To Stella, eleven months old
Dear Stella,
Today you are 11 months old. Only one more month until your first birthday. While it really does feel like you've been in our lives that long - and I can't believe how far you've come in such a relatively short time (I mean seriously, when we say "point to the light" your little arm flies upwards) - one just sounds so freakin' old.
This month you stopped being an infant and turned into a toddler. I was not quite ready for this development and, in particular, was tramautized upon purchasing your first pair of true blue shoes. You were walking so well when we were in Shelter Island that I realized I could no longer deprive the soles of your feet the protection they would need on the New York City streets. Daddy and I were so committed to getting you shoes that we actually went straight from Grand Central Station to the shoe store. I had gotten the address of Stride-Rite but we walked up and down 34th Street and couldn't find it. It was 60,000 degrees out and we were carrying you and some bags and I thought Daddy was going to kill me. Eventually we realized that it was actually inside Macy's, a store I have tried very very hard to stay out of all my life. Long story short, we eventually found the children's shoe department and a kindly lady to help us out. We had your feet measured (size 4), picked out some appropriate kicks and put them on. Then we put you down so you could try out the new accessory that you will, no doubt, end up spending millions on during the course of your life.
You took one step or maybe one half step and plunged to the ground. It was as though someone attached two cement blocks to your feet and expected you to be able to walk. You pulled at your feet and looked up at me and Dad like, "Um, hello? I just learned how to walk -- what the hell are you people doing to me?" I told Daddy that I changed my mind, didn't think you needed shoes yet and wanted to get the hell out of there but he insisted we buy them. Daddy was right once again. About a week later, you were on the go with no problem shoes and all. The learning curve is steep, Little One.
What I realized during all of this is that shoes are really one of the first big steps towards independence. Now there are lots of times when you really don't want to be held. You want to be put down so you can run, walk, toddle away from me. This has made me really appreciate the times when all you want is to be held. I know those days are going to come to an end and I can't bear to think about it. One of the things I treasure most now is putting you to sleep. After you have nursed and we've read some stories, sung a few songs, we put on a CD (usually this Lisa Loeb kids one that I am going to get mighty sick of one of these days) and we slow dance around the room. I bounce you around a little bit and you put your head on my shoulder and drift away. It is a beautiful thing. I wish I could bottle it because, at some point, I am going to miss it every day of my life.
This is also the month that you started to really identify words with the objects they represent. The first really noticeable one was "fan". The house in Shelter Island had a ceiling fan and you loved to watch it go around. Grandpa would walk you around the house, pointing out objects and showing you things like the light switch turning the light on and off and the ceiling fan knob turning the fan on and off. Before long if anyone said fan you looked right at it sometimes even pointing. Yup, you're a genius. You know lamp, desk, table, bench, fence, ball. You know a lot of things. You also gradually started repeating words "car" "duck" and associating them with the objects you were holding. No not a real duck, silly. We're not quite that crazy. Daddy and I have been really working on trying to get you to know animal sounds. The jury is still out but we think you might know "moo".
Shelter Island was really good for all of us. You loved the swimming pool -- both the kiddie one and the big pool and had a great time having the whole family around. Spending all day everyday with you was such fun. You are an extraordinarily curious, playful little girl. Sometimes I look at you and can't help but dream about who you are going to become and about all the things that we will do together in the future. I try hard to stay in this moment, though, because you are changing so much everyday and I just want to burn into my brain the amazing little girl you are right now.
Love,
Mom
Today you are 11 months old. Only one more month until your first birthday. While it really does feel like you've been in our lives that long - and I can't believe how far you've come in such a relatively short time (I mean seriously, when we say "point to the light" your little arm flies upwards) - one just sounds so freakin' old.
This month you stopped being an infant and turned into a toddler. I was not quite ready for this development and, in particular, was tramautized upon purchasing your first pair of true blue shoes. You were walking so well when we were in Shelter Island that I realized I could no longer deprive the soles of your feet the protection they would need on the New York City streets. Daddy and I were so committed to getting you shoes that we actually went straight from Grand Central Station to the shoe store. I had gotten the address of Stride-Rite but we walked up and down 34th Street and couldn't find it. It was 60,000 degrees out and we were carrying you and some bags and I thought Daddy was going to kill me. Eventually we realized that it was actually inside Macy's, a store I have tried very very hard to stay out of all my life. Long story short, we eventually found the children's shoe department and a kindly lady to help us out. We had your feet measured (size 4), picked out some appropriate kicks and put them on. Then we put you down so you could try out the new accessory that you will, no doubt, end up spending millions on during the course of your life.
You took one step or maybe one half step and plunged to the ground. It was as though someone attached two cement blocks to your feet and expected you to be able to walk. You pulled at your feet and looked up at me and Dad like, "Um, hello? I just learned how to walk -- what the hell are you people doing to me?" I told Daddy that I changed my mind, didn't think you needed shoes yet and wanted to get the hell out of there but he insisted we buy them. Daddy was right once again. About a week later, you were on the go with no problem shoes and all. The learning curve is steep, Little One.
What I realized during all of this is that shoes are really one of the first big steps towards independence. Now there are lots of times when you really don't want to be held. You want to be put down so you can run, walk, toddle away from me. This has made me really appreciate the times when all you want is to be held. I know those days are going to come to an end and I can't bear to think about it. One of the things I treasure most now is putting you to sleep. After you have nursed and we've read some stories, sung a few songs, we put on a CD (usually this Lisa Loeb kids one that I am going to get mighty sick of one of these days) and we slow dance around the room. I bounce you around a little bit and you put your head on my shoulder and drift away. It is a beautiful thing. I wish I could bottle it because, at some point, I am going to miss it every day of my life.
This is also the month that you started to really identify words with the objects they represent. The first really noticeable one was "fan". The house in Shelter Island had a ceiling fan and you loved to watch it go around. Grandpa would walk you around the house, pointing out objects and showing you things like the light switch turning the light on and off and the ceiling fan knob turning the fan on and off. Before long if anyone said fan you looked right at it sometimes even pointing. Yup, you're a genius. You know lamp, desk, table, bench, fence, ball. You know a lot of things. You also gradually started repeating words "car" "duck" and associating them with the objects you were holding. No not a real duck, silly. We're not quite that crazy. Daddy and I have been really working on trying to get you to know animal sounds. The jury is still out but we think you might know "moo".
Shelter Island was really good for all of us. You loved the swimming pool -- both the kiddie one and the big pool and had a great time having the whole family around. Spending all day everyday with you was such fun. You are an extraordinarily curious, playful little girl. Sometimes I look at you and can't help but dream about who you are going to become and about all the things that we will do together in the future. I try hard to stay in this moment, though, because you are changing so much everyday and I just want to burn into my brain the amazing little girl you are right now.
Love,
Mom
posted by Carolyn, David & Stella at 7/27/2006 09:52:00 PM
3 comments
