Slow down! I'm not ready for you to be eleven months old, Little Buddy! The other day I was snuggling you and dancing around your room trying to help you fall asleep. I caught a glimpse of us in the mirror and couldn't believe how big you looked in my arms. You used to be tiny little doll who laid gently in the crook of my arm, and now you're a long, strong, wiggly boy that I have to hold with two arms and hoist up on my shoulder. Not to sound completely cliche, but it really does go by so fast.
As the pattern seems to go, you started up a whole bunch of new things last month, and this month was spent refining and mastering those new skills. You crawl (fast!) and can go impressively long distances. You also pull up on everything-- edges of furniture, cabinets, walls, window sills, our legs, etc. Sometimes you'll cruise along the edge of whatever you've pulled up on, but most of the time you seem to prefer to pull up, get a glimpse of what is up high, then sit back down (very slowly and cautiously!), crawl over to where the item of interest is, and pull up again to try and reach it. You're not terribly interested in learning to walk at the moment, so we try to encourage cruising or help you take "real" steps. When Dad or I hold your hands and try and encourage you to take steps you either try to sit down almost immediately, or you'll take two or three stumbling steps forward before falling to your knees or trying to sit again. Oh, well. As we've learned over the past eleven months, you'll master that skill when you're good and ready!
The most exciting thing this month was our family vacation! We flew on an airplane (you did great!) and spent the first half of the week visiting Grandpa, Amma, and Nana in New Hampshire (we also did a little sightseeing in Boston). Everyone had so much fun seeing you, and you had a great time getting to know your grandparents and great-grandmother. It was so special to see you play in places where I played as a little girl!
Playing in the grass in Nana's back yard!
The second half of the week, you, me, and Dad had a little family time along the southern coast of Maine. We saw lighthouses, beautiful views of the ocean, took a train ride, and took you on your first trip to the beach! You were so cute playing in the sand. The second we sat you down you dug your hands in to the damp sand and looked up at us in amazement that you could move the ground! The ocean itself was a big hit, too, and Dad helped you do some body surfing on some of the little waves. We are already looking forward to making more trips to New England to visit family, and do some vacationing when you're old enough to actually remember the trip. Since you won't remember this one, you'll just have to trust us when we say you had a good time!
Visiting Cape Elizabeth in Portland, Maine!
You babble more and more and we keep noticing new sounds erupting from your little mouth. One of our favorites is when you start saying, "Doh! Doh! Doh!" It's more of a noise than a babble, but you love to roll your tongue (sort of like when you trill an "R" in a Spanish word). You've really mastered clapping and waving which is super cute. Many times you'll clap on command, when we cheer for you, or if you're happy to see someone. The waving isn't necessarily a "Hello" or "Goodbye" quite yet. You seem to use it in more of a, "Good to see you!" context. Regardless, your clapping and waving always seems to make people smile!
On the food front, we are still trying to pack as much in you as possible to help you gain weight. Hopefully we can blow the socks off the pediatrician when you get weighed at your appointment next month! Right now you nurse five times a day and eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). At this stage of the game you "should" be eating mostly finger foods, but you tend to only swallow one or two tiny bits (if that much) and throw the rest on the floor (or chew and spit it out which is always lovely). We know this is normal since you're exploring tastes, textures, and smells, but we're in "gain weight" mode so we still feed you some purees. Generally, we still give you a finger food and a puree at each meal to make sure we get some nutrients and calories in your little body. By far, your favorite finger foods are Cheerios, bananas, and sliced cheddar cheese (ripped up in to little bits). I don't know that I've ever seen you throw those foods on the floor unless you are full!
You have gotten really good at drinking from a sippy cup! We always give you a little water with all your meals and snacks as you seem to eat more when you're able to clear your mouth by taking a drink. Sometimes you'll take the cup and you tip it back dramatically and say, "Ooh!" as though you're trying to say, "Oh my goodness! I am so thirsty! I am SO glad I have this cup of water." It is hysterical! You haven't quite figured out (or haven't had an interest, is more likely) how to hand the cup back when you're done drinking, so we have to be quick to take it away or you throw it on the floor.
Here are some facts about you as an 11 month old boy:
Nicknames: M.J., Baby Boy, Tiny Baby, Little Boy, Munchkin, Mr. Man
Loves: Crawling and exploring, opening and closing books and doors, lawn mowers (seriously-- you get SO excited when you hear one start up and are mesmerized when I take you outside to watch Dad or the neighbors mow their lawns), and taking a bath
Dislikes: Getting dressed (sometimes), having your nose, face, or hands wiped
Height, weight, and head circumference: Not sure! No pediatrician visit this month.
Clothing Size: 6 months, 6-9 months, 9 months, size 3 diapers (You're still a small fry!)
You are the sweetest, most wonderful little baby in the whole wide world (I'm not being dramatic- I swear!). Let's pretend you're not on the brink of toddler-hood, and that you're going to be a tiny little baby forever. Well, I guess we'd miss out on lots of fun stuff if you never grew up... just promise to never be too macho to hug your Mama, okay? You give the best hugs, sweet boy! Daddy is teaching you well. :-)
Love,
Mom
