ten months | letter to Lyla

A whole month behind since she actually turns 11 months old today but here's to catching up ... 

t e n    m o n t h s   o l d 

weight ... 22 lbs.

| LOVES |

Food.

Waving.

Clapping.

Peek-a-boo.

Swinging.

Sticking out her tongue.

Walking and scaffolding furniture.
Pulling herself up on everything.

| HATES |

Getting dressed.
Diaper changes.

Sleeping when teething.

| DEVELOPMENT // GROWTH |

Lyla got another tooth this month, the one on the bottom left next to her two middle teeth. Another couple on the top are not far behind because you can see and feel them they just haven't broken through the skin yet. The poor girl had her first ER visit at 10 months old too. She spiked a 103 fever even after having motrin and was refusing to nurse (something she has never done before) ... it turned out she was the first out of the four of us to get hand, foot, and mouth. It was literally the most awful marathon sickness in our family to date! We think she may have picked it up from a place called Eagle Island that we went swimming at the Saturday before. We had her out in the water in a floaty and were trying to watch her closely so she didn't dip her hands in and put them in her mouth but it happened so quickly. The place was shut down a week later from making so many people sick. Never again! She learned how to clap (my favorite!) and waves anytime she hears the word "hi"! Playing peek-a-boo is her favorite game. She'll even cover her own face, it is adorable! She never holds still! Loves nothing more than to be pulling herself up on everything dangerous and attempting to take a few steps on her own! Look out world! She is mostly wearing 12-18 months clothes but is still in size 3 diapers and 3-6 month shoes.

| SLEEP |

Like clock work, Lyla wants to go to bed at 7 PM every night. Unless she is teething or having to sleep in a pack-n-play SHE FINALLY STARTED SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! It's heaven. She wakes up around 6:30 in the morning and typically only takes one nap during the day somewhere between noon and 1 for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

| EAT |

Girlfriend is obsessed with food just like her momma! haha She'll eat pretty much anything and has tried more things than I can count. Her favorite food group is carbs (haha!) pizza, pasta, quesadilla, pancakes, etc. She also loves most fruits (except bananas). She nurses when she wakes for the day, before nap time, and when she goes to sleep.

Dear Lyla,

I want to bottle you up just the way you are right now and keep you that way forever! You are the biggest ray of sunshine in my day ... always so happy and full of life that it's contagious! You are getting quite the laundry list of nicknames, the latest from your dad being "honey badger" because you are sweet one moment and feisty the next. haha Your personality is shining through more and more and I love watching you express yourself. You scrunch your nose when you smile and constantly stick your tongue out of the side of your mouth and curl it over your top lip. Everything goes in your mouth at this stage and it feels impossible at times to protect you from getting sick. You love to ride on the swings at the park and let the breeze blow in your hair. I've almost always got it in a spout because it is beginning to hang in your face and you refuse to wear bows in your hair. You dance and smile whenever music comes on, I hope you always do that! You can't ever get enough food in front of you. I'm not kidding when I say, you'd eat until you were sick and you have before. haha I've learned to let you go to town and smother your whole body in it and recognize that bathing you 3 or more times a day is a necessity right now. Thankfully I can do so because your skin is not quite as sensitive anymore as it was when you were tiny. Nothing can hold you back from getting where you want to go. You pull yourself up on everything (the metal kitchen chairs over the tile just about give me a heart attack every time!) and scaffold all kinds of furniture. You have great balance and are able to let go and stand on your own for a good 10 seconds before falling. You've even tried taking a couple wobbly first steps!! It is so exciting to watch and no one cheers you on more than the 3 of us! We love watching you learn new things, even Liam! When you aren't trying to walk on your own you love barely holding on to one of our hands to help hold you up. I have no doubt you will be walking any day now. It breaks my heart to say that we celebrated your last first holiday this month, the 4th of July. I have no idea how it has all gone so fast. I think it might have been your favorite holiday to date because you got to try your first sucker. The moment I gave you your first lick you latched onto it with both fists and refused to let go until all that remained was a soggy stick. haha I love everything about you. Your adorable giggle, your shrill cry, the way you show of your tricks (clapping and waving) to anyone who gives you attention, and even nursing when you have 3 new teeth coming in and you use me as your soothing chew toy. I'd do anything for you and I always will. Love you my Lyla girl!
Love, Momma

| TEN MONTH PICTURES |

Cutest puff eater ever!!!
(also the same place we think she got hand, foot, and mouth! bleh!)

Constantly tried to stand up during bath time. This girl is going to give me a heart attack!

Nothing better than a the smell of a baby after her bath ...

The first and only time she has pooped in the bath tub ... and then tried to PICK IT UP!

Creamy from Costco lover ...

Those big beautiful blue eyes that stare up at me as she nurses ...

Her first play date with her buddy, Audrey at a Children's Museum in Idaho Falls!

Her food covered pony! haha

Always with her foto on top of her high chair as she eats ...

Girlfriend LOVES her food!!!

Crazy what a difference a year makes ...

These two are the best of friends and it makes me smile so big! She is the best thing we ever gave him, a sister to play with! They are always hiding under the kitchen table or playing fetch with a ball. It is so entertaining to watch!

Love that picture on the right because it shows his gleeful squeal whenever she crawls toward him ..

The yummiest toes!