Isaac: 10 Months Old

Dear Isaac,

I can't believe you're 10 months old: double digits! I wish time would slow down. You're growing too fast. You're still not crawling but are sooooo close. It frustrates you to no end that you're not as mobile as you want to be. You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth, but you just haven't figured out that you need to move your knees. You have spent the majority of the month frustrated and crabby and I wish you'd just figure it out for both of our sakes. I think we'll both be a lot happier when you can move! You are so fidgety and busy. You're not happy on the floor because you can't move, you're not happy in a high chair because you don't like feeling confined, and you're not happy when I'm holding you because you want to get down. 

We have had a really hard time with your naps this month. More often than not, when I put you down, you don't go to sleep. You cry and scream until I finally give up and get you out of your crib. You should still be taking two good naps a day at this age but a lot of days, I'm lucky to get you to even take one. About a week ago, I found you sitting up in your crib for the first time. You were whimpering and seemed so proud but confused. You figured out how to sit up but haven't figured out how to lie down again yet, so it's become a real problem. I find you sitting and crying during almost every nap and in the middle of the night too. I think another part of the problem with your sleep is that you're going through a lot developmentally and the last thing you want to do is lie down and be still. You want to roll, scoot, stand, and move!

You still just have four teeth but you're getting two more on top. I think they'll push through your gums within the next day or two. Your top two teeth are getting bigger and farther apart every day. They're so goofy and adorable! Between them and your red hair, you definitely have a uniquely adorable look. I can't get enough of you!

Eating has been going quite a bit better this month, which I've been thrilled about. Your favorite foods are graham crackers, parmesan cheese, pineapple, corn, pasta, and deli meats. You've been trying a lot more lately. It's funny how tiny your little stomach is though because you fill up after only 4 or 5 bites. I know it's about trying different textures and tastes and not about quantity, so I'm not worried.

I'm still your favorite human on the planet and I couldn't be happier about it. You always want me to be the one holding you and if someone else is, you want me within arm's reach, just in case. I love the way you bury your head into my neck and squeeze me. I love the way you give me open mouth slobbery kisses and the way you grab my face with a big, playful smile. You are so much fun and I am so happy I get to spend every day with you.

Love,
Mama

10 Month Stats: 
Weight: 21.8 lbs (52nd percentile) 
Height: 29 3/4 inches (74th percentile) 
Head Circumference: 18 1/4 inches (65th percentile)

Oliver: 3 Years Old

Dear Oliver,

You, my friend, are a walking contradiction. I either think you're so sweet and adorable that I want to squeeze you or I'm so frustrated with you that I'm almost in tears. When you're sweet, man are you sweet. You are very polite and frequently say "thank you." You give the best compliments, hugs, and kisses. You love to smile and giggle. You love to act silly, rough house, and be chased. You are always singing, but the best part is that you make up all of the songs you sing. You make up the tune, the words, and everything. It's hilarious!

I have really been struggling with you lately. Your tantrums are out of control. I would say that you have 4 or 5 big tantrums a day. Sometimes they'll last for an hour or an hour and a half. They always begin when something isn't done the EXACT way you want it. I try to have patience with you and let you get what you want within reason, but sometimes I feel like I just can't do or say anything right. You yell at me all day long and freak out over the stupidest things. If I don't fill your cup of apple juice up to the very top, right next to the rim, you yell at me. If I cut your food the wrong way or give you the wrong color of fork or plate, you yell at me. If I buckle your car seat straps in the wrong order, you yell at me. If I take a route home that you don't like, you yell at me. It is exhausting.

I am scared of you. I let you control things way too often. I give in to your preferences and habits too much, but I dread the fight that will surely come if I put my foot down. And sometimes the problem is that I simply don't know what's worth saying no to and what I should let slide. It's not that I mind letting you have what you want but it's just the volume of it that gets to be too much. It truly is too much to handle. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing as a mother and it's discouraging. I don't think you like me very much and it really hurts my feelings. I try to be a good mom to you. I try to take you fun places, give you lots of attention, and let you know how much I love you. But I don't think any of it is working.

You are obsessed with your daddy lately. If he leaves for work before you wake up, you are heartbroken. You'll walk out of your room, see that it's "just" me (SOB!), and burst into tears. You insist on calling him at the office to say good morning. Your poor dad has been working a lot lately (gotta get those billable hours in!), so he's already left when you wake up more often than not. On the weekends, you two are inseparable. You don't leave his side and you sure as heck don't want anything to do with me. It's so extreme, actually, that sometimes you'll even yell at me to stop talking to you, looking at you, and trying to do things for you. You want DADDY TO DO IT!

You still have this unnatural love of burp cloths. Technically, they're cloth diapers. The plain white kind that I use for my newborns. You can't sleep without them and you like to carry them around the house with you. They're your comfort object.

For the past month or two, you've been waking up in the night tantruming. We rush into your room to see what's wrong but we can never figure it out. You yell incoherently, kick us, and thrash around in your bed. It usually takes you 20-30 minutes to calm down and go back to sleep. When we try to ask you about it in the morning, you act like you don't know what we're talking about. I honestly don't think you remember them because you're not fully awake.

One thing that your dad and I love about you is how friendly you are towards adults. You're not shy at all. You'll talk to them like they're your peers. It's adorable and makes adults really like you. People are always commenting to me how cute you are and how you'll just say whatever you think.

You don't nap anymore but still desperately need them. If I take you anywhere between the hours of 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., you'll fall asleep in the car. Lately, I've found transferring you from your car seat to your bed to be pretty successful. Some afternoons you'll sleep for two or three hours if I let you. It's nice because I know your little brain and body need the rest but it makes bedtime even more of a nightmare than it already is. You'll come out of your room a dozen times before you finally fall asleep. On the nights where you nap, you'll be up until 9 or 10 o'clock.

You are so excited to start preschool in the fall. You talk about it almost every day. I really need to start working with you on your letters soon so you're prepared!

Oliver, I love you so much. As hard as you are, I wouldn't trade you for the world. I am so glad you're a part of our family.  I worry about our relationship because you pretty much hate me right now, but hopefully you're just going through a phase and you'll like me someday.

Love,
Mama

3 Years Stats: 
Weight: 33.2 lbs (67th percentile) 
Height: 38 inches (66th percentile)