t h e . r i d i c u l o u s . p a n d a

eleven months today, what a day.

a day that probably looked, to most others, as just a typical regular day. waking up early in bed in between us, mama and papa. we know that you are really awake, awake when you do that roll over onto your belly, forehead dug into the bed, downward dog, toes pushing up, up until you roll over on your butt, sit up and utter your first word of the day (the same word most every day since you have attached it to the person) "papa!" we give you books, water bottles, hair ties, anything to buy us a few more minutes of eyes closed while one of us always has a grip around your ankle.

we ate a small breakfast (peaches, cottage cheese and breakfast o's) while sam gets ready for work. suit up, tie you on in the bali wrap and head out the door by 7:30. we take the train a few stops with papa and get off at the farmer's market, waving goodbye on the platform as the train pulls away.

we were unstoppable buying up apples, peppers, cauliflower, rye bread, potatoes, chard, raspberries and the most amazing grapes i have ever tasted. we stuffed ourselves on berries, grapes, slices of pears and cubes of cheese while walking (or as i have learned to call it "the second breakfast"). then we returned home for a nap, followed by a leisurely late morning photo shoot and a long walk to the library.

but that's not even the half of it & i suppose that's kind of my point. we could have a huge day of museum going and fancy lunches, fly to the coast and go for a walk in a bamboo forest or sit around throwing toys down a mailing tube and it would be the best time ever.

because of you, silas lee. you have completely changed our world, our daily life. you have made our typical day now defined as completely excellent and ridiculously fun.

sure, there are days when mr. pissypants or senor naps-nada rears his ugly head. but, whatever, we have a damn baby. that's crazy. sam and i still think it's crazy that we ended up dating much less getting married and having a baby.

but, here you are. this month has been a blur of everything. you've started talking intelligible words, you've started signing, we can now play with you instead of at or around you. you'll still eat anything. we tried to push your palate this month and you were barely shaken. there was one brief look of "holy crap" when we ate some super spicy mustard greens but then you were over it in like two seconds and ate a bunch more. you've started playing with your friends, talking to them, answering back and working stuff out. that's been one of the amazing developments this month, watching you adapt your temperment according to the company you're keeping.

this is the month that sam and i finally got bolder in our managing of your sleeping patterns. i'm not sure if you were just waiting us out or if we just timed it perfectly, but now i get a full uninterrupted sleep until 4:30 am almost every night and sam gets a little extra quality time rocking you in the moonlight.

but we have even more in store for you, crazy monkey. i think i'm okay speaking for your papa when i write that we want to take you everywhere, show you as much as we can, see what you think about it all. because we love you so ridiculously much. back when sam and i first started dating i wrote on a post-it note the word "ridiculous" and left it at my desk, where i would see it every day. because that's how i felt all the time. that this life that was happening was just so damn ridiculous, meaning funny and perfect and deserved and unbelieveable and absoutely joyful. i guess you know what i meant because you and your completely ridiculous self are fitting right in.

thanks for being a part of it all, little man. monkey face. boob kicker. butt biter. smacky the frog. silas lee.