11 Months Awesome

Wow, little fella ... it's been a big month! I didn't even realize how much has gone on since you turned 10 months old until I started looking back through pics of the past month. Things have been crazy around here & you've been such a trooper! Your 11th month started off with some really fun birthday parties for some of your older pals. You LOVED Daniela's party at the Little Gym. She is our neighbor who was turning 4, so most of the kids at her party were her friends from preschool, but that didn't bother you. You were thrilled with all the bright colors and action. Slightly less thrilled with this little mister who adored you and came over about once every three minutes to rub your head. At one point he looked up at me and said, "I sure wish I could have this baby"! Hilarious. You were a great sport.

We also got to celebrate Joaquin Acosta's 2nd birthday with him at his house. You really enjoyed his toys, balloons, and the party hat. Wait, maybe that was me enjoying the party hat, but once again you were a good sport and left it on. You're so darling.

You have had a lot of outings this month. The weather has finally caught up with the calendar and stopped behaving as if it's February, so we've been able to have some fun times outside. You love being outside, whether you're at a playground, in your stroller, or just crawling around on the ground, you are totally entertained. A couple of weeks ago we were hanging out with your new buddy, Bryson, at his house, and you crawled around on the driveway for two and a half hours. No kidding. Your dad and I were hanging out in lawn chairs with the adults on a gorgeous afternoon, and other than taking some breaks for a bottle and to share some of mommy's cheesecake, you just played contentedly on the ground the whole time.

Frozen yogurt dates have sort of become our thing this month. About once a week you and I go on a date, either to YumYo's or (now that it's open) TCBY and we have a great time sharing bites of the yummy goodness. Also, their chairs really bring out your gigantic blue eyes.

You went to your first Razorback baseball game this month! Last summer you went with your daddy, nana, grandad and mommy to a Naturals game, but you were pretty tiny and slept a lot of the time. This was your first baseball game this spring and you did pretty well. We went with our good friend, Tripp, and his sweet girlfriend, MaryGrace. You loved MG, and when the mascot, Ribby, walked by and scared you, you didn't want me to comfort you ... you lunged right for her. For now it's cute, but you're going to have to tone down the way you play on pretty girls' emotions as you get older.

You have been REALLY happy this month. We had one rough week, but outside of that, you've been very expressive with your delight lately. VERY expressive.

A FIREMAN HAT!!!

A BALLOON!!!

A COFFEE TABLE BOOK ABOUT THE ROCKIES!!!

 You do not hold back. You love letting everyone know when you're excited about something, except for when you're sick. March was sort of a tough month, healthwise, for you. Just before you turned 10 months old you had your first cold, and then about the middle of the month you had your first stomach virus (which resulted in your first sick child appointment - way to go 10 1/2 months without one!). That was a really rough and exhausting week for all of us, but you've been back to 100% the last couple of weeks and it's been good to see you full of energy again.

The past month also brought a fun trip to Little Rock. You had some difficulties staying entertained during the day while I attended my conference, but daddy was so sweet and worked his hardest to keep you happy. We got to spend some great (but too short) time with the Spensts and Pollacks and all their kiddos while we were there. It's too fun to reflect on what our lives were like a decade ago, when we were all getting to know one another at college; and to still get to enjoy time and family together, now. If the Lord blesses you with even a fraction of the number of amazing people in your life that daddy and I have in our lives, I will be so thankful.

Loving on your gloworm on the way home from LR

 It's been a fantastic month with you, little one, and I can't believe that one month from today you will be a whole year old! It's almost impossible for me to fathom. Here are some other facts about you this month:

• You aren't walking yet, but you are oh, so close. Your daddy is currently about halfway through with a 12 day trip out of the country, and I'm hoping you'll hold off and not take your first steps until he gets home, but you are getting braver and steadier everyday.
• You cut your 7th tooth today! Actually, I'm not sure when it came through - I hadn't noticed it, but when you were with Nana today she saw it. I guess it really didn't bother you, because I had no idea you were teething again (1st tooth to come through since January!).
• You babble non-stop. You have something to say about EVERYTHING. You continue to talk the most about Jack ("Ja, ja, ja, ja, JA, JA, JA!!!" is a pretty typical conversation you have). You have actually said mama and dada less in the past few weeks than you had previously, but I think it's because you are so busy saying so many other baby-babbling things. You are mimicking more and more, as well. "Love you," "Jesus", and "bye-bye" are all words you'll mimic the intonation and some sounds of, but if someone overheard just you (and not what we had prompted you with) they would have no idea what you were saying.
• You have crazy love for balloons, stores, attention from people you know, Jack, and exploring.
• Ever since you got over your stomach virus, you've been eating like a madman. We still feed you baby food to make sure you get enough fruits and vegetables in your tummy, but you also eat just about whatever we're eating. The only finger foods you don't seem crazy about are bananas, but other than that you just cram in your mouth whatever we put on your highchair tray. Chicken, noodles, green beans, sweet peppers, cheerios, goldfish, cheese ... you love it all.
• Socially, you crack us up. You still cry when I leave you at the nursery, but they continue to say you have a great time as soon as you get over your separation outburst. You LOVE watching bigger kids, and this month you've also really taken an interest in little babies as well. I guess you've been around little babies a lot, since Bryson was born in February, and Rocklin & Joel were born in March - you four and Fischer (once he gets here next month) are going to be quite the little gang when you get older. This month you've started a shy act that gets you TONS of attention. When you see someone you like (whether you know them or not) you bury your face in my should and peek at them out of the corner of your eye, grinning all the while. If someone makes you nervous you scowl at them, but otherwise you play the shy game.
• You're really understanding, "no", these days. It's so hard not to laugh at you, because when you actually obey and drop whatever it is that you're not supposed to have, you usually start flopping your hand down and slapping your thigh in exasperation. You're pretty compliant thus far. Our only real battles involve wiping your face and hands after meals. You hate that.
• You have so many little gestures that you use to say so much. In addition to the thigh-slapping, and shy-acting, you love to wave and have started doing it without prompting at appropriate times. Whenever I'm holding you and I pick up the diaper bag, you immediately wave to whomever is there, or to no one if it's just you and I at home. You often signal that you are finished with a meal by tapping your little fingers on your tray, as if to express how bored you've become.

Gosh, this was such a long update. Life with you is such a joy. You're a riot and I know your dad can't wait to get home to you! You can't wait to see him again, either. Yesterday we got to Skype with him and the whole time you waved at him while scrunching up your face into a big cheesy grin and breathing very excitedly. I can't believe your next update will be your birthday update! I love you, tiny!