11 Month Letter to Denver

Dear Denver,

I’ve got two words for you: Chicken Pox. That’s right, little buddy. Very few kids get Chicken Pox these days, because most kids are vaccinated between 12-15 months. Somehow you managed to beat the odds, and we spent a lovely two weeks on house arrest. You had a bad case of the pox, and some of your spots have yet to heal. You handled it like a champ, though, with very little scratching or fussing, even with a high fever on days three and four. At least you picked a good weekend to show your spots. My dad, Pappy, was in town to help entertain you during the worst of it. He even brought you an early birthday present, an adorable red rocket, and you spent hours riding around in style!

Chicken Pox

Riding on your red rocket!

Along with your new wheels, you have an impressive new skill: walking! You are walking and proud of it. You strut around the house all day long, carrying objects, dragging furniture, and smiling. I bought you some sandals so that you can walk around in public. Watching you walk around Percy Warner, Cheekwood, downtown, and the library is so much fun.

Walking around Percy Warner…apparently there are dinosaurs.

Walking around downtown

Speaking of the Nature Center, it is one of your favorite places to visit. You love pointing out the animals and learning their names. I think the beaver and fox are your favorite animals at the moment.

Nature Center

This month, you swam in a pool for the first time! I was nervous to take you because baths have been such a struggle. You always want to stand in the tub and end up screaming and flailing as Dad and I try to sit you down. FYI, a bath mat solved this problem, and I wish we’d bought one earlier. Back to the pool. It was such fun! You love swimming. You enjoy riding around in your inflatable raft, and you really love when I toss you in the air. Your laughter and giggles melt my heart, and I can’t wait to take you to another pool soon.

First pool party!

You spent a lot of time with your grandmother this month. You both explored Cheekwood, played with a train whistle, and climbed a big tree! You also met your Aunt Amanda for the first time.

Meeting Aunt Amanda and playing with your grandmother

This month we went to the allergist, and the doctor confirmed that you have a peanut allergy. Good grief, little buddy. There is so much delicious food you’ll be missing out on. On the bright side, there’s a 20% chance that you will outgrow the allergy, and we found out that you can still eat Chick-Fil-A. Perhaps you won’t befriend any aliens with Reese’s Pieces, but at least you can pretend to be a cow and get a free sandwich each year.

Peanut appointment

This new trick from Pappy reminds me of ET.

I love you, Denver! Thanks for being such a hilarious, smiley, baby boy. Happy 11 months.

With love,

Mama