Ten Months: My Toothless Tornado

On August 5th, our Mac turned ten months old.

I've been telling Bradley for some time that we were turning a corner, that Mac's baby days were numbered and our whole world was going to be turned upside down. I think that time has come.

Our toothless ten-month-old is a baby no more. (Cue a constantly teary me.) He's talking up a storm, recognizing more and more of what we say, moving constantly and surprising us every day.

In his tenth month Mac started giving me kisses when I pick him up from his crib each morning. He doesn't do it daily, but every now and then my little man covers my cheek with an open-mouthed, drooly kiss. It's heavenly.

He still doesn't say "mama." This last month has been the Mac and Daddy show. It's "dada" all the time - even when he wants his mama to hold him, he wants to see and talk to his daddy. It's clear he knows who is mama is, though, so I'm not taking it personally.

Mac pulls up, crawls, rolls, scoots, stands (with a hand on something) and just plain gets around - all in an attempt to do himself great harm. Seriously. The boy is fearless, drawn like an otherworldly force to anything that could hurt him - particularly cords, outlets, air vents and door stops.

He keeps me on my toes - physically and mentally. (How many synonyms can a mom find for "No, Mac!" anyway?) He can move at lightning speed or stop, back up and just settle into my lap for a moment. I never know what to expect but I love our time together.

Macky loves his books. Until recently, he only wanted to chew on them, but now he slams them shut and giggles at the "clap!" it makes . He also "reads" them aloud to me, narrating and babbling, one of the few times he'll sit still these days. I can tell he really means something when he talks.

Our big boy is still as ticklish as they come. Just seeing a wiggling finger come his way can give him a laugh. I love that wherever you squeeze him, you're bound to get a smile. What a happy bean he is!

All in all, our Mac is a whirling dervish of curiosity, excitement, hunger (oh, the food he's putting away!) and joy. His tenth month was our best yet and, while I'm sad to see my "baby" disappearing, I couldn't be prouder to be this little boy's mom.

I love you, my little tornado! And I won't let your daddy cut off that sweet little curl you get from time to time.... I'm not ready for you to be that big a boy yet.