11 months



11 months! And we're a little too near bedtime in this picture for a smile.

This is what he really thought of our picture taking.

Easter chicks.

Little break in the grass while mom was out for a run. I'm loving those eyelashes!

Helping us paint the house. He held the tape.

Hamming it up for the camera - this is our camera smile now.

This kid will seriously eat anything - lunch of pitas, hummus, and feta! YUM!

 This month brings the word exploded to mine. Your abilities have just absolutely exploded.

You say hi, wave bye, clap (tee hee - I love this one), dance to songs, sing along, squeal, and often sound like you're having a conversation. You are a ham - you smile for the camera now - so soon! You love attention, especially from girls, and flirt with everyone! If you're fussy, all we have to do is meet a new person and you turn on the charm. You give high fives regularly, you play with toy cars, roll them on the floor with the wheels down and say vroom (more like vmmmm). You eat everything we do - you get angry if we don't feed you what we're having. Sometimes you eat so much it surprises me. You always want to walk with us. You haven't really taken any steps yet unassisted, but can stand for a little while on your own, and you can walk while holding just one of our hands. You're getting so much stronger so very fast. You'll play by yourself for longer periods of time....usually if you see me you want to be walking around with me though - you play better with your dad. You're funny - you'll crack up at us and we crack up right back. We'll just sit and laugh at each other. You knocked your mouth into the table the other day - it was the first time I've seen you bleed and I'm proud of how calm I was - the first of many cuts and scrapes that childhood will bring.

One more month to go and you'll have a year under your belt. I can't believe it. Cheers to you little man, you've made this one hell of a ride so far.

A life update

Seems like all the talk around here is about that one guy...what's his name again? Oh yea, my son, Eliot. I can't get enough of that guy.But! I do have other things that I do. Really! The world keeps turning even though I'm a mom and totally infatuated with my firstborn...and in denial about the fact that he's going to be one in approximately a month's time.
The cat. He came this close (imagine really close fingers here) to joining that big litter box in the sky. Traxx turned 10 on the first (HOLYSHIT - Chris and I bought that cat together, as a kitten - and he's 10! I am old.) and he went downhill fast. There was a lot of losing weight, peeing gratuitously on everything, and me thinking that I don't want a cat who pees on everything while mourning the fact of - my cat! My first fur-baby! But it turns out it was a UTI, amongst other things. He's....well....he's got a diagnosis that means he has a limited amount of time left with us. A few years at best, but he's back in action just in time to longingly stare out the windows at the birds nesting in our gutters. Stupid birds.
The dog. He's doing awesome. I was so proud of us for "fixing" his leg issues but it turns out that he's just been so well rested that they fixed themselves! That's right! We never take the poor guy anywhere! So when the vet came over and told us he's 103 pounds of beastly furriness, I about fell off my chair (he should be around 80-90). I really thought what the vet called his love handles were his ribs. I should probably stop telling myself that when I look in a mirror too. Daly is now on a diet and a strict exercise regimen (where strict = when we can get out of the house he comes with). He hates the diet, loves the exercise, and he's already looking svelter (is that even a word? Blogger is accepting it). If I could just keep him out from under the high chair.
We're actively pursuing selling our house. So this does have something to do with our progeny, because these little people take up about 10 times the room of a normal sized person, but we knew we wouldn't be there forever either. In talking to a realtor we're close to breaking even (SOB - after 6 years of payments and tens of thousands of dollars invested into the place), but that's a good thing. It could be worse. We're painting the outside and we bought the stuff to start projects and it is sitting in corners collecting dust are doing a few minor updates, but may even list this fall. If not, we'll list next spring. Although we do have to list without our awesome winery rain barrel. We forgot about the barrel while wiping a poopy butt didn't winterize it properly and the bottom basically exploded. I am so looking forward to house shopping because THE DEALS! Even though we have to come up with another down payment, we'll get into our forever house for a really great price.
Chris and I? We're hanging in there. I basically rely on Chris to be superhuman, and he nearly always lives up to my expectations. But seriously I am sometimes surprised when he goes to take a nap or something - I forget how much I ask of him. I'm sometimes overwhelmed - with work, babies, animals, houses, but I'm happy. Who wouldn't be waking up to this guy every morning?

10 Months

10 monther!



Causing trouble with the bear.

 

Not even sure what he's done himself.





Tell me what you really think.



The boys and their hats.

Perfunctory baby in bath with a mohawk picture.

BUBBLES!!!

The most important men in my life. I love this picture!!!

Captain Adorable!

Look at him standing!



New Jammies.



The introduction to sand didn't go over so well.

Where did the time go?





I see you every day, and looking back I see you've changed and grown so much, but it happens so gradually before my eyes. Where is my newborn? Where is the little bug that we brought home? Your legs have straightened and stretched out, my little bug man is no more. Although there have been days where I wake up and see you and can literally see how much you've grown overnight. You're growing that fast. And every day you get a little better at the things you couldn't do the day before. You can stand a little longer, scoot a little better, eat a little bit bigger pieces of food, say new things. And I'm so very proud of you, want to tell people all the little things you do that are so cute - when you sign milk you do it upside down behind your ear, when you're really tired you start blowing raspberries over and over. Do you know how hard it is to rock a baby to sleep when they're blowing raspberries? All I want to do is giggle - and that starts you laughing! When you want to make indian wah-wah noises you do it with the back of your hand instead of the front. You've learned to click your tongue - and mimic us when we do it - and we discovered when you hear ladies in high heels on hard floors you start clicking your tongue to mimic the sound!





You still love to sit on the front steps and watch the cars go by, you crane your neck for each one. You can say hi and bye. You love to stand holding onto the couch, and can walk along getting what you want. You army crawl and roll your way to whatever you want on the floor, which is usually the remote control. You are definitely mobile. You can take bites of food now, and chew, and you don't gag! You can even pick some of it up yourself. We share all our meals now, you're eating basically everything we eat - and you like it all, even the Indian take out.





On Tuesdays and Thursdays when I leave you at daycare you cry. It hurts so bad. But I listen at the door and once it's shut you only let out one more sob, and then they say you're fine. You like to make your mama feel guilty! And you are pretty attached to me right now. If I'm around you want me to hold you, which is so, so awesome...except for when I'm trying to eat something that needs 2 hands.

You can still be very serious, but love to flirt with checkout girls and waitresses. There's always a smile for the pretty ladies. Fathers hide your daughters - you're too cute for your own good.



9.5

Stats only. We had a late appointment this month
Weight: 18 lbs, 2 oz
Height: 27 inches
Head: 47 cm

And am I the only one who finds the fact that they mix metric and English units annoying? You're like a little baby caricature - in the 7th percentile for height, 15th percentile for weight, and 92nd percentile for head size. The most adorable caricature ever.

9 months

This guy does not want to sit still anymore.

Look ma - the bear can fly!

Good conversation.

And there's our smile!

Maybe I can take your face off?



Looking like he did something very wrong.



Hardcore toy playing.



Looking a little smug.

I love shadows!



Eliot's first St Patty's Day. Passed out and puke all over himself - typical Irishman.

Concentrating on learning to use those fingers.

Zeroing in on the crumbs.

Leave me alone mom.

It's been a rough, long winter. We are all excited that the weather is warming up and we're getting outside more. Your first winter was the fifth snowiest winter on record. We've seen way too much of the white stuff this year and are looking forward to being outside.
When I think about how much you've changed in the last 9 months it overwhelms me. You've been in the world as long as you were inside me. These past 18 months you started as a speck, no bigger across than the tip of a pencil, into a beautiful, yet so very helpless, little newborn, into this little person. A little person who is starting to make his own wants and ideas known more and more. I read somewhere that when newborns come out they miss the womb, and I really believe you did. You weren't fully formed, you almost needed something we couldn't give you because you wanted to be safe inside me and everything was so very overwhelming. Now you are a true inhabitant of the world...and you love it.
You are good at hurtling yourself in the direction that you want to go, but you're not really moving yet. You can crawl backwards, but that just ends up frustrating you more. You're able to go from a sitting position into a crawling position, but not quite vice-versa yet. You love to stand and walk with someone holding you, or hold on to things while you stand. If I let you go for a few seconds you'll balance on your own.
You have said Mama, but I don't think you know what it means. You've signed milk, but I'm not sure you're connecting the two...and you're always signing milk (so maybe you are connecting the two...you are such a snacker, you want to eat all the time). You will say hi to us, wave goodbye sometimes, say bye, and give high fives. I don't believe you know what you're saying with anything yet though - just mimicing - but it's so exciting to hear you start to talk. You can also click your tongue - and will do it on command. You can thank your grandma for that one - she's always clicking her tonge at you! You've also learned to scream. I took you to Target this month and you spent the whole time screaming (happily) over and over again in the store. It was so cute. I think I love this age because I don't have to discipline you or try and quiet you.
You hate having your clothes changed. You love baths, love your parents, love the cat and dog, love windows and outside, and love books. You even have preferences of which books you like the best. Your favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and a Dr Seuss one, Wet Pet Dry Pet Your Pet My Pet. We read books every night before bed now and you help turn the pages. You are so playful now, and interested in everything as you see it...like dust! cat! dog! food! Mama!!  You're just so aware of what's going on around you!
You're eating more and more food all the time. Your favorite is sweet potatos with apples...and I don't disagree with you, it is amazing. You sit with us at meals and have little bites of what we're having, and practice trying to pick up food yourself. It keeps you very busy.
Some sleep switch flipped in you when you turned 8 months old and you've been sleeping SO MUCH BETTER. It was bad, kid. I really don't know how I functioned. You're going 4-6 hour stretches (except at the moment because you're teething) and you're able to wake up and go back to sleep - by yourself. I went through four months of 1-2 hour stretches of sleep a night max. And I didn't sell you. You're welcome.
You're still a small baby but you have such an enormous head. Consider that a gift from your parents, welcome to the world of not being able to find hats that fit. You have your top two teeth and bottom two teeth - the ones next to your top two are just about to come in. You are beautiful and perfect and I think you are the handsomest baby I've ever seen. Next month - double digits!

Favorite Things

I have to stop myself sometimes. From the consumerism. From buying this little person everything out there. Right now he doesn't even care. He starts getting into zippers and buttons and I think, Oh! I could go get one of those dog toys with zippers and buttons! While he is content to play with the ones on my shirt. He loves my car keys...and I think, Oh! I could buy him that set of car keys for babies I saw at Target! While I can also just detach the key I need from its ring and give him the rest to play with. I love showing him new things though, I love blowing his mind. The first time we bounced a ball in front of him he wouldn't stop giggling...I would do most anything to make him giggle like that over and over again. And I have to stop and think, that buying him everything isn't what's going to make him happy. Buying him everything now may set a precedent too....one that my pocketbook can't keep up with once he's into Xboxes and Hockey.

But I also stopped to think about my childhood. About the things that stuck with me. The things that made me the happiest. And mostly it wasn't things. It was my parents tucking me into bed every night and kissing us goodnight. The way they used to make the blankets fly up above us, and make us laugh right before going to sleep. Sunday mornings climbing into my parents bed with the newspaper and reading the funnies, all 5 of us up there, plus the cat (and - is that even going to happen anymore? Everyone climbing in bed to read the kindle doesn't sound as great as spreading the paper all over the bed. I'm mourning the downturn of the paper). Making pillow forts out of the couch cushions. Roughhousing. Trips to the Y with my dad, swimming, basketball, and exploring...and always the smell of spilled coffee in his car. Baking cookies and pretending we were in the batter. Licking the spoon. Shopping with my mom. Summer trips to Valleyfair, and we always had a picnic lunch in the back of the car. Swimming pools in the backyard. Those twilight summer games that would spontaneously happen with the neighbor kids - kick the can, red rover, some ghost game. Playing in the woods - god we loved to play in the woods. We played so hard sometimes! Building snow forts. Sledding, and coming in for hot chocolate. Fires in the fireplace and telling ghost stories. Sitting in the gutter and letting the water stream over our backs when it rained (we lived in a cul-de-sac, there was no traffic - don't judge!). Summer weekends at the cabin, and smells are such a huge part of my memory, I can literally taste the grass and sunscreen while I'm writing this. Bonfires at the cabin. Mom making pancakes for breakfast. Driving home from any holiday at my grandparents. I will never feel as safe and secure as I used to feel falling asleep in the car coming home from a holiday. There is an unmatched exhaustion after playing with your cousins and gorging yourself on food, and an unmatched sense of security experienced in the presence of your parents as a child. I will probably never feel that secure, and never sleep that well again. Too many adult worries and responsibilities. And you don't appreciate that while you have it, if you knew how little control and security your parents really had over the world, you wouldn't have it anyways.

And oh! How I hope I can afford these things for my son! How I hope I can give him half of the security and contentment that my parents gave me.

Eight is Great

Yea. I had to go there. Happy eigth monthday little man!

Not sure why the splayed legs. Sitting stability? And I'm sure he thanked me for finally dressing him in a long sleeved onesie. It's February and it's been cold for months!

Feeding our childs plastic bottle obsession.

And balls. This kid loves balls.

Ha. This would also be his pooping face. You go Eli!

Teething biscuits are surprisingly like dog biscuits. He's surprised as well.

First time in a swing - we had a couple 40-50 degree days where we could get outside. He loved the swing and I can't wait for summer. We will spend a lot of time at this park!

In a surprising fit of domesticity, I sewed Eliot a taggies blanket. He loves it, and I am so proud of myself. Full disclosure though. Grandma helped, and did the finishing touches. Thank goodness for Grandma's guidance!

The following pictures were not taken by us. They are just a few of the incredible pictures by my friend Jessica who took Eli's 6 month photos (as well as my maternity photos and Eli's newborn photos). They are amazing and if you are looking for a professional photographer she is your girl. She's also expecting a little one of her own - congratulations Jess & Derek!! 

This photo needs a caption above his head. And I love it.

Seriously. My heart.

Those eyes!

Looking more grown up than he has a right to.

Just like last month, this is the best month ever! Are you seeing a trend here? You've come a long way this month. You're even more interactive, you love people. Love new places. You learned to wave bye-bye, you have separation anxiety...which breaks my heart because I have to drop you off at daycare twice a week and it's so hard to leave when you're crying and reaching out to me. And that! You reach out to people you want to hold you now. It may be the most amazing feeling in the world to be trusted and loved by a baby. Because we had to work to get here, and you trust us and reach out to us and you are so innocent. It's indescribable to be the one you want to go to. I am humbled by your love.

You're a champion sitter - you could sit forever. You're not crawling yet but you get up on all fours and rock back and forth. I'm fine with that - I am so excited for you to crawl but not excited to baby proof. You are fairly proficient at sliding yourself backwards. You poor thing, it looks frustrating! You learned to blow raspberries this month and it makes your dad and me laugh so much. It's my favorite trick of yours. I tried to rock you to sleep the first night you learned it and you just sat there and blew raspberries for about 20 minutes. I had to keep myself from busting out laughing so you would go to sleep. You still sing yourself to sleep, especially in the car. It is so stinking cute. You love music. When there's a song you like you'll rock back and forth to it. You love faces, you touch peoples faces all the time. You are still obsessed with the cat and the dog. They tolerate you. The dog is starting to realize you drop food, you may become his favorite soon enough. You're eating more food - spinach, peas, carrots, broccoli, chicken, sweet potatoes, bananas, yogurt, blueberries, mangoes, avocado...and there's more that I've forgotten. You want everything off our plate, and it makes me want to be a better eater! You almost have your top two teeth in, they're so close I can feel them! You're just a lot of fun. You love to play, love to be tickled and surprised and held upside down (which your dad is more than happy to oblige you in), love cars and trucks, and you have a circle of people you know and love and who love you right back more than you'll ever realize. I cherish every moment I get with you, every moment when I am your world, because I know you are going to grow up so fast and although I'll always be your mama, you'll be much more independent. Which is good. And sad. You adore your dad. You guys are going to be trouble - and its so special to see you together. You're a lucky boy, to have such a great dad. You're a better sleeper now. You sleep longer and easier...it's nice. We love you lots little boy. I cannot believe how fast you're growing. Feel free to slow down any time.