Elliot - 10 months

Elliot turned 10 months old (on June 21st).  I often forget he is still just an "infant" because his size and hair make him look like a 2 year old.  And he acts much older too, I think.  But I will soak up these last 2 months of "babyhood" before my baby turns 1.

Elliot, at 10 months, you:

- weigh 24 lbs 11 oz.  You continue to just outdo yourself each month.  I am getting a workout.

- really need size 5 diapers!  Those size 4 huggies just aren't fitting around that belly anymore. And size 12-18 month and some size 18-24 month clothes, especially one pieces because you are as tall as you are heavy.

- finally have another tooth.  One of your top teeth has cut through, and the one right beside it is almost there.

- eat, eat, and eat.  We have started to give you some real food, but I think you still prefer baby food... unless it is ice cream.  You loved those few tastes of ice cream I gave you!

- do not like for anyone to ignore you.  You will yell, scream, bang the high chair tray, or whatever to get our attention.  You have manipulated us into giving you puffs the entire time we are eating dinner so you will be happy and not yell/scream/cry.

- crawl!!!  I mean like a normal kid and finally got up off your belly and elbows.  ha!  You started that at about 9 1/2 months after a couple of months of the crazy crawling.  No more long sleeved shirts to prevent carpet burns on your elbows.  You can wear short sleeved shirts now!

- have started waking up earlier.  Not my favorite thing this month.  You used to sleep past 7, and now you rarely sleep past 6 or 6:30 at the latest.

- LOVE to swim.  You got in the pool for the first time on Memorial Day, and splashed, kicked and grinned from ear to ear the entire time.  I mean you REALLY love to swim ... more so than any of my other babies.

- pull up on everything and cruise around.  And you are into everything!  Cabinets, drawers, whatever got dropped on the floor under the table, etc.

- discovered the potty.  Hey, it's water, too, so you think you are supposed to splash in it.

- are obsessed with the stairs.  Never mind that there are baby gates at the bottom of them, you want to try to go up anyway.  And if we forget to close the gate, you are off and halfway up before we can even get to you.

- have no regard for my baby proofing attempts.  It took you 30 seconds to rip off the fireplace cushion.  You try to plow right through (or under) the baby gates.  And you try to take off the cabinet latches.  You are a determined little thing!

- are getting a little more on a schedule these days.  Except for the early waking up thing.  That still keeps me guessing.  Otherwise, bottle when you wake up, breakfast around 8:30, usually nap by 9:30 for 1-2 hours, lunch at 11:30, bottle at 2:00, back down for a 1-2 hour nap, dinner at 5:30, bath, bottle at 7:30-8:00 and bedtime!

My favorite thing this month, other than watching you "swim" (which is absolutely laugh out loud hilarious the entire time you are in the pool) has been hearing you really start to say ma-ma.  You say it while looking at me or crawling towards me ... or screaming for me.  So I'm pretty sure you know what you are saying.  And you are getting pretty attached these days.   You don't really like for me to leave the room and usually crawl after me, catch up to me, sit up on your knees and reach for me so hard that I'm afraid you are going to topple over backwards.  I must admit I love being wanted!

Other favorite pictures from the month ...

Hello!!

Pulling up on everything.

Happy boy watching Mickey Mouse.

Showing off his new room.

Trying cheese.  I think he likes it.

First time in the pool.

Climbing the stairs.

On the stairs again.

Meeting his new friend Beau.

Peek a boo!!

This was your attempt at baby proofing?

Or this?

Look at that determination.  And those rolls.

GIVE ME MY BOTTLE!

Much better now.

Look how big I am!

And perhaps my favorite from this month.  I cannot get enough of that grin!