Thanksgiving / 13 months

[Editor's note: Although back-dated, this is really take 2, since the first one went *splat*]

Dear Leo,

Today you are 13 months old. this month you have really started walking almost exclusively (as opposed to crawling) and talking up a storm. Your mama & I would love to know what you are saying, because only sometimes do we know what you mean! However, we have prepared this brief Leoese--grown-up lexicon:

• Bee = book
• Baby = stuffed animal
• Baba = bye-bye (with waving)
• Ball = ball
• Hello = hello (with a phone)
• Up = up (with one arm up)
• Puppy = anything with 4 legs
• mama = mama and "I want that!"
• dada = dada and "What is that?"

You've become a more picky eater and really only want to eat what we're eating, but then you don't always like it. Sometimes it seems like yogurt, toast, and crackers are all you'll eat. You have successfully made the switch from formula to whole mile with no problem, and now only use the bottle at the bedtime feeding.

You've got two [Ed.: by 11/30, possibly, probably more] teeth coming in on top -- one front tooth, and an incisor right next to it. They were accompanied by another cold and ear infection like the first two were. We hope this is a coincidencec and not a trend, as you have 16 more teeth to go!












Even though you were getting over an ear infection (well, we hope getting over it, anyway), you were a stellar traveler on our Thanksgiving trip to Texas. We had to take 2 flights and drive 3 hours one way to go see your Aunts and Granny Marge & Grandpa Ervin in Del Rio. (Note from Kirstin: My sister LauraLynn lives there, and our Aunt Faith came in from Portland, OR and our mom & stepdad came from WI.) Even though the travelling was pretty involved you did great -- sleeping and otherwise being interested in your surroundings and only fussing a bit on the final leg of the trip home yesterday. Everyone who encountered you commented on what a happy baby and good traveler you are.

While in Texas we ate a big Thanksgiving dinner (you tried and liked everything -- your mama thinks it was because you got to sit on her lap and eat off her plate), and you didn't fuss. You took good naps everyday except the last day. We took a short drive to see the Pecos River, and it's amazing how different the Texas landscape is.We all had a great time, and your mama wishes we got to see them all more often. She was a bit disappointed that Aunt LaLa's 3 dogs made you so nervous. They stayed outside the whole time, but she had hoped you would be able to pet one. However, even looking at them through the window kind of freaked you out if hey started to show too much interest in your. They were all very sweet, well-behaved dogs, though. Maybe next time you'll want to meet them.


You learned your latest word on the trip -- while in our hotel room you started to play with the phone and say "Hello." We finally had to unplug it so you wouldn't dial China. Then, when your mama was talking to her dad to wish him a happy Thanksgiving, she put the phone up to your ear and you said "Hello?" Boy was he surprised!






You are starting to exert more independence, and definitely voice your displeasure when we take something away from you that you want or prevent you from doing something you want to do (i.e., keep you out of danger). You prefer to play with the environment rather than toys most of the time, but you do like your doys when you do play with them -- especially your scooter and your ball. When you can be convinced to slow down for a minute you live to give hugs, but you are usually too busy to sit still for any length of time. It's hard to read books anymore because you'd rather be up and about or turn the pages yourself. You like to play upside-downs, which consist of a grown-up holding you and you bending backward until you're upside-down.