Dear Harry,
You are officially a walker now. Does this mean you are a toddler instead of a baby? I hate to think that your babyhood went by so quickly! You took your first steps at around 11.5 months, but it took you a good month to use walking as your main mode of transport. Now you think crawling is for chumps. Even if something is a foot away from you, you'll get up and walk to it. You are trying to run, but you don't have enough balance to keep you going. I'm sure that will happen soon enough. It's funny pretty to see you drunkenly walking around the yard. You (and all babies) are so top heavy, that if you look in a certain direction when you're walking, your whole body starts to go that way. When you fall, you just get yourself back up and keep going. We're teaching you to brush off your hands when that happens outside. Otherwise, you'll have dirt and pebbles stuck to them all the time.
The big recurring hurdle around here is still sleep. Oh, Harry. Why won't you sleep? You know that feeling? When you are just mad at the world and you have to rub your eyes every 30 seconds and you start falling down a lot? That means you are tired. That means you should lie down and close your eyes and go to sleep. Sleep is really nice! If you sleep, you'll be able to have more energy (!) for all those things you want to do. You don't seem to be able to stop your body from moving, even when I'm nursing you down on the bed. You have these crazy baby legs that just won't stay still. Plus, you now try to do a headstand while nursing.
I really just don't understand why you fight it so much. It's worse lately and I'm really at the end of my rope. Last night, I had to leave you to cry for 2 minutes so I could get myself together after fighting you for 3 hours. When I went back to you, I got you to sleep in under 5 minutes. I don't like doing that, but I felt I had run out of options. I had been holding out hope that this would let up as your teeth came in, but you still have none and it's been months and months. I don't know how much more of this we have in store or how much more of this I can take. Let's work on it, shall we?
You understand so much now that it is getting easier to communicate with you. You use signs, sounds and pointing to let us know what you want. You say "k-k-k" for kitty, "oof oof" for doggie and "shhh" for fish. Daddy and I are still both "Dada" even though you can say Mama" perfectly well. You just prefer not to say it. You sign "more" for everything you like or want. If you don't get what you want, you protest very loudly. Often, you can be found by following the shrieks. When you get what you want, you are full of happy nonsense sounds. I hope we can record those before you stop making them.
I hope I haven't made you sound too awful. It has been a rough summer. Lots of rain, sleep set-backs and schedule upheaval. You are a challenge sometimes, but the good kind of challenge. The kind that makes you a better person for having met it. I'm kind of looking forward to getting back to our fall routine. I think some structure will be good for all of us. Until then, let's enjoy the last of your second summer by spending lots of time running barefoot through the grass.
Love,
Mama
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