Dear Maya
Little Hazelnut, Smiley Giggle Girl, Daddy’s Doozer
This has been another amazing month for you. Long gone is my sweet little newborn; these last several weeks have been about gaining independence, mobility and showing your ever-developing personality.
So for the big news…. this month you have started to feed yourself! You love grabbing cheerios, puffs and pieces of banana when you can hold onto one of those slippery little pieces I cut up for you. At daycare you’ve started using a sippy cup for water (you drink water now too!), but from what I understand it’s more for playing than drinking right now.
Maya goes 'bananas' over finger foods
You are so much fun to play with. You love to play ‘Where’s Maya’. We put a blanket over your face and go “Wheeeeere’s Maya?” You love pulling the blanket off your face and hearing us say “There she is!” You also love pulling the blanket off my face when we play ‘Where is mommy?’ It’s so much fun to see your big toothless grin when you uncover my face. You also know when I am trying to snap a picture; you humor your camera –wielding mommy so well. You see it and a smile lights up your face. That smile kills me. You are such a happy girl.
mommy's sailor
You are feisty. Most of the time you can sit and play on your own, but recently if Daddy or I put you down and walk out of your sight for a minute you lose your mind. Seriously, you do not like this one bit. Kicking. Screaming. Crying. “Where did you goooooooo” Sometimes you cry so hard you forget to breathe. Sweetie I’m only around the corner, I need to answer the phone. I hope this phase ends soon. Speaking of phones, you adore phones. I don’t know if it’s the lights or that I pay so much attention to it, but you always want to open my cell phone and play with the buttons. You want to eat the home phone and hear the sounds it makes when you press a number. You will not fall for a phone without a battery- it doesn’t light up or make noises. You want the real deal. You also love the computer. You love tap tap tapping on the keys and moving the mouse around.
Daddy and I always look forward to picking you up from daycare. It is one of the best parts of our day. We walk in together and while you are usually happy to see me, you are thrilled to see daddy. You go nuts. Seriously. Teachers from other classrooms actually sneak a peek of your reaction to your first glimpse of daddy. It’s adorable. You smile and do your happy dance and can’t stay still you are so excited. Daddy loves to lift you up from wherever you are playing and give you a big hug and kiss. You giggle and dive into his pocket to see what toy he has for you. You pull out whatever it is (this week, the blue rubber fish) and go to town on it, chomping away.
such a ham
We had a special Hebrew Naming party at our house for you this month. Friends and family came in from near and far to see you. It was a very meaningful and special day. Even though you were fighting a cold, you were such a good girl. You went from person to person without crying, you played with your friends, you smiled for pictures, you napped. You were so pretty.
dressed up for your party
shabbat dinner with the family the night before
You babble lots more now. In your car seat. In your crib. Playing with toys. Mostly da da da but every now and then you mix things up with an ayeeeeeeee and if I am really lucky I hear a single…. Ma! You love to pull hair. Luckily your mommy has lots of hair for you to pull. It used to be longer, I know, but mommy needed a change so 6-inches later there is a little less to hold onto. You don’t seem to notice.
You are on the move! Until a few days ago, I could plop you down and know that you would eventually roll to where you wanted, but it would take a while. For the longest time I could tell you wanted to crawl so badly. You struggled to reach objects just out of your grasp. You would slowly roll and slide and shimmy your way around the floor. But starting just a few days ago, you’ve stated to do this military crawl on your tummy. You use your elbows and legs to propel yourself further. You make your way across the living room so quickly now! You especially like to make your way over to your toy box, tip it over and stick your head inside to see what you can play with. You also like to stand while holding onto something like the ottoman or the couch. You can’t do this by yourself yet, but it’s clear you are developing a much better sense of balance and strength.
You love kisses and tickles. You giggle and smile and squeal with delight. You’ve started to cackle sometimes- maybe it will come in handy this Halloween. I think you are trying to imitate kisses by opening your mouth wide and laying it on my face. Yesterday you even tried blowing a raspberry on my cheek which resulted in hysterics from both of us.
You love the water...whether its the pool or your bath you seem to always have fun.
At the end of the day, you take a bath. We sing songs and clap hands. You love to have your hair washed and chew on your bath toys. You still try to grab the water as I pour it from a bucket. You kick your legs and slap the water.
But not all of your baths were the tub this month. For example, when you went to Florida you had fun splashing in Oma's kitchen sink! (I know this picture doesn't convey fun, but trust me you had a blast!)
On Saturday mornings, you and daddy cuddle in bed and watch Sesame Street together. You are captivated by Elmo and friends. You also like Fraggle Rock, which is how you've acquired your latest nickname. You sit with your blanket and he sits with his coffee. Sometimes Jerry joins you. I think look forwards to this time together all week long.
You absolutely hate “The Snot Sucker Of Doom” which unfortunately has been used more often than either of us would like. This has been a pretty congested month. I can’t even show it to you without hysterics.
You went to your first wedding this month; you were such a hit! You looked so pretty in your pink party dress. You wore your earphones to protect yourself from the loud music and took a nap in the middle of the party- you are amazing! We danced and laughed and had a great afternoon.
That’s not the only party you went to. This month you also went to Tante Anne’s 90th birthday party and your cousin Ben’s 2nd birthday party. You have the best temper; going from person to person. Even if it’s a total stranger you cuddle and play so sweetly.
There were some sadder moments for our family, my love. You said goodbye to your Great Grandma Sara. You went to Florida and sat with her in bed. You played with her hands. You giggled and cuddled with her. You gave her kisses and smiles. She told you that she loved you, and that you are beautiful. “A living doll” is what she called you. She gave you kisses and said that you were delicious. You brought great joy to her and the family during an extraordinarily difficult time.
from your visit earlier this year
I know that as you grow up, you will not remember the way she held you or the way her face would light up when she saw you; but daddy and I will never stop telling you about her. We will never let you forget about her strength, passion, beauty, conviction and love.
My sweet girl, you are becoming more of your own person every day. You are like your daddy: You love to sleep on your tummy. You go at your own pace and enjoy discovering things for yourself. You are also like your mommy: You easily fall asleep in the car. You like to be included in everything and you hate missing out on something fun.
best buddies
This month we experienced great joys and deep sadness. Still, you make every day exciting and memorable. Maybe next month you will have a tooth or a new food or amazing talents to report. Until then my love, I look forward to tomorrow’s kisses.
