What now?

What now
Originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

My brain has finally stopped melting, and I think I have recovered enough to compose a coherent post. I owe the letter to Brenden Month 12.

One whole year old. Your physical development is above average, but your communication skills aren't. You don't say anything intelligible yet, but you can point at what you want - usually your sippy cup during dinner. I won't leave it on your tray because you will use it to mash your peas or green beans or drop it on the cat's head (who is hanging around waiting for you to drop something). Speaking of your sippy cup, I have you almost completely off of bottles. I have one left with which I feed you your only bottle of formula just before you go to bed, and that will end as soon as this can of formula is gone. Considering that I mix up 4 oz. of formula and top that with 4 oz. of milk, that can will be finished by November 2008.

I could just give you a sippy cup of milk and you'd be happy, but I'm being a mommy-head and am reluctant to give up the time before bed where I get to hold and rock you and feed you a bottle. Indulge me just a little bit longer.

You have developed a taste for Vienna Sausages, or what the Gerber folks package under the name 'meat sticks'. Real Vienna Sausages are about 90% fat, and have enough salt to shrivel a slug per sausage. The Gerber 'meat sticks' at least actually do have meat in them plus far less sodium. You also like chicken nuggets and catfish - anything you can pick up and shove in your mouth. You are getting cross with me if I try to give you anything by spoon.

I am reading to you more - your favority book is "Moo Baa La La La" by Sandra Boynton. I think you like all the animal sounds I make ("Rhinoceroses snort and snuff, and little dogs go 'ruff ruff ruff!'"). Speaking of animal sounds, I have a ritual we go through every night: I line up your little Fisher Price Little People on the table, and we go through each one of them and the sounds they make ("This is a chicken. Chicken! Chicken says 'Bock bock bock!' This is a cow. Cow! Cow says 'Moooooo! Mooooo!' This is a farmer. Farmer! Farmer says 'Howdy! Howdy howdy howdy!'"). After that I ask you to pick up a specific animal. You have no idea what the hell I'm talking about. You do seem to like trying to grab the sheep and sticking him in my mouth. I do like lamb chops dear, but not plastic ones.

You like being cooped up in the house less and less, so I make it a point to go on a walk with you every evening. It's like taking a cat for a walk because you don't listen to me very well plus you have so many interesting things to investigate and try to put in your mouth, like rocks, leaves, bugs, small stray pieces of trash, and flowers. I only pick you up and move you if we get close to a car parked on the street and you try to lick the bumper. I also pick you up if a car comes - most of the people who live on the street are very nice and thoughtful (most of them have young children too). There's one jerk who drives like a maniac and I hate it when I see his car. It's the one with the blue flashy lights on top. I guess he thinks he can get away with driving like an idiot teen-ager because he's a cop.

So anyway: we have your 1 year Well-baby checkup today which means more shots! Hooray!