The Climber- 10 Month Updates

Sorry, Trouble,

Sayler is getting bigger and her tender punches to your abdomen are becoming stronger.

Yet you take each punch with stride, although I can see your small cat-ears point outward indicating your discomfort with my daughter's heavy blows.

But what you really won't tolerate is her deliberate way of using you as a step-stool.

My daughter's "latest" triumph in this first year of life is her penchant for climbing....

Everything.

A few months ago when she realized the wine bottles weren't a permanent fixture in the bar she started pulling them out- one by one- so we had to remove them all from our beautful cherry wood furniture.

And now, what was once a very adult fixture in our house has become Sayler's personal jungle gym.

She carefully puts her tiny feet into each bottle-slot, and scales each layer one by one with little trepidation or concern over how she'll get down.

At the doctor's office on Friday as I put her empty car/carrier seat to the floor she proceeded to use it as a booster to climb atop the waiting room chairs...

And at home, nothing is off limits to fashion into a stoop for better viewing and climbing endeavors-

Including one very sadistic cat.

As he lies on the floor, stretched out awaiting a tender stroke from my heavy-handed daughter, she will take one, and then two, steps atop his belly and balance carefully while holding onto the ottoman that serves as a barrier between the loft (the room that is in constant disarray) and the rest of the house. 

With his assistance, she is almost successful at climbing over the ottoman when using Trouble as a base in her cheerleader-like stunt, which will be an unfortunate day in our household when we'll need to come up with a "Plan B" for keeping her well-contained in a single room.

This a.m. as she prepared herself to "use" him I could swear I heard her whisper "Pyramid" to him, as though making him aware of her intent to steady herself upon his lithe body.

But Trouble wasn't cheering despite the huge 'Victory' smile on her face....

In a matter of milli-seconds I sprang into action as he wormed his way from under afoot and slithered away momentarily (he would be back for more in minutes). 

This happens once or twice a day which begs the question as to why he keeps coming back for her torturous beatings (unlike our other pets that won't get near the kid), but apparently cats can be masochists, too.

Never before have I seen an animal beg to be treated so poorly, which makes me wonder whether he has some serious daddy-kitty issues....

And so,

In your 10th month of life you are a dare-devil.

You are also a great hugger, and love to throw your little arms around our necks when we pick you up...

You are a people-watcher,

an Easter-Bunny hater (we'll talk about that later...)

a lover of fruits and veggies (especially cucumber, zucchini, carrots, squash, potatoes, bananas and apples)

and an attention seeker. 

When I hold you on my hip and work away at something you will lean forward and inward and look into my face and smile wide as if to say "Mama, don't forget about me!" It never fails to crack me up.  Back to texting or cleaning I go and every few minutes you will lean in, face me again and smile to remind me that you are there, heavy on my hip, needing a smile back from mama.