11 Months

This month has had it's ups and downs.

We'll start with the downs.

You developed a nasty cold towards the end of last month that lasted for weeks.  During that time, you were extra-cuddled and snuggled, and for the first time, you actually liked it.

And then it backfired.

You started to require rocking to go to bed.  And then you realized, 'if I wake up crying in the night,  I bet Mom will cuddle me then too!'  And like a sucker, I fell for it.  Somehow or another, we've started a routine where you cry in the middle of the night, I lose track of time and space and find myself deliriously waking from your floor at 4:00 in the morning.  My hip hurts, kid.  Enough of this already.

On the upside, you could not be more adorable if you tried.

And you have turned into such a ham.  When we are out and about, you flirt with everyone!  Old ladies seem to be an especially easy target for you.  You bat your eyes, lower your chin, and grin from ear to ear, flashing those eight teeth!

You are learning new things by the minute.  In one day alone, you learned how to wave and point.  Amazing.  The waving now futher helps to lure the old ladies to the cart while we are grocery shopping.

You also recently figured out how to put things into things.  For a while there, I thought you were taking after Mommy because you were getting so good at taking everything out all over the house and not putting anything back.  Now, I find dog toys in your Poppity Dino, bath toys in your bath cup, blocks in your cookie jar toy, balls in the dog bowls, and once, you even placed your self into your bath tub!

You're much more interactive at Stroller Strides now, after sleeping through the first six months of class.  You giggle when Mommy runs around and does burpies, and the other day, you had a ball playing "music" with the other babies!  You even crawled up into the action with the older babies to see what they were up to.

Still not walking, but you are a master cruiser.  You were cruising along with me, holding on to the vacuum as I was vacuuming the other, but I was worried that you'd fall so I went to move your hands.  Rather than sitting down, like I figured you'd do, you just stood.  We looked at each other with shock until you casually lowered yourself to the ground.  You did it one more time too.

Ninety-eight percent of the time, you are just all smiles.  I can't believe you are going to be one next month!  How the time flies!  Thanks for being you, little monkey.