fair to any of us.

Although you're cute, you also have a wee temper. The other day I was feeding you some carrots on a little plastic baby fork, and you took the fork right out of my hand and fed yourself (this is amazing, by the way, but not the point of my story). Since then you've continued to do this little trick, but when I go to take the fork back and put more food on it, you get VERY. POSSESSIVE. OF. THE. FORK. You hold it with an iron grip, make a menacing whine noise, give me a threatening look and WIELD THAT FORK AT ME. The other day when you did it in front of Daddy, he looked at me in shock and said "I'm a little scared!" Oh, my little monkey. You are so much personality in a tiny little package.

You have also started responding to a game that Daddy and his brothers all played when they were little. We say "how big is Aven?" in romanian (I have no idea how to spell it, but it sounds like "COO-tay de MAR-dia!" and you throw your hands up into the air and smile. The first few times we did it you had no idea what was going on... but it didn't take long for you to catch on. HOWEVER... you are usually selective about wanting to respond when we ask.. even though I KNOW you know what I'm asking! I can literally see the request register in your brain and your eyes twinkle and you smirk a little bit. And then do nothing. On the other hand, sometimes out of nowhere you'll throw your hands up and give me a wide-eyed, expectant look so that I'll say it!

This month you also taught yourself how to play hide-and seek... you were in the bathroom with me and you grabbed hold of the shower curtain and pulled it between you and I... then pulled it away and laughed! I said "where's Aven?" and you did it again! Funny that I never taught you this, but you found it hilarious.

Your love affair with the Small Hole has not only continued, but it has escalated. Nevermind the first 8 pages in Pat the Bunny, Mom. Just get to the good part... where Paul puts his finger through Mummy's ring. That's the best one of all! You love to play with Muma's steel colander because it has hundreds of tiny holes... you sit there and caress them like old friends. And now that we're giving you a bath at Muma's house, where there are jets in the tub, you're just in heaven. A bath... that's fun on its own. A bath surrounded by small holes? JACKPOT.

As we get closer and closer to your first birthday, the more I want to hold you tightly and not let it happen. I have tasted the bittersweetness that I've heard so many parents marvel at constantly. How does this happen? How can my little newborn become this child? One day she didn't know what I was saying.. the next day she knows a phrase and follows it like a command! There's something about the speed at which children grow that rips across the surface of a parent's strength and security, and exposes a very raw vulnerability. Emotion like this isn't necessarily a bad thing... in fact, it causes us to appreciate our blessings and try to live each day more fully.. but it still leaves us open to so much heartache and mourning.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Love,
Mommy

9 Months (photos will be delayed due to moving)

Dear Aven,
Yet again I'm writing this letter late, but so much is going on in our lives and I can't wait for you to see our new house! Hopefully we can move in two weeks from now.

This past month was an exponential explosion of new things you started to do. First, you became a waveaholic. Not only do you like to wave at every person, thing, clock, face and tractor, but you often get BOTH hands going, just to make it really clear that you're saying hi or bye. You can click your tongue back at us when we make that sound. You also became much more snuggly with us, and you'll lean in close and rest your head on our necks or shoulders, sometimes only briefly, but it's an incredible feeling. You're pointing with your index finger, and along with that is your new best friend... the Small Hole. I've never seen such a funny fixation... you are OBSESSED with the Small Hole. And they are everywhere... on the backs of remotes and toys (to hids screws), on your bath seat, on my face in the form of a nostril, in the middle of cheerios that you now love to pick up and eat, on the top of your juice bottle, so that you get cross-eyed looking at and touching it while you drink. You just cannot keep that little pointer finger away from small holes... I swear it's like a magnetic force.

You love to pick up little pieces of food now and eat them. When you first started this skill, it was incredibly funny to watch you grasp it and aim for your mouth, but drop it on the way and then look around, bewildered, when you couldn't find it anywhere. But it only took a few days and many cheerios for you to master your new talent.

We celebrated your very first Christmas and it was so much fun to spoil you and try to show you all the exciting and special things about this holiday. I know that next year you'll be able to understand it more and anticipate it, but there's still something meaningful about your first one. I took you to see Santa at the mall, and you were picture-perfect on his knee!

This month I did something drastic to the way I look... I went from having dark brown hair to very light blonde hair, and I was kind of worried that you would be scared or not know me. You absolutely made my day when I came home from the salon, and the first thing you did was reach out and touch my hair and SMILE! It's like you knew, and you were encouraging me that you liked it. You're the best.

Your vocabulary is coming along. You now regularly say mama, dada, baba, nana and sometimes lala. And I SWEAR you said a form of "kitty"... it sounded more like "key-ey", but you were looking at and reaching for one of the cats when you said it, so I'm convinced. Let's get that application to Harvard started, pronto.

Some days I just can't stop squeezing you and plastering your cheeks with kisses. You have the finest set of cheeks I've ever tasted and smelled. I never ever want to forget how delicious they are, even when you're fifteen and covered with pimples. I'll buy you some oxy. Yes, I love you THAT much.

Love,
Mommy
P.S. This month you also learned how to roll a ball back and forth with me on the floor! It's so much fun to sit and play that with you. The first day you learned it, I would ask "are you proud?" everytime you rolled it to me... and every time you would shake your head no!

8 Months

Dear Aven,
I'm sorry this letter is so late (almost time for your 9-month letter!). Things have been busy around here and we're all going to be moving soon. More about that later!


This month we took a BIG weekend trip! Your daddy used to play in a band, and we wanted to spend time with all the people he used to play with. We took a 5-hour drive and stayed two nights with Brad and Erin in Huntsville. You were so much fun all weekend, and Erin even said afterwards that she kept forgetting there was even a baby in the house! Thank you for always being so entertaining, accomodating, and just plain cute. You're easy to show off.


This month your sleeping took a major turn... for the better! One night, during your usual half-an-hour-into-sleep wake-up, I went to you as I always do, to help you get back to sleep. After a minute or two, you were still crying but I HAD TO go to the bathroom... there really was no choice! So, feeling terrible, I left you crying in your crib and left you. I was SHOCKED when, only two minutes later, you stopped crying and were sound asleep. And then you slept. And Slept. And SLEPT!!! From then on you have had amazing night sleep, sometimes going 8 to 10 hours before joining me in bed! I'm so happy for you, for me, for us. Even when you have setbacks (a cold, teething, travelling), it's still wonderful to know that it is possible, and that you CAN do it. It's been a long road, tiny. I think that's what makes it feel even sweeter.

Another huge milestone this month is that we let you be put to bed by someone other than me for the first time. Daddy and I had to go to my work party, and since you just suddenly stopped wanting to be nursed right before bed, I figured you were ready. Muma came over to go through your bedtime routine with you, and we left. I was pretty worried about you, but I was confident that you were ready. And you were! My dear little girl, you were an angel for Muma. I'm so proud of you... and proud of me for not calling even once to check in!



Daddy went away for a week this month and you and I got a little stir-crazy. We were both sick with colds, and it snowstormed for a few days. I love you ... always will... but that week with you was really hard! Sometimes we just need other places and other people to break the monotony and help us not get bored or exhausted. I was mean to daddy and sent him this photo while he was gone though:


Grandma came to visit us, and brought you lots of fun things! You got a sled as an early Christmas present, and some toys and books and a crib skirt that she made for you, to match your room. She was very sad to say goodbye at the end of the trip ... she especially loves how you rotate your wrists.


There is already SO MUCH that I have to write about for your next month, so I'll end this one here!

Love,
Mommy

Stand by me

 

7 months

Dear Aven,
My little shaggy-haired girl! I love the way it's starting to grow forward , and also how it slips out over your ears sometimes. It's really beginning to have a mind of its own, especially after you've worn a hat! Now when I look back at your older photos, you look funny and bald-ish.


This month you started drinking from a sippy cup! You like to hold the handles, and you like to drink from it... however, you refuse to do both at the same time! It's very fun to watch you sucking from a spout like a little hamster, though. You also tried some rice rusks called "mum-mums" and you like to scrape away on them with those two little bottom teeth. Usually I hold it for you, but one time i gave you the whole thing and you held it in your hands and put it to your mouth like it was a flute! When you bite a little piece off, you generally know how to gum it into mush and swallow, but sometimes a little piece will stick to your lip and you get very concerned with the little foreign object invading your personal space.



Some babies, I have heard, don't like getting shirts put on over their heads. You've never minded. But HEAVEN FORBID I make you put your arms into a sleeve... or TWO! You have declared jihad on the sleeves. WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?



Today is technically 2 days past your 7-month mark, but I just have to include these milestones because i'm so excited about them! Yesterday when you were babbling, you started saying "da! da! da!" over and over and now you just can't stop! We're not sure if you really are assigning that sound to your daddy, but who cares... it's adorable and we're telling everyone that you can say "dada". One thing we are sure of, is that today you started waving. WAVING. I was getting things ready to put you to bed, and you were sitting with Daddy in your room. As I walked past your door, I saw him waving at you ... you held out your hand to mirror his and did a PERFECT side-to-side wave! And you have kept doing it all night... so we know it wasn't just a fluke. I have to admit, my stomach got all squirrely and I almost cried when you did it. There was something different about this, as compared to the other new things you've done. It was so responsive, so mature... I can't even describe it, really.


Your nights are improving, but it doesn't necessarily matter because I've come to a point where I don't ever want to be negative about spending extra time with you. It's not always easy to think that way, but sometimes even just rubbing your soft little head against my nose and mouth in the dark of night gives me a warmth that is untouchable. It's so tempting to be frustrated, when you've woken for the 4th time in 2 hours, or you just seem to be cranky for no reason. But I have heard more than one parent of older children say how much they wished they could go back ... they long for those nights nestled in close with their babies instead of waiting up for mr. teenager who broke curfew again. It goes too fast, everyone knows that. And my gut reaction is to roll my eyes and think "well, you aren't the one dealing with the night wakings and crying, so you don't understand!" But they do. One thing you need to know about me is that I like to figure things out for myself; I don't like to be told what to do, and when I receive advice I usually like to make it clear that I've already looked into the issue and I'm well-informed. That I know better. On this one though, I'm taking their word for it. When you wake up, come into bed with me, little one ... we always have such great sleeps together.



Love,
Mommy

6 months

Dear Aven,
HALF A YEAR! I'm so baffled about where the time went. I feel like summer just started, and that we still have july evening walks to take, and august camping trips to have. But fall is here now, and I have to accept that nothing will ever be still again, least of all you. You're almost sitting up on your own now, you can do straight-arm push-ups, and I won't be surprised if you're crawling by the time I write my 7-month letter.



This past month, like the five before it, is full of firsts. The biggest one is sitting right in the middle of your bottom jaw--and it already has a next-door neighbour! Your first tooth came in on September 24th, and the second appeared within two weeks. Your first didn't seem to bother you much; your second turned you into a little bear. Some days, during your normal happy times, you would just chomp on your fingers and scream in pain ... I felt so terrible for you, my little chonch.
But the day it finally cut through, you were happier than ever, shrieking with happiness and smiling at everyone.




You have also begun to notice that you have two black, furry "siblings" ... you turn your head when you hear the cats, and watch them curiously. Last week, you actually started reaching your hands out to them to feel the strange fluffy surface, and you gave Rooney's ears a little rub. They still aren't sure what to think of you, but they'll adjust.



When you were newborn, you hated your bath. Then, you loved it. Now, you've gone through a hating phase again. I think it has something to do with being reclined; you keep grimacing and trying to do sit-ups if I lay you back. So for now, until you can sit up on your own, we're in kind of an awkward transition phase where I have to support you in the bath, and you splash a bit but aren't thrilled. We'll get through it! The last time you had a bath in the kitchen, I let you play with the mini-sprayer on the sink and you tried to grab the little streams of water... you seemed very confused when you couldn't get a hold of them!

Speaking of holding, you have a very cute new sleeping ritual. Since you are no longer swaddled, I needed to give your busy hands something to hold onto. Enter Dolly. Dolly is a little yellow-and-white striped cloth doll that was handed down from my family. When you lay down in your crib to go to sleep, you roll towards Dolly and hold her tight, stroking and squeezing her. Then you usually reach a hand up to find where my hand is, and lightly touch it and inspect it with your fingertips as you drift off. It's a very precious habit!


You've also graduated to a new carseat, one that will carry you right until you're done with a booster. Although this carseat isn't a carrier like your old one, you fall asleep in it much easier. So, I've had to become a pro at gingerly plucking you out of the seat without waking you!

Your short naps are still in effect, but your nights are generally wonderful! You can now go 8-10 hours before your first feeding (although you always still wake up a few times in the first couple hours, just wanting my company and not being able to get back to sleep on your own). I'm so very glad that you decided to drop the 1/2 am feeding! I was falling asleep in the rocking chair more often than not...



We've come so far, but we still have so far to go, little pumpkin.



Love, Mommy

Saber-tooth

Someone has a tooth! You get three guesses as to who it is...

Chicken and Chonch (at the beach)

 

 

 

 

Chicken and Chonch (at the beach)

 

 

 

 

5 months

Dear Aven,

You have so much you want to say, my little girl. You just don't have a way to express it yet! I wish I could just hand you a vocabulary and let you run amok with it, but I have to be patient and let you get there in your own time. One of your new favourite things to do is reach out your little palms like microphones and touch my mouth while i'm talking. It's as if you're a blind person touching a face to see what someone looks like, and I can see it in your eyes that you're learning (so I take advantage of that and repeat "mommy" over and over so that you memorize the sounds!).


You continue to surprise us all the time. About 3 months ago I abandoned using the stroller as a means to get you to take a nap, because you would just get overstimulated and cry, and now we only take walks when you're awake and want to look around. You've even graduated to the smaller "big girl" umbrella stroller. Two nights ago, Daddy and I took you out for a walk after dinner to entertain you until bedtime. Imagine our astonishment when we looked down at you and saw this:



A big development this month is that you started eating rice cereal and some vegetables off a spoon! You knew what to do right away, and you seem to really enjoy having goop shovelled into your smacking lips. One night I left you with Daddy and he was feeding you your evening meal. He said he turned away for a second, and when he looked at you again you had a santa-beard of cereal on your face and were crying! The image is just too cute.



In August we took you on your very first camping trip! It was supposed to be two nights, but we ended up coming home after one night because it was cold and rainy. I think you liked your time there even though it was cut short (you have always loved being outside) and it was fun to be able to bundle you up in multiple layers, hoodies, hats and blankets. I think when we take you next year, you will really be able to understand and enjoy what we're doing there.




Aven, sometimes I still can't believe you're mine. When you wake up and smile at me and reach your warm hands up to me and wave them around, before getting distracted by your own feet, you melt me every time. I'm so glad you came to stay.


Love,
Mommy

Roly Poly

This is about a week and a half late, but I've gotten so used to just putting everything on Facebook that I sometimes forget to keep this blog updated :)
On August 17th Aven rolled over for the first time! She was on her tummy on the floor, and I was walking around her room talking on the phone, putting some laundry away. She must have felt left out, because the next time I looked down, she was staring up at me! The look of shock on her face was priceless, and it immediately turned into a smile. I feel bad for the person I was talking to (Christine) because I interrupted her story to shout "OH MY GOSH, AVEN JUST ROLLED OVER!"

She doesn't do it everytime I put her on her tummy, but she has done it a few times since, so I know it's not just a fluke. So crazy ... before I know it she'll be crawling and then there's definitely no looking back.

4 Months

Dear Aven,
You have become my little friend. You've gone from someone I had to cradle to someone I can hug and squeeze and tickle and laugh with. Yes, laugh ... yesterday was your first real laugh, a little "hee hee!" when I was kissing your tummy on the change table. I can't describe to you how it made me feel. All I know is I can't wait to know you more!

Last week we went shopping together in Stratford, just the two of us. I was a little worried about the trip, since our ride home together from Huntsville was something I don't even want to talk about because it was so difficult. But you were an angel, and I think you actually enjoyed yourself! I tried on dresses while you watched me in the mirror and smiled. You took in all the sights and sounds of the mall with delight. I think you especially enjoyed Claire's; so many things to look at!

 

It's not very often that I have "bad" mommy days anymore. Although you are still a ridiculous cat-napper, that has come to be a predictable part of my day, something I can rely on and work with.

 

We went to a wedding last weekend and no one could believe you were only 4 months old. First, because you're so big (long) for your age, and second, because you were incredibly well-behaved. I like how you fool people into thinking that you're naturally an easy-going, calm baby, and that I must have it so easy. If only they knew your true self, the one I've cleverly hidden behind a solid routine!

 

This month you've discovered your feet, and boy are they exciting. Is that a toy? WHO CARES! FEET! I CAN HOLD THEM!

Your latest development is the motorboat noise, and it's one of the best so far. You stick out your tongue and try to talk, and all that comes out is a spray of bubbly spit and a hilarious noise.

When I pick you up after a nap and you cling to my neck with all your strength (often tearing out most of the hairs at the nape of my neck), I am floored by how amazing it is to have someone need you as much as you need me. I can't wait until you're old enough that a hug and kiss from me makes all the badness go away.

 

Love,
Mommy

Jumper

New video of Aven trying out the jolly jumper! Click here

Sorry!

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, although there are new photos up on Flickr if you want to see Aven growing! She's getting nice and chubby.

We had a busy couple of weeks with her dedication, grandparents visiting, and then Tyler and Anita's wedding. Aven did so well at both events! She definitely got cranky and thrown off-routine later in the day, but I'm so proud of her perfect behaviour when it really counted. She got pretty overstimulated at the wedding reception and we had to leave before it was over, but she made it until 10:30! Pretty good for 3.5 months old.

Earlier this week we went to visit Cat and her new baby Sophia at a camp near Huntsville. Aven was doing great until we hit a huge traffic jam in Barrie. She screamed quite a bit, and I don't blame her! During our overnight visit, she was really content ... she even went to bed fine ( I think it's because I tried to recreate our home bedtime routine). The ride home, however, was pretty awful. She couldn't fall asleep and became so upset that she was inconsolable, even when I stopped repeatedly to calm her. I eventually had to just let her scream and cry herself to sleep, which was heartbreaking. But if I hadn't done it, who knows how long it would have taken me to get home (it took over 5 hours anyways).

So we're taking some time now just to relax and enjoy our daily routine! I can't believe she's almost 4 months old. Almost time to write the next letter!

3 Months

Dear Aven,
Are you sure you aren't 15 years old? Because sometimes I can't believe you're just a little baby. In this past month you have astounded us with the things you do and the strength of your will.


Let's start with the page-turning, shall we? Really, Aven....you are three months old. There is no need to turn the pages when I'm reading to you. COME ON! Stay a baby at least for a little longer? You have also started grabbing and holding toys, putting them in your mouth, and "talking" more than ever. One of your favourite times of the day is when we strip you down to put your pyjamas on. You flail your little naked body around on the change table and whack your feet down like a pony. You pull your knees up, I tap the bottoms of your feet, and you do a full leg extension. Over and over again. You know it's a game and you can't get enough of it!
Lately I wonder what happened to the sleepy infant who used to fall asleep in the carseat or in the stroller. She is nowhere to be found! Now I have little miss hyper-alert world-conquerer in my buggy, and NO SHE WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP! HOW DARE YOU! Everyone we meet comments on how alert and awake you are, and they don't know the half of it. Ever heard of a nap, dear? What's that? You only take catnaps? Ah, yes. I've noticed.



Something I hated about this month is that we started putting you to sleep in your own bed, in your own room at night. It needed to happen, though, and I like having some time to myself now after you go to bed. The first night I did this, at about 10 weeks, you were an angel. I, however, was a wreck. I barely slept all night, thinking every little murmur on the monitor was you freaking out. But you slept wonderfully, have never looked back, and you actually sleep in longer blocks of time now. I must confess though that almost every night I wake up thinking I'm holding you, and when I feel a lump of empty sheets, I have a moment of panic, thinking I've lost you or hurt you. It's an awful feeling. But it reminds me of the amazing couple of months that we shared a bed, and how much I will always cherish that special connection. Your father said there was nothing in the world like coming into the room and seeing us asleep together.

This month you've started watching Baby Einstein's "Meet the Orchestra", and you're hooked. You sit staring in fascination, moving your hands around in the air and making noises at the tv. You also poop every time the tuba plays. I'm pretty sure it isn't a coincidence.

Love,
Mommy