Dear Tripp,

You are 10 months old today.  300 rising suns and setting moons.  I cannot believe how new you are to the world, to life, to experiences.  You are learning so much and it’s so exciting to watch you process new things in your sweet little brain.  Ever since you were a teeny baby you observed everything.  Even the nurses at the hospital commented on how observant and alert you were from 1 day old.  You stare at people trying to figure them out, observing their facial expressions and spirits.  You hold things and study them, trying to figure out how they work.  You are doing so many exciting things these days and you are do fun at this age.

At 10 months you:

* Are eating table foods, no more baby food for you.  You refuse to eat anything pureed or fed to you by your mother (except Spanish chocolate yogurts – Mi Primera Danino).

* Your favorite foods these days are green peas, cheerios and roast chicken ( a newly discovered favorite).

* You just learned to clap and get so proud of yourself when you do it in front of people.  It’s so cute when you stop mid-clap with your hands clasped and it looks like you are praying.

* You love to sing, whether in the car, at church or at song practice.  As soon as someone else is singing you love to yell along.

* You love love love Sesame Street and eat breakfast in your high chair in front of Sesame Street every morning.

* Your daddy is your best friend and look for him after you get up from every nap.

* You are crawling all over the place.  FAST!  These days you crawl, monkey-style, on your hands and feet, as opposed to your knees.

* You stand and cruise along the couch.

* You love to walk with your pushcart and occasionally topple backwards, refusing to let go of the pushcart, which then lands on top of you, much to your dismay.

* You love dumping out your plasticware in the kitchen while I’m cooking.

* You love the cats and insist on chasing them all over the living room.

* You love love love to swing.  We take you to the park on base whenever we have the chance and need to get a swing for the backyard so you can swing everyday.

* You can say Mama, Dada, Baba and Up and know what they mean.

* You love to watch football on TV with your Dad.

* You can hold your bottle all by yourself, except you need a little help holding it up sometimes.

Happy 10 month birthday Baby Buddy!