The Schmitts

Dear Noah,

Today you are 10 months old! Double digits, buddy! Just like last month, we kept quite busy and had lots of "firsts" together. Your firsts this month included a visit to the zoo, a swing ride at the park, splash time in your baby pool, and lots of fun in the big boy bathtub! Every month you continue to grow and change in what seems like a blink of an eye, and this month was certainly no exception.

For the past few months you've been exploring your surroundings by crawling from place to place, but this month you've started cruising along the furniture to get to where you want to go. You love walking along the couch stealing remotes and sneaking up on the puppy. You have such a huge love for your puppy. You love watching him run around the house and you giggle every time he licks your hand. It is so fun seeing the joy in your eyes when you interact with him. Puppy is slowly getting used to the fact that you are a permanent resident in his house ;)

This month your communication skills have really started to emerge. You've been talking away lately saying "mama" and "dada" and you have a new obsession with clapping, too! You are starting to understand more of what Mommy and Daddy are saying to you. You definitely know when you've done something you are not supposed to do, like digging into Daddy's work bag or snatching something off the coffee table. A few days ago you found Mommy's computer mouse and gave me a HUGE mischievous smile after grabbing it off of the table :) Mommy sees your mischievous smile more and more often these days ;)

Since you are becoming your own little person with likes/dislikes, I thought it would be fun to add a "favorite things" list to your monthly letters.

Likes: CHEESE (it deserves to be in all caps...you love it THAT much!), bath time, reading stories + turning the pages in books, playing peek-a-boo, clapping, watching Baby Einstein DVDs, puzzles (usually just dumping them on the floor and chewing the pieces, but you love them nonetheless), dancing/walking around your activity table, cruising + crawling everywhere, going for walks in your stroller + your toy car, playing with water bottles (or any cup, for that matter), splashing in puppy's water bowl, playing flying games with Daddy, playing with the window curtains, and basically just getting into any and every thing you can get your hands on!

And now for some of your not so favorite things...

Dislikes: diaper changes, getting dressed, having your nose/face wiped, and having anything being taken away from you. Can't say I blame ya, kid!

Now that summer has officially arrived, we've been spending lots of time outside going for walks, swinging on the swing at the park, and splashing in your baby pool. You love being outside. We also took two trips to the zoo this month - one as a family with Daddy and one with our playgroup buddies. It's been so fun watching you play and interact with your first group of friends. They've been a pretty big part of your life for quite awhile now and I hope that bond between you boys continues to grow over the years.

In just two short months you'll be a year old. Mommy and Daddy are so excited to watch you grow into a toddler, but I have to admit that I wish time would slow down just a bit. You melt our hearts every single day. Want to know a secret? Almost every night before we fall asleep, Daddy and I look through all of our recent photos and videos of you. It's so great to look back and relive all of the fun memories we've created together as a family. We love you to the moon and back, Noah.

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from your tenth month.

Your 1st zoo visit!