11 Months

Dearest Eli,

On Thursday you will be 11 months old. I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that the tiny little baby I cradled in my arms in the NICU will be 1 year old in a matter of weeks. I praise God for the mighty works He has done in your life to get you where you are today. You are truly our little miracle.

Here are some fun facts about you at 11 months:

-You hate socks and shoes. I'll put them on you one minute and look back the next to find you ripping them off. Even when it is freezing cold outside and I can't stand the thought of your little toes being uncovered, you refuse to wear your socks. At least we'll be saving a small amount of money by not having to buy you footwear. :)

-You have your first 2 teeth! They just popped up yesterday, actually. You showed no indication that teething hurt or bothered you at all- you took it like a man! I have to be careful now when you gnaw on my fingers- you can do some damage with those sharp little teeth!

-You can "crawl." I put the word "crawl" in quotes because you don't have this one completely figured out yet, and, to be honest, I don't know that you ever will. :) You scoot, you do push-ups, you roll around, you sit up, you pull up... but a full-out crawl has yet to be seen. You are officially "mobile," though, and that's what counts, right? :) I think your main objective is to learn to walk, so crawling is just a tool in your arsenal now.
*Update: I thought you would bypass the official crawl in favor of scooting and walking, but this morning (April 8) you proved me wrong! You did the official "crawl" this morning, and I am so proud!*

-You haven't been weighed in a few weeks, but I am guessing you're at about 15.5# now. You feel heavier to me every day. While you are still very small for your age, everyone who meets you, doctors included, always rave about how healthy and bright you are. You'll catch up eventually. For now we're just enjoying our little guy!

-You make all kinds of sounds. There are certain sounds that you say many times during the day- I am wondering if they are your words for something in particular, and I just can't understand it. You say "mama" and "dada" on occasion (dada more frequently), and you say your middle name, "Dane," all the time, although I'm sure that's by accident. :)

-You love to bounce in your jump-a-roo, to be outside, to watch Baby Einstein, and to bang your toys on anything in sight and then promptly throw them on the ground. I pile your car seat high with toys whenever we go anywhere, and within 2 minutes you have tossed them all out. You think it is the most fun game to throw toys down and have someone pick them up for you, over and over again. (I don't find this quite as fun as you do.)

-You eat your bottles really well, but we're still struggling to get you to eat anything else. Some days you'll do really well and eat some peas or broccoli, and other days you refuse everything offered to you. We are still seeing Heather, our wonderful therapist, and we are praying like crazy that something just "clicks" in your brain that makes you want to eat!

-You are still an incredible sleeper. You sleep from 6pm until at least 7am every day, without a peep. I love to walk in to your room in the morning and find you standing in your crib waiting for me. I love hearing you "talk" to your stuffed animals as you fall asleep for your naps. I love kissing your cheeks as you sleep and praying that God will sing over you with His love.

-The words that I would use to describe you at this point are: sweet, stubborn, smart, energetic, and interactive.

Your daddy and I are over the moon for you, Eli. You are our baby boy- we love our little family of three. We love to watch you learn and grow every day, and we praise God for His faithfulness to you over the course of your life. He has carried you all the way.

I love you, my precious Eli!

-Mommy.