44 weeks: August

Dear Patrick,
In honor of you turning 11 months old, your father and I spiked your hair into a mohawk last night and gave you guacamole - how's that for celebration?! We also made the following notes for you, our wonderful wild man:

• You ate dog food the morning of August 5th when Grammy and I weren’t looking.  We suspected as much when we saw the over-turned bowl, but then you drooled red "meat flavored" puddles on the kitchen floor, and we knew for sure.
• You have been quietly playing by yourself in your crib during nap-times lately. You think you are being so stealthy but we watch you on PTV talk to yourself and your animals when you should be resting. In fact, your Omi and Tia and Uncky and I watched you play on PTV for a full 20 mins when you were suppose to be sleeping. We piled on the master bed and it was such a fun show.
• You should never go anywhere without puffs.  “Puffs in a cup!”
• You can walk holding onto one hand for a few steps.
• Your father had foot had surgery this month to remove a mole. Its a narly wound.  Let this be a lesson to you to always wear sunscreen.
• Sometimes when I hold you, you rest your little arm across my shoulders and you run your fingers through my hair.  Its so lovely - like a little comb.  In fact, this morning I deliberately dried by hair after my morning shower so that your fingers wouldn’t get tangled. Nothing says love like tangle-free hair.  
• You usually lay on the guest room bed while we change your diaper or clothes, and I love when we finally pick you up to standing because you squeal and give such a huge hug!  Its like you missed us so much horizontal and being vertical is something to celebrate!
• Your Tia rolled her “r”s for you the other day and you mimicked her this month.  You use this sound for cars and trucks when prompted.
• We put your pack&play on the deck and sat outside for happy hour while you played the evening of 8/15 and wondered why we didn’t do this more often.
• I pointed to the light switch and asked if you wanted to turn it off and you did it without any help - just reached your little fingers up and pulled down.  Such a pro!
• The family went to Pawley’s for a whole week with Omi and your grandfather, Tia, Uncky and the Hopes.  Dance party, dinner cook-offs, reading while you napped (I finished a whole book!), massages, turbans...And we survived Hurricane Irene - only coming home a day early to avoid rain.
• On 8/24 you hit yourself in the head with a pot and gave yourself your first shiner at the beach.
• When we ask you, “Where is Mommy?” you turn and look at me!  Its amazing - you are beginning to really understand!  You can pick out Tia, Uncky, Omi, Grammy, Biggie and Daddy really well too!
• We still practice with the sign language: eat, drink, all done, fan, diaper, more, up, milk, cat. You haven't done any signs back yet and I have to admit sometimes I feel a little silly, but we're all trying to give you tools of expression, which is an important thing in life.
• You love to smell flowers - real and in books.  And now you anticipate the pages where flowers appear in “Pat the Bunny” and the “Words” books by sniffing early.
• You repeat, “No no no” (na-na-na) when you head toward the trashcan in the kitchen.
• Your grandfather taught you to raise your hands in the air above your head in a celebratory salute.  Now you celebrate everything: food, the waitresses at the Cracker Barrel, Cooper...and everyone around you cheers too. In fact, I'm celebrating you right now with hands raised high. Happy 11 months, Patrick.  

I love you, 

Mom