13 and a bit months

Dear Nat Nat,
This month, your monthiversary fell the day before your dad and I ran a half-marathon. Can you believe it?? 26.2 miles in your honor. You're a lucky pup.

We had a great time in our beloved Philadelphia for the occasion. You absolutely loved seeing our friends with whom we stayed and totally bonded with their kids. You also had a blast hanging out with BOTH sets of grandparents, who came in for the occasion. You were in heaven!

Thanksgiving also fell a few days later, and you again got to spend the occasion with both sets of grandparents. You evidently have a thing for your grandpas, because you would just cling to them like none other. Especially since you don't get to see them very often, we were happy to see you immediately bond with your paternal grandpa - you seriously loved going "flying," eating together, and reading books together. That didn't cause you to lose any love for Ajja (maternal grandpa), though - you had a blast playing hide and seek with him and you both could not get enough giggles in.

You've gotten to experiment with a few fun new foods this month. Last month, at your birthday, party, you got your own delicious little cake. You were a little overwhelmed by everyone watching you, though, as they would gasp every time you tried to make a move toward it. So you hardly touched it there, and just nervously looked around at everyone until we picked you up. It was quite funny and sad all at the same time. But I gave you your cake again a few days later and you absolutely devoured it. You could not seem to get over how fun it was to stick your hands in it and just stroke the little owl. You thought it was so funny, and were mesmerized by all the chocolate on your fingers and in your mouth. You continue to harbor a special affinity for Thai and Indian food (especially mango lassis, no surprise).

This month, you've really loved going down the slide. You absolutely adore climbing the stairs up (not really sure when you figured that out, as we don't have stairs in our place), turning yourself around, and going down feet-first on your stomach. Such a big boy! Your expression at the bottom of the slide just melts my heart.

We had a really fun Halloween. You had a blast trick-or-treating with some little friends. The first time someone held out a basket to you to choose a candy, you sort of reached tentatively, and then stopped and looked up at them, like, "Um, really? Can I actually grab something?" After that, though, you totally could not get enough of it. You also always seemed to manage to choose the good candies - chocolate. Smart boy!

You continue to love to use your hands this month. While you have been clapping and giving high fives for quite some time now, you've recently rediscovered how fun it is. You received a cute little stacking ring set for your birthday, and you LOVE putting the rings back on the stick, and get so pleased and start clapping for yourself each time you get one on. It is SO adorable. You also continue to be best friends with your little stuffed doggies - you seriously love those little guys. You also love using your cute little hands to pull wash out of the washing machine and handing it to me to put in the dryer. We both love the teamwork!

You still have pretty much zero interest in walking. Seriously, pup - you've been cruising for close to 5 months now, and can easily stand on your own when you're not paying attention, but have not even attempted to take one single step. Really, it would just be nice for when we go outside so you don't scrape your knees on the concrete. Let's work on it, k?

Your vocabulary, on the other hand, has increased quite a bit this month. You say probably close to 10 words now, although it's sometimes confusing discerning exactly what you mean you use the same sound for multiple things. Do you mean dad or dog or that when you say "da"? Still, you're beginning to increase your clarity and add new sounds to your babbling repertoire. You've also gotten quite skilled at following simple directions, such as going and getting something and bringing it to me, which will be helpful when I want a snack.

Your personality continues to be so so fun and sweet and happy. I adore your constant giggles and chatter. Our friendship has really developed this month, and I love sharing interests and hobbies with you.

Last week was almost magical in getting to spend so much time with family. I could see you just light up with all of them around, and it was so fun to see you bond with each of them. One day, we all went to the temple together, and I can't really describe the feeling I had with all of us being there together. I can't wait for the day that you can be in there with us, too, knowing that we'll be together forever.

love,
mama