Ethan at Eleven Months

My baby boy is 11 months old today.  That means there is only one more month, or four weeks and three days, until his very first birthday.  I am totally not ready for all of this 'growing up' nonsense! I need to think of a way to keep him a baby forever ... but in the meantime, here is an update of our last month.

His expression in this pic - I die!

He can

Say 'Dada' and 'Ball'.  I didn't think he would ever talk! We've finally got some words, said appropriately.  Good job, E!

Stand on his own for about 15 seconds or so, even though he doesn't do it too often.  I think it's more of a confidence thing than anything, because seeing him standing, barely touching something, his legs are just so sturdy.  I try to practice with him every day, but I think, as with most things, it will happen when he is ready for it to happen.  He likes to do things on his own and be independent, and whenever we try to force something he just laughs at us. ;) I will say that for the last week, we've gotten an independent standing moment every day.

I think I'll also mention that he is waving appropriately more and more, too.  It's definitely not all of the time, but he's getting better and better at waving at people when it is time to say "hello."

He eats

He'll try most everything, but his favorites are tofu, apple slices, carrot sticks, and pretzels.

Not too much sweet (where did this kid come from?!), but he will chew on cookies occasionally.

He loves

Opening and closing doors.

His (sealed) tube of Chapstick - his favorite toy. Ha.


















Peter Rabbit stacking blocks from PopPop and Gigi.

Dancing.

Clapping his hands.

Music (which, if it floats his boat, he'll dance to).

Sesame Street.

Walks in the stroller and sitting in shopping carts.

Playing in water.

Pushing the crosswalk buttons, the garage door opener, and the Tivo button.

Target and Safeway.  He flirts with everyone there and always makes friends.

He hates

Getting his faced wiped off after meals.

When Daddy leaves for work.

He got

A fourth tooth! His top right tooth finally popped through.  He now has his fronts (top and bottom).

His first haircut!  He hated the process, because Mike and I had to hold his head still, and he so desperately wanted to look at our hairdresser, Sonya.  He thought she was just so super cool, and didn't like that he couldn't turn to keep looking at her.  Can I say, he looks like such a big boy now?  Every morning I put a little bit of Mike's hair product in his hair.  I say, "Okay Ethan, time for Mama to do your hair like Daddy's hair!" and he patiently waits for me to "style" his hair.  Adorable!


He had

A stomach bug for over a week. Poor baby!  His demeanor never actually changed, but the stomach bug caused lots of extra diaper changes, which in turn caused a horrible bout of diaper rash.  This caused him to really hate diaper changes, and caused lots of extra tears.  It also caused him to wake up in the middle of the night often, because he was so uncomfortable.  After talking with both the nurse on call and then also taking him into the doctor's, we're finally, finally seeing some major progress.  Less diaper changes, the diaper rash is almost gone, and we've got him transitioning to a new formula to give his tummy a break.  Phew.  He was a trooper!

He went

To the pumpkin patch!  For his first pumpkin patch adventure we went all the way, out to the country to a full on pumpkin extravaganza.  There were train rides, pumpkin picking, a petting zoo, and lots of fun to be had.  We didn't actually get a pumpkin this year since we'll be out of town for Halloween, but we did get some really cute pictures and some great memories.

To the Discovery Kids Museum in San Francisco.  We've been to the one in Las Vegas before, and this one was pretty great, too.  At both, his favorite has been playing in the water rooms.  He loves splashing and feeling the water rush over his hands.  He really could stay at that one part all day, but we did explore some other areas.  He got to crawl through a waterfall!  I'm sure he'll find places like this even more exciting as he gets older, but for right now, a good time was still had.

Big Events this Month

A visit from PopPop and Gigi!  The stayed for a little over a week and we got some really great quality time in with them.  They came with us to the pumpkin patch, to the Discovery Museum, and on lots of walks.  We can't wait to see them again when we visit the east coast and for E's first birthday!

We got family portraits taken, which was such an amazing experience.  I am forever grateful to our photographer, Ivan Makarov, for capturing these moments for us.

Thank you little boy, for making our family complete. 

Ethan at Ten Months

Every day, as I look at my baby boy, I see traces of the little boy he is becoming more and more evident.  It might be his gorgeous hair, dark blonde with a hint of red, that gets brushed to the side of his forehead, that makes him look so grown up.  It could be the way he sits and plays with his fire truck and his legos while he gibbers away to himself, occasionally raising his eyebrows in surprise, that make him look like a big boy.  Most likely, it is that I see how much he is growing and learning, becoming more and more skilled and aware of the world each day, that makes me realize his baby days are passing us by.  Any way I look at it, I have such an amazing little man on my hands, and there isn't a moment - a slobbery kiss, infectious giggle, chubby-armed hug moment - that I would take for granted. Here are some of the moments we've shared this past month.

Ethan can

Cruise like a champ, around the house, all day long.  He is on the move people!

Walk with his push walker independently, for longer distances than last month (from one room in the house to another, for example).

Drink from a straw cup all by himself!


















Clap his hands.  Adorable.

Feed himself crackers, bread, veggies, fruit slices, and various other random bits of food that he takes an interest in.

He eats

Yogurt like it's going out of style.


















Pretzel sticks.

Apple and orange slices.

Graham crackers, saltines, animal crackers, and butter crackers.

Bread, as long as the crust isn't too hard.

Chicken strips (grilled and crispy).

Tomato slices.

Carrot sticks.

Tortilla chips.

Guacamole, hummus, and some other "spread" type items.

Pouches, favorites being the apple, raison, quinoa and the pumpkin, date, and chia pouches from Plum Organics.


















Apple sauce.

He sleeps

Through the night, with his early morning wake up/feed totally weened.  He cut them out himself within the first few days of the month, and they've never returned.

From 8:00 pm - 7:30 am, on average, with a morning nap and an afternoon nap throughout the day.

In his crib without bumpers.  He has great control of his body at this point, and has no trouble getting his legs or feet untangled from the crib rungs if he gets stuck, so there was really no point to the bumpers any more.

With his booty in the air, and twilight turtle shining his stars onto the ceiling.

He plays

With the most random things, like a tube of chapstick or a box of tissues.  He seems to love the "non-toys" (as Gigi dubbed them) better than actual toys.  Keeping on with his love of non-toys, he gets the biggest kick out of pushing buttons on our land line phone and hearing a dial tone, and pressing the play button on the built in answering machine so he can hear the voice say, "No messages!"  He also likes my iPhone, and will press the button so Siri will talk to him.  Hilarious. A tub of wipes will keep him occupied for at least 20 minutes, and opening doors and drawers is a fave.

With a few actual toys, like his fire truck.  He likes spinning the little wheels, over and over.

We read

His fave book, Superman to the Rescue, at least a few times a day.

Moo, Baa, La La La


















Touch and Feel books

Eric Carle books

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Where is Baby's Belly Button?

He is allowed to

Push the buttons to open and close the garage door, for crosswalks, and in elevators.

Turn the handle to open the door for Mama.

He wears

Size 12 month tops, or size 12 - 18 month everything else.

Long sleeves since it is getting cooler out, which he seems perplexed by since he's worn short sleeves for so long.  He bites at the sleeves when I first put them on and tries to pull them off, but is okay once I roll them for him.

He went

To Las Vegas at the beginning of the month.  He was a total doll on the plane, although he could not sit still for a single moment.  No crying though, so we were happy!  He slept in the hotel crib for his naps and at night, although he did get to sleep with Mama and Daddy the first night since he was a little freaked out by the new surroundings.  He went on the Strip, to the Las Vegas Discovery Museum, and got to meet lots of Daddy's friends (we went for a photography conference that Mike likes to go to each year).

He talks

All the time.  It's mostly gibberish, but we do get some good Mamas and Daddies every once in a while.


















He has

Three teeth - his front two bottom chompers and his left front tooth.

Less stranger anxiety than last month, thank goodness.  He still won't let most people hold him, but he doesn't freak out hardly at all around new people anymore, thank goodness.

He loves

Mama's keys.

Mama's chapstick.

Daddy - he is super obsessed with Mike and won't leave his side each night once Mike gets home from work. Heart melted.


















Riding in shopping carts and sitting in high chairs.

Pretzel sticks.

Drinking water from a straw.

Sesame Street.

Superman to the Rescue! book

Phones, like Mama's iPhone and the house phone.

Pushing buttons (literally, not figuratively).

Climbing on people.

Pulling wipes out of wipe tubs and tissues out of tissue boxes.


















He hates

Getting his face wiped off after meals.

When Daddy leaves for work.

He is

The love of our lives and our little ray of sunshine.

Modeling his new bike helmet so he can go on rides with Daddy.