Happy New Year...11 Months Old!

Happy 2004 Baby Jack! You just turned 11 months old and just celebrated your first Christmas and first New Year! In just 4 weeks you will be one and it is making Mommy a little sad. She sees how fast you are growing and all of the new things that you are learning and doing each day and it makes her so proud...but sad that you are moving just a few steps closer to being a big boy and not a baby any longer.
Your fist Christmas was so fun. Mommy didn't have tow work on Christmas Eve so we spent the day shopping and having fun together (along with Daddy, of course!) Then after you went to bed, Mommy & Daddy stayed up until 4:00 am wrapping all of the Christmas presents.
You were up bright and early (6:00am). Mommy, Daddy & Nana were all there to watch you try to open your presents. You needed some help with that...but you seemed top enjoy ripping up the paper. There were so many gifts that you got a bit overwhelmed and even went off into the kitchen for a while to play with your activity table. You just needed a little break.

After your nap we went over to your Grandma & Grandpa Carson's house to visit for a while. Later your Aunt Jana, Uncle Chris & Cousin Olivia came over for Christmas dinner and they brought you many more presents. You have so many toys now. I don't know where we are going to put them.
You have learned so many new signs. Some of the new ones that you sign: scared, monkey, hungry, drink, pig, computer, baby, no...and others I am sure that I can't think of. It is so cute to see you communicating with signs. Some people that I work with were so amazed when they saw you signing "frog" when Daddy brought you in for a visit. You also say "AWWL" while you hold out your arms to the side...which means "All gone." You can say "Nan Naanae" which means "Aunt Jana" and you say "Nea Ne" which means Olivia (though it really doesn't sound anything like it) but you can point them out as well as Uncle Chris in pictures.
You definitely have a mind of your own....you saw cousin Olivia going over to get a hug from Nan, and you crawled over as fast as you could and pushed her away so that you could get into your Nana's arms first. You shake you head "no" when you don't want something and you point with your index finger to show us things that you see or want. You love to turn the light switches on an off and often ask us to pick you up just so that you can do this.

Mommy has taken 12 days off work just to spend this precious time with you...and I am so happy just being with you. We have been taking naps together, playing and reading books, going to the store, and just being together. I am overwhelmed with the love that I feel for you. You want "Mommy" all of the time. We have a very special bond...and I never want anything to change that.
Mommy is worried that we may have a hard time weaning you from breastfeeding...as you seem to require that to go to sleep at night. When you wake up in our bed and Mommy is not there, you scream and cannot put yourself back to sleep without breastfeeding. I love breastfeeding you at night and all of the time, but I know that you really need to start weaning when you are one. This makes Mommy so sad (as it is our special time together) and I hope you will understand when we start this process. I hope that you do n ot feel that Mommy doesn't love you...or that she is pulling away from you as you are the best and most special thing that has ever EVER happened to Mommy.

So, happy New Year my sweet baby. I am so proud of you. Please don't grow away from me too quickly...Mommy loves every precious minute that she has with you.
You have my whole heart sweet baby.
Love,
Mommy
xx