11 Months

It simply doesn't seem possible that my baby boy is eleven months old now.  Everyday with him is a new adventure and I love seeing him take such strides towards huge milestones.  He is cruising around all the furniture now and is occasionally trying to stand on his own.  He doesn't have great balance yet and he promptly squats down to the floor.  I can't imagine how he'll be able to walk unsupported on his little fat feet.  I'm content for him to keep crawling for a little while.  He's slower this way..... Kind of. Although, on my hands and knees I have a hard time keeping up with him.  Speedy little turtle.

Babbling has become the most common sound in our home.  He hardly ever stops except to eat or sleep.  I am trying relentlessly to teach him, "ball" but, he hasn't quite caught on yet.  He giggles when I point to him and say, "Kyle" and the same when I point back to myself and say, "Mommy."  Clearly he recognizes his name.  Occasionally he starts with "mamamama" as he crawls towards me or yanks on my pants leg.  Though I don't think he's made the connection yet, it is still heartwarming, unless he is crying, then it is pitiful.

Lately he has started clapping.  Adorable!  He stops whatever he is doing and just starts smacking his hands together vigorously.  Then, after five or ten times he gets so exited he screeches and slaps his legs twice.  Absolutely precious!

Kyle loves reading books.  Sighing happily every few words, I can hardly finish one page before he is ready to flip to the next.  During car rides I plop a book in his lap and a few within reach on the seat beside him and he sits there babbling to himself as he flips the pages back and forth.  It is positively irresistible!  Among his favorites are When the World is Ready for Bed which we read nearly every day, English First Words, and Mi Libro Grande de Las Palabras (more commonly known as My Big Book of Words).  He is well on his way to being bi-lingual.

Brushing teeth is another favorite.  Anytime Jonathan or I pull out our toothbrushes, he starts smacking his lips in anticipation of his.  I attempt to brush his six teeth before he tries to yank it away from me and gnaw on it endlessly.  Because he can't really mess up the bristles with his gums, I don't mind letting him chew on it as long as he lets me brush them first.  I am proud to say that my dad brushed my teeth at night for around ten years and I have yet to have a cavity.  I plan to do the same with Kyle and hope for the same outcome.

Lunch time is great fun now that he has graduated from solely mushed fruits and vegetables to crackers, banana chunks, bits of PB&J, mandarin oranges, tortillas, animal crackers and Teddy Grahams.  I'm not as fond of what comes out the other end now, but it is fun to watch him enjoy different foods and try to bite things with his little teeth.  He thinks he's a big boy when he eats off of his own plate or grabs his sippy cup by himself.  Why shouldn't he be?  He has come a long way from milk ten times a day.  We enjoy taking picnics to the park and Hopelands.... Like we did today.

Baby Boot Camp worked wonders on his sleep schedule and he hardly ever fights his naps or bedtime.  If he gets way off schedule or I have to wake him up prematurely, he isn't always such a happy napper; but if things are normal, he lays right down every time.  Nights are a breeze now unless he gets woken up by something (presumedly our neighbor's not so friendly discussions at 3AM) and even then he goes right back to sleep.  My fabulous husband and I take turns on who wakes up with him at around 7:45 or 8 while the other catches a few more zzz's in the late morning.  We are still teenagers at heart and neither of us enjoy waking up.  It is great being married.

Love this sleepy little monkey.

These past eleven months have flown by in many regards.  While it does feel like Kyle has always been a part of our lives, it doesn't seem possible that we are approaching a year since he entered this world.  I can remember that day like it was yesterday.  I often think as the days go by that I'll never get to hold him again "this small."  I almost ache to hold him again as a newborn but, I am so overwhelmingly thankful for each day with him.  I love him more than I ever thought possible.

~Abby