Family

Dear Bex,

This weekend was full of family time - and you were in your glory for all of it. We were down in Lakewood, NJ, at Grandma and Grumpa's house from Friday through Sunday for Yom Kippur. You loved it at their house and crawled all over every inch, pulling yourself up on their couches, walls, TV stand, chairs and stools. You actually made your mark on their kitchen chairs when you pulled yourself up on it and started to eat the edge of the seat - we told you to stop, pulled you away, and lo and behold you left teeth track marks on it! Proof positive that you just have your two sharp bottom teeth, for now. You also climbed their (super long!) flight of stairs like a pro, and loved that you could play in the family room and look over into the kitchen and still see Grandma! You giggled and waved at her (and made her year)!

This Yom Kippur was strange for me, because it's the first one I remember that I didn't spend in temple at all. I was with you all day - getting ready to make a brief synagogue appearance, and taking a surprise trip up to GG's. I thought it was going to be hard to find the energy to do all of that without eating, but it was actually easier - mainly because of you! You kept me busy, chasing you while you explored all the new territory, laughing while you made faces and did things to make the family laugh, and making sure you ate, drank, napped and were changed and all taken care of. I barely had time to think about being hungry!

GG was so excited to see us, we definitely made her year too! There, we saw Aunt Judy, Uncle Howie and Suzanne, and Cousin Melissa. They all love you SO much, and were happy to spend the day fawning over your every move. You kept crawling right over to GG, who at 91 years old would lean over and pick you up on her lap like it was nothing! She had a great time playing and talking with you again.

You had so much fun at their house that both nights, you didn't want to go to sleep, for fear of missing something! Friday night you took a nice evening nap for two hours (!), and then woke up and hung out with Grandma and I for an hour past your normal bedtime. But let me tell you - you were having the time of your life! Babbling, crawling, playing, climbing on me... you had a blast. The next night again I tried to lay you down and you were having none of it. I let you come out again for half an hour or so, and then you were good with going to sleep, once you were convinced that you weren't missing anything, and tired enough to just relax in your travel crib and drift off to a long night of dreams.

Sunday Uncle Eric came back up with us to our apartment and watched football with The Daddy. He loves playing with you and messing around with you - it's so much fun to watch. I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready watching he and The Daddy both playing with you and it was just adorable - The Daddy comes from such a good family, and I'm so glad you had the chance to see so many of them this weekend.

Yesterday we also decided it's time for table food boot camp! We're trying our hardest to make you pick up food with your own hands, but you just can't get it yet, so we're going to do our best to help you out to learn, instead of just placing the food in your mouth ourselves. I decided to try to hand you a Cheerio instead of placing it in your mouth, so held it out to you. Instead of grabbing it, you lowered your head down to my hand and ate it out of my fingers! It was hilariously adorable, as you are all of the time.

I love you, baby girl!

Love,
Mommy