Dear Keller

I saw somewhere where a parent wrote letters to their child as they were growing up and then gave them those letters as an adult.  I love the idea, so I’m stealing it.  This is the first one.

Dear Keller –

You are 10 weeks old.  I can’t believe how fast time has gone.  In less than 2 weeks I’ll have to go back to work, which will be the saddest day of my life.  Just writing about it makes me cry, so let’s not dwell on that. 

These days you really like the TV.  You are certainly your parents’ child in that respect.  You will focus on it for quite awhile.  You don’t seem to care what’s on, but I did notice you staring pretty intently during the Cowboys game Monday night. ;)  Your dad said when he woke up Tuesday morning you had both of your arms up in a touchdown signal.  Strangely, the Cowboys didn’t score any touchdowns, so you must have either been dreaming about them scoring one, or mimicking the officials signaling all of our field goals good.

Touchdown!

Watching TV

You also really like the ceiling fan, on or off.  I’m not sure what you can actually see, probably just a big blob, but it makes you smile, and that makes me smile.  Speaking of your precious little smile, you’re doing that a lot these days.  You’re the happiest right after you eat.  I lay you down and talk to you and you just smiiiiile.  There’s nothing I like better than seeing you smile. 

Love that smile!

You’ve started talking back to me, too (not like back sass talking back, but cooing).  We carry on long conversations with one another, neither of us understanding the other one’s language.  (“Baxter, you know I don’t speak Spanish.”)  Though an outsider probably couldn’t tell we don’t know what the other one’s saying. 

I do occasionally speak in other languages to you, just to keep you well-rounded.  Just things like “Hola” & “Como estas?” & “Puedo ir al bano?”  Okay, so I took 5 Spanish classes in high school and these are the only things I remember.  That’s better than my 2 French classes, from which I only remember “Je t’aime.”  That and “fromage” but it would be kind of silly to just walk around saying “cheese” to you.  So, I stick to Je t’aime and there’s really nothing more perfect that I could say to you.

You recently found your hand and like to suck on it, though you haven’t quite figured it out yet.  You like to try to shove the whole thing in your mouth, so usually you end up sucking on your fist.  You’ve found your thumb on occasion, but you quickly move on to your fist.  We’re trying to get you to take a pacifier, but you’re not sure about it.  You’ve also recently started blowing spit bubbles.

How can I get this whole fist in my mouth?



Blowing bubbles

We went for your 2 month checkup this week.  They say you’re perfect, which we already knew.  After much research and indecision, we decided to vaccinate you.  You did great…and I did, too.  We are choosing to do an alternative vaccination schedule because my job is to protect you and after all of the research that just left me more confused, I felt like this was the best way to do that.

You’re still sleeping in a bassinet in our room because I like to hear you breathe and watch you sleep.  I feel like it’s probably about time to move you to your own room, but that’s a big step and I’m just not sure I’m ready for that yet.  You sleep anywhere from 4 – 6 hours at night, which is great.  You sleep good during the day as well, as long as you’re being held.  If I put you down, you usually wake up within 15 or 20 minutes.  I have heard from quite a few people lately that I can’t “spoil” you until you’re at least 4 months or so, so I just hold you a lot, and that’s perfectly fine with me.  I would hold you all day if I could.

You like to be up…and bounced.  You also like to stand up…you’ve got strong little legs.  You like it when your mama sings to you, even though my voice is terrible.  You don’t mind.  You have big boy toots that make your dad laugh every time.  He appreciates any kind of toilet humor, which I’m sure you will inherit.  You love to be outside and I just love to be anywhere you are.

All My Love,

Mom

10/1/11