11 Months

I'm not going to lie - as much as I love seeing my baby master new skills, I am really sad that we only have one more month before he turns one! There is no turning back the clock, no prolonging babyhood. Our little baby boy is turning into a toddler right before our eyes!

This last month has brought many new developements and discoveries for Ian. He is having a blast with his newfound mobility (and I can't say I blame him!). At eleven months Ian:

* Really likes to feel his tongue - he is constantly sticking it out and grabbing it.

* Has remembered how to say "Mom" and a variety of other sounds. He has surprised us by perfectly mimicking sounds. Among the words that he has said very clearly this month are Africa (mimicking a toy gorilla he has), thank you (he repeated this very clearly after hearing it over the loudspeaker at Kroger), and "Achoo!" (Momma sneezed and a few seconds later Ian said "Achoo!"). Momma sneezes a lot during this allergy season and sometimes Ian will say "achoo", other times it is just "choo". For the first time the other day, when we were looking at a picture of a dog in his book, he responded with "doof, doof" when I said "woof woof". He also occasionally says "dug" for "duck" and "gag" for "quack".

* Is still wearing a size four diaper and 12 month clothing, but has moved into some 18 month clothing (like this outfit).

* Has tried his great-grandmother's chicken and dumplings, his Nana's banana cream pudding, watermelon, and pineapple pico de gallo this past month - he liked them all. He also mastered using a straw in Capri Suns the very first time we gave him one! (Although he sometimes still thinks he needs to tip the Capri Sun up to get the last bit like in his sippy cups.)

* Likes to take the spoon in his own hand every time we use one for a meal. That means Momma has to dip the spoon in apple sauce (or whatever), hand it to Ian, who takes it from Momma and puts it in his own mouth. Then he hands it back to Momma or drops it on his tray and we start all over again. Of course, this takes forever, but we like to encourage his independence!

He is so cute - he loves to tip his head back and suck off every last drop of apple sauce!

* Chases balls and blocks all over the place. He will push/throw them in front of him and crawl after them. Sometimes he is very focused, other times he gets distracted by toys along the way.



* Has a blast pulling up on the bathtub and knocking toys on the edge back into tub. When he is taking a bath, he will throw toys over the side, which Daddy will often throw right back in. It's a fun game for now since he doesn't cause much of a mess and doesn't have enough strength to really hurl the toys that far (sometimes they don't even make it over the side!).



* Finds putting dishes in the dishwasher fascinating.

* Will stand in his Pack N Play to watch an entire episode of Veggie Tales - those little legs are getting stronger!!

* Hands Mommy and Daddy his toys, clothes, etc. Often he wants the item right back.

He is especially cute when he gets into something he shouldn't and immediately hands us the item (if we are watching - like with these Pledge wipes; otherwise he keeps playing with the contraband item).

* Is still doing good putting his arms through his shirt sleeves. He will also help pull his arms out occasionally when it is time to get undressed and can almost always get his pants off if he is laying down on the changing table. I looked in the Pack N Play the other day and saw that he had managed to pull his pants off while watching Veggie Tales.

* Loves to play with Mommy's purse...especially the keys!

* Still occasionally likes to spend time in his jumperoo.

* Thinks the recycle bin is his own personal treasure chest and will often find plastic bottles in there to roll all over the kitchen.

* Sees window blinds as God's greatest gift to little boys. He will crawl as fast as he can to get to them and shake them a few times before we can pull them up out of his reach. Of course, now that he can pull himself up, he keeps being able to reach a little higher and grab them.

There's a big wide world waiting for you out there, little buddy. We pray that we know how to raise you right and give you all the opportunity you need to explore and grow. We love you so much and are so happy that you are our son!