TEN

And just like that, baby girl is 10 months old! Now it really feels like the countdown to the one-year mark is on, and birthday party planning is in full swing! These next two months are going to fly by, I’m sure, but I don’t want time to tick on too quickly. Can my baby stay a baby just a little longer?

Delilah has been changing and progressing so much lately… I am simultaneously incredibly proud of her and her development, and also feeling nostalgic about those newborn days (the non-colicky ones, ha!) that seem so long ago now. Mostly, though, I spend my days cheering her on to her next milestone because it is a special thrill to watch your baby grow and achieve. 

Delilah is driven and determined, as well as easily frustrated when she can’t do what she wants to do… So when she finally reaches a goal, you can see the pride spread across her face in the sweetest smile. Our girl is more mobile and social than ever before, and it’s a joy to watch her personality blossom. She’s often shy (with others) and sometimes sassy (with us). She can be silly, she’s ticklish. She’s super observant and incredibly smart. She is definitely impatient (especially when waiting for food). And she is obsessed with / fascinated by the strangest things (our smartphones, glasses and wallets). She doesn’t say much but she understands a lot, and she makes her feelings known through grunts, giggles and gurgles, as well as cooing and crying, of course. She has her favorite things — her favorite types of food (fruit of all kinds, or zucchini), her favorite books (and pages within those books), her favorite TV show (Mickey, duh)… She’s her own little person! And it’s amazing to see.

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New and notable this past month, in no particular order:

Stats: Delilah weighs approximately 17 lbs 15 oz (so almost 18 pounds!), is currently in size 4 diapers (we just moved her up, she's technically between sizes but she needed the extra length) and wears mostly 6-9 month clothing.

We enrolled in the Baby Lab class at Gymboree, which seems to have helped ease Delilah’s anxiety around strangers. While she has lots of “baby friends” now, she still quite introverted.

Our girl attended church for the first time (Brave Church in San Ramon) and she loved the music and whenever the congregation clapped.

Our little bird became a little fish, going swimming for the first time! She was apprehensive at first but then she had a blast cruising around in her pool float and splashing the water.

Delilah also went to a farmer's market for the first time this past month and she LOVED sampling all the fruit!

After an immensely difficult week while Daddy was away (the first time Mama was on solo baby duty) that included lots of fighting sleep, Delilah is no longer rocked to sleep for naps or bedtime, and she goes to sleep on her own! Not always easily, and there’s usually a few minutes of fussing, but surprisingly she is much better at putting herself down than we thought she’d be. First-time parenthood = always learning new things.

Weirdly, now that she puts herself to sleep, she snoozes mostly on her belly instead of her side!

Delilah loves to crawl around the house and especially enjoys going after the dogs. She’s still a champion belly crawler but Delilah is getting her knees up and under her more and more. She often plays while kneeling, or reaches for a toy on her knees. There have been several occasions (mostly at Gymboree! inspired by other babies?) where she crawls on hands and knees briefly but then she inevitably slides back down to her belly.

Sitting up on her own is easy-peasy now, and in the past two weeks Delilah has begun pulling up to a stand! When she first sat up in her crib, we lowered the mattress. Then she started pulling up onto her knees so we lowered it more. Now she can get up on her feet pretty quickly so the mattress is down as far as it can go! She also pulls up on the gate surrounding her play area. I was shocked when I turned my back to grab something out of the diaper bag the other day and when I spun back around Delilah was standing up, fairly steady, like “hey mom, look what I can do!” Of course she fell to her booty before I could snap a photo. She also really likes using Mama as a jungle gym, crawling into my lap and grabbing on / pushing up. Lately, all Delilah wants to do is practice her new trick, which is good because she still needs to work on keeping her “ballerina” feet flat on the ground, instead of standing on tip-toe, and finding her balance. (At the moment, she’s like a wobbly baby deer, or — what I really call her when she stumbles around — a drunk baby!)

Other signs our baby girl is growing up: She takes baths on her own (without a seat) in the big tub; she eats 2-3 meals a day and uses a plate (most of the time) and, very recently, is learning to drink from a straw cup; and she can sometimes play by herself without needing mom or dad’s direct attention.

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Delilah Wren, we are so proud of all you have accomplished, but don't grow up too fast, mkay?