Since Halloween is tomorrow, I thought I would give a sneak peak to Timmy's costume.
We have thought about it for awhile, and wanted to give him something unique.
At first we thought he could be a baby Buddha, but I didn't feel like cleaning up the aftermath of painting Timmy's whole body with gold paint.
Then we thought he could be the Michelin baby, but we soon found out that is the name of an actual disease, so we didn't think it would be appropriate.
Finally, we settled on something simple yet sophisticated:
Timmy, Are you really 10 months old already?! I just got used to telling people you were 9 months. It amazes me how much more you become a unique little person every day with a personality tailored to fit just you.
You flirt with everyone these days, smiling, laughing, playing peek-a-boo. Very rarely are you too shy to go to someone new or play with them. But you have become a total mama's boy. If I'm standing nearby, you will lean towards me, arms outstretched, and cry if you have to. For now I think it's sweet, but I'm already dreading the separation anxiety we'll encounter a year from now when I head back to work.
Reading books is still your favorite activity. You pull them from your bookshelf, and sometimes spread out 4 or 5 around you, turning the pages and going back and forth between them. If I read to you, you sit in our lap patiently for the whole story (or 10 in a row, whichever it may be). It seems like you study the pictures very carefully while we speak the words to you.
You like being around other kids but I wouldn't exactly say you "play together." Often there will be a toy both of you want to play with eat and one will take it from the other, whereupon the other will steal it back, ad infinitum. You and little Richie did this for a while when you played together at F.A.O. Schwarz. Neither of you took it personally; in fact, you end up trying to kiss each other. Friends for life!
Everyone always comments on what a mellow baby you are. And it's true. Very little phases you. I think you like to focus on observing everything around you when you're out in public. Usually you are content to sit in one place and play with one or two things for up to an hour at a time. The best toys are your train, plastic keys and your ride-along rocket. You also very much enjoy ripping apart the foam mat tiles and trying to eat paper. I'm anxiously awaiting the day where you don't put every single thing in your mouth.
You are a lot closer to crawling than we realized at your last doctor's visit. You now get up on your knees and rock back and forth, do the army crawl and the inchworm (pulling yourself forward), hold a perfect plank position and are starting to pull yourself up on things. I know the correct parental response to this should be fear and a sense of urgency to baby-proof, but I'm just excited for you to be able to explore more now. I enjoyed a solid 10 months of being able to put you somewhere and not worry about restraining you in any way. I think that was enough time.
You babble incessantly, but we still haven't picked out a distinct word yet. I'm sure you'll be working on it for the next month because it seems like you really want to talk. We are starting to see how much you understand too. When we ask, "Timmy, are you hungry?" you start giggling and looking for me.
Timmy, you are such a joy to be around and I'm so glad I get to spend this time with you. I hope I remember everything and when you're a teenager, I sure hope I remember how cuddly, loveable and perfect you were at this age! As we enter your first holiday season, I am so excited to create memories and traditions as a family of three.
If New Jersey is Timmy's Fada-land, then Iowa is his Mother Land. Both my mom and dad were born and raised there, and a significant portion of our family still lives there. We went back for my Grandma's funeral, but it was also a great family reunion. 15 of the 19 cousins on that side were there as well as all of the aunts and uncles.
Before we got to Burlington, we met my Aunt Barb (my Dad's sister) for dinner in Des Moines. It was so great to see her, especially since it had been over two years!
When we got to Burlington, we were welcomed by almost all of the Millers at my Uncle David and Aunt Gretchen's house. We ate delicious meals prepared by friends and neighbors of my Grandma, drank Bud and Miller Light in honor of her* and sat around talking into the wee hours of the morning.
The funeral itself was absolutely perfect, my Grandma would have loved it. The weather could not have been better and the scenery was beautiful. I am so glad we were able to make it back there, both to say goodbye to my Grandma and to introduce Timmy to everyone.
We took our first trip to NYC in almost a year this month. Usually we stay in New Jersey with family, but this time we tagged along on Pete's business trip and stayed at his hotel in midtown. Big time!
It was so fun to take Timmy around Central Park, meet friends for dinner and push a big stroller through crowds of uptight business people near my old office building on Lexington Avenue.
Over a period of just 3 days, we were able to spend time with the NJ contingent of the Ottomanelli family, picnic in Central Park and play at F.A.O. Schwarz with baby Richie and Michele, and meet up with Carrington, Devora, Nancy, Tommy, Val, Josh, Ye and Kerry for coffee, lunches and dinners. So fun. Tiring, but fun.
Timmy was not a fan of the cold weather or the extra layers of clothing that go with it, but he seemed to really enjoy seeming so many people and looking around at all of the cars and buildings and people.
We got sad news this week. My Grandma passed away Thursday morning, apparently peacefully in her sleep. We know that she is in a better place now and happily reunited with my Grandpa, but I will miss her a lot.
There are so many happy memories I have of her. She was the rock of the family, with 6 children and 19 grandchildren. Family gatherings with my cousins were the best vacations I can remember, playing pool and bartender in the basement, lining up sleeping bags on the shag carpet, lighting sparklers in the backyard bluff overlooking the Mississippi river and sitting in the wicker swing in the breezeway.
Even though we always lived in different states and I wasn't as close to her as some people are with their grandparents, she always made us feel special. She came out to California for my first communion, my high school graduation and my wedding, among countless other trips. We spent Thanksgiving with her in Atlanta and saw her at my cousin Abby's wedding in Florida. Probably the best trip was when she took all of us (all of my aunts and uncles and cousins) on a cruise to the Caribbean for Christmas. She was the only grandparent I ever knew and I thought she could have been the mold they cut Grandma's from. Soft-spoken, sweet and cute as a button.
The thing I will remember most about her (besides her constant reminders to stand up straight) was the way she always talked about my Grandpa, Arthur "Bud" Miller. He died when I was a baby, but she still seemed like a teenager in love until she passed. She told me one time that he treated her like a Queen and he was a King. She would only drink Miller or Bud beer in honor of him. He came up often in conversation, and only with the most glowing praise. Everyone who knew her knew that he was the love of her life. I know she will be so glad to be back with him and my Nana and Pa. And I know that she will be happy so many people from my family will be gathering in Burlington this week. I think she wanted her legacy to be a family who loved each other and made time to reunite often. While I wish I was going to Iowa this week for a happy visit to introduce Timmy to his great-grandma, I am still glad to be going to see my aunts, uncles and cousins and say one last goodbye to my Grandma.
We are leaving tomorrow morning for Timmy's third trip to the East coast! This will be our first time staying in Manhattan since he was born and it will be my first time flying alone with a baby. We are very excited for lots of time with friends and enjoying fall in the city! We even get to see Grandma, Grandpa and cousins!
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