dear jack,

oh my, you are such a big boy now...eleven months!!!  i honestly cannot believe the changes you have made over the past few weeks!  and, every time someone asks me how old you are, i continue to follow your age with the comment "this age is so much fun!"   i guess what i have come to learn, is that it's YOU that is so much fun, regardless of your age! here is a brief look at what you are up to now:

jackie calls you a little dare devil!  you pull up on everything in sight and then just turn and let go like you know how to stand up on your own!  there is a zoo toy at jackie's that you love to climb over and then dive- HEAD FIRST- into the bean bag in the center!  and, you have decided that it's fun to scoot the bean bags near the pretend kitchen and then try to climb into the sink!  you know no fear!

you are communicating all the time- pointing to things and asking either "that?" to learn what its called or "this." or "that." to tell us what you want (you love to point and say "that" to milk and food, the starfish in our bedroom, the chain lock by the front door, your nightlights, the jack-o-lantern in your room...); showing us where things are when we ask you, especially pumpkins, sadie, your goat portrait or the ball hanging over your crib; saying "uh-oh" when you drop something or in anticipation of dropping something; "saying" lots of words like "da da," "sadie (s de)," "down," "dog," and "thank you."

smirking when you are doing something that you are not supposed to or when you think that you have done something silly or funny.  you can see your little smirk in the photo below...it's funny to sit on the scooter with da da!

trying to imitate everything- blowing kisses, clapping hands, knocking on something to make a noise, repeating sounds especially coughs, high pitch noises, and funny sounding words.

loving the outdoors and, especially leaves.

enjoying your first full college football season and helping mama cheer for our poor gators!

and, some big news:

you are going night-night all by yourself!  we just put you in your crib after story time, you cry for only a few seconds or not at all, play with your toys in the crib, and then go to sleep!  and, this has led to naps at home!  you took your VERY FIRST real nap in your crib on sunday, october 3rd (its huge news so, yes, the date is important!) and it lasted for three hours!!!  hoo-ray!

and, mama went on her first overnights away from you for darcy and marissa's wedding weekend in boston on october 8th-10th.  we all survived, thanks in large part to mia and popi who took expecptional care of you for the weekend and allowed you to have a super fun weekend without your parents!  and, mama and da da had a great weekend away spending time in our old boston neighborhoods and celebrating with dear college friends.  we did, however, notice every baby that passed us and wished you were there!

your first birthday party is quickly approaching...we are off to celebrate in pensacola next week!

i love you so much, big boy!

mama