Today Layla and I were at the playground and I took her down the slide. It was a tough climb up, two big steps, carrying a 20-pound infant. (Plus being 40 pounds overweight myself!) Then to lower myself down in ill-fitting jeans, holding her without slipping, it probably burned a few calories. I was reminded of workout tips on all the weight loss shows about making workouts fun, I kind of get what they mean about non-traditional workouts. Anyway, we went down the slide, and once we landed, I turned around and let her look at the slide, and that was when she smiled. After seeing that, I would have climbed up and slid down for the next 12 hours, as long as she smiled every single time. Writing this down can't explain fully how I felt! She is just so amazing. There were hard times the first few months, but now every day is better than the last.

Since we moved, my urge has been getting stronger and stronger to write. I used to want to write adult fiction, now I want to write and illustrate children's books. I love reading to Layla, and I see some books with storylines or phrases I disagree with, or drawings that I could easily do. I just need to practice my craft. Doodle and draw and get back into the groove of things, and also get an idea of what kind of animals and what kind of storylines I want to do. You can do a story that teaches a lesson, or take the easy way out and do colors, 123, ABC, or parts of the body with cute pictures. Of course Eric Carle is inspiring, with his gorgeous and creative collages. There are so many mediums to choose from, watercolor, sketch, acrylics, pastels...like I said I just need to get into it. I'm just SO scared of actually doing something. That's another feeling I can't articulate, like if I actually did have an idea and wrote out a book with pictures, then what? It's just so terrifying. I checked out a bunch of Judy Blume books from the library, I wonder if I could write books like that? That tell a good story and appeal to a certain group of people. I would have to figure out my demographic...just so much to think about. I really have to MAKE time to write and draw.

I feel bad that I've neglected blogging during Layla's first year. Here she is TEN months old and I haven't even posted once a month. I had a 9 month update that was never completed, I'll just change it to her 10 month newsletter.

Ten months

On October 7th Layla turned 40 weeks old. She has been in the world as long as she was inside me! She has changed and grown so much. She's standing on her own now. She uses anything around her to pull up and stand, then just lets go! Last Sunday, she was standing by the couch, and wanted to go over to the coffee table, so she TOOK A STEP and grabbed onto it! She has great balance. She's smart too, since she needs both hands to pull up to standing, she will put whatever toy she's holding in her mouth to go hands-free. She recently learned clapping and kissing, which are so much fun! She says Mama, baba, Dada, and it seems like she knows what they mean! She has five teeth, three on top and two on bottom, and one coming in on the top that hasn't broken through. For food she's eating pears, butternut squash, oatmeal, peas, green beans, cinnamon, peaches, bananas, some Gerber baby food and some that I make. We gave her chicken too! This month she got her toybox that Grandpa made, and I painted it white with pink on the inside. It's fun to go in there and pull out toys!
At the doctor she weighed 20.7 pounds, which is the 75th percentile and was 29 inches long, 90th percentile.
Everywhere we go everyone LOVES Layla. I don't know if it's like that for other babies, probably, but I feel like she's the most special baby in the world. Definitely the smartest and prettiest! My little sweetie pie. I have loved the last two months, living in Nashville and getting to take care of her all day, every day. It's my dream come true.

Updated 11/4/11: Layla started saying "ki" for kitty over the weekend. Nelpe should be so flattered!