Today is my ten month birthday. Can you believe that?
Yeah, neither can Mommy. She says she can't believe how grown up I'm looking all of a sudden. I'm struggling a little more with my weight gain lately (stupid gushers!), but I'm sure not scrawny. I currently weigh 19 lb 11 oz, and we think I'm in the thirty something percentile. But that was a while ago, and Mommy says I've probably dropped a little bit. I'm on just Soy formula now, and we're just now starting to try solids again. Mom says I'm doing much better than I was a few months ago. Sometimes I'll eat about a half a container of baby food in one sitting. THAT is a very big deal for me. My hair is getting so long that I almost need a haircut. It's really thick on top, but because I blistered so badly on the back of my head when I was a little baby, it's not growing as much back there. Mom wants it to be a little long so it will grow over my bald spots. I don't mind having bald spots though. It's just like my Grandaddy's.
I'm making all sorts of sounds ALL the time including ma, na, ba, da, ga, heh, and sometimes la. I also like to make a gargling sound and still enjoy a good scream every now and again. Da is probably my favorite sound, although I'm not associating it with my Daddy yet. I say Da when I'm really happy, and I only say Ma when I'm really ticked off. Go figure, Mom says. I babble like a crazy person. Mom thinks when I do start talking, I'll go a mile a minute.
I still have only two teeth on the bottom and one coming in on the top. Mom's glad I'm slow on the getting teeth front, because teeth, for me, cause blisters, so the fewer the better at this point. I'm liking tummy time a little better, but I still don't push up on my hands very much.
My favorite songs lately have been O Holy Night, Away in a Manger, the Chris Tomlin version of Amazing Grace, Skidda Marinky Dinky Dink, and the funky version of Jesus Loves Me (think Queen's We Will Rock You).
This past month I've learned how to ride in a shopping cart, and today I sat in a high chair for the very first time. See?
In a cart and a high chair I still have to have some rolled up blankets to help support me, but Mommy says I'm making very good progress.
In just the last week, I've FINALLY started putting weight on my feet and standing up. Mommy and Daddy still have to help me a lot, but I can pretty much support my weight on my feet as long as they hold onto me around my torso. Mommy was so excited the first time I did that she about peed her pants. Silly Mommy. She says I'm well on my way. I don't know what she means by that, but it seems to make her really happy, so maybe I'll keep doing it.
I'm loved by lots and lots of people. Today I got to meet my Pop at a restaurant for a third Christmas celebration (still two more to go). He's so silly and makes lots of funny faces.
He gave me this cool bird feeder, and Mom says it will be really neat in the Spring when all the birds come back. She says that we can hang it on the back deck, so I can see them out the window.
I'm liking all of this present stuff A LOT.
I'm definitely more into the bows and paper than the actual gift, but I'm learning that the toys do really cool things too. My favorites so far seem to be my WonderPets Fly Boat and my Ball Popper that Santa brought me.
It's been crazy around here these last couple days, so Mom hasn't been able to show me what all my toys do yet. She says I'm going to love them all. My Aunt Sarah got me a little sit-up size basketball hoop that cheers when I make a basket, so Dad likes to help me play with that. He can't wait til I can shoot real hoops in the driveway, so this is good practice. Little does he know I'm going to take him to school in basketball. I'm the next Steve Nash. What? You didn't know I am 1/8th Canadian, eh?
Tonight Granny and Grandaddy came, and they are going to be here ALL WEEK. It's too good to be true!
My Aunt Kim, Uncle Andrew, and my cousins are coming on Tuesday night, but they can't stay here. Uncle Andrew is allergic to cats. Mommy says that's probably a good thing that they're not staying here because she'd hate to have to make someone (or several someones) sleep in the closet.
Mom says she just can't believe I'll be turning a year old in just two months. She's so glad I'm getting older, bigger, and stronger. For the most part, things are getting some easier. But I think it makes her a little sad that I'm less and less baby every day. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes when she's rocking me, and it's just me and her, she cries a little bit thinking about the days I won't need her to rock me anymore. She loves me a lot, I think. Daddy does too, and he's just the most fun. Now that I can support my weight a lot better, Daddy does his curls with me (literally, WITH me) and can wrestle me a little bit. Mom does a lot of Ride A Little Horsey (although she does a Spanish version) and flies me around the room. We all like that they can be more physical with me, and because of all my protective bandages, it doesn't hurt me one bit. Thank you, Jesus. Mommy thinks back a lot to those first days after I was born when she didn't even know if she'd be able to touch me. But I get hugs, snuggles, kisses, and wrestling moves just as much as the next guy, and I love every minute of it. We've all come a long way.
Mom and Dad say they are so blessed to have me, and they don't take one single moment for granted. Although some days are (much) harder than others, they love me every second of every minute of every day and thank God that He thought enough of them to make them my parents. What an honor! They wouldn't have it any other way.
Now that the holidays are almost over (did I mention I get two more Christmases?), Mom says she has to start planning
