11 Months

So it's official...my baby will turn 1 this month!  I'm feeling very nostalgic about this, and I can't believe it is possible!  Where has the time gone?!

 Stats: Once again, we made it another month without having to go to the Dr!  I will be ready to get an update on his measurements when we got the 1st week of September for his 1 year appointment!

 Milestones: WE HAVE A WALKER!!  Graham took 6 steps on July 4 and has slowly built up from there!  Towards the end of last week, he was walking more than crawling, but now he's reverted back to more crawling.  I think he likes it because he can get where he wants to go a lot faster.  He can stand up on his own without having to pull up on anything too.  Graham has 6 teeth officially - 4 on top, 2 on bottom - but I keep expecting another one to pop through any day now due to all of the teething symptoms this past week...teething stinks!  He has babbling a ton and trying to repeat words after me.  

 Behavior: We have a busy, busy boy on our hands.  He's into everything, and right now he would much rather play with things around the house rather than his own toys.  He is still the happiest, most easy-going baby and is very flexible and adaptable.  We've done lots of travelling this past month, and he has mostly just gone with the flow and is excited for something new!  Graham has definitely become more opinionated in the last few weeks.  He has thrown a few fits when I remove him from somewhere he isn't supposed to be, and if I have my hand on something to help him, he will pick my hand up and move it off because he wants to do it by himself!  Mr. Independent!  Graham is also Mr. Social.  He will talk to anybody and anything.  He makes friends wherever we go, and if only I had a dime for every time I heard, "Oh my goodness, look at that hair!"  We get lots of comments from strangers while out and about, and Graham is more than happy to talk to them!

 Sleep: We are still on the same schedule, which I'm loving.  And I'm going to keep him on 2 naps for as long as he will take them!  He goes down about 8pm, has a bottle about 6, and then goes back to sleep until about 8.  He naps about 10:30 and 2:30 for an hour and a half to two hours each nap.  It is wonderful!

 Clothes: Some of his 6-12 month clothes are finally getting to be too small, mainly becoming midriffs and showing his belly!  I love that we have been able to wear a lot of his clothes lately for at least 3 or 4 months.  We've gotten good use out of them!  His 9 month pajamas are also getting snug in the top.  We are switching to size 4 diapers today!  

 Food: Well Graham might just be spoon fed for the rest of his life!  Just kidding!  We have not been successful whatsoever with finger foods.  He will gag himself until he gets it out of his mouth.  Thankfully he loves baby food so he's getting lots of good fruits and veggies, and there are a few other real table foods he will eat as well - yogurt, oatmeal, applesauce, black beans, ice cream.  We'll get there eventually!

 Likes: pushing things around the house, anything with wheels (which is where I got the theme for his birthday party!), chewing on toys, bath time (although there was a week during the middle of the month where he screamed during his bath), dancing to music, Baby Einstein, being outside, being around other people, the beach and ocean, swimming

*This chair usually ends up on the table by the end of the day because he likes to stand in it, face the back, and jump...so not safe, but he thinks it's hilarious!

 Dislikes: being told no, getting out of the bath, having his face wiped

 Most Challenging: I would have to say the eating thing has been pretty challenging.  It is not fun to see him gag and choke and not like finger foods.  Also he had his first case of diaper rash last weekend, and it was BAD.  My poor mom was the one who I had to take care of when it was at its worst because we were in Dallas, but thankfully it healed pretty quickly so we didn't have to go to the Dr.  It was not fun having Graham scream during every diaper change.

 Looking forward to: I'm in the middle of planning his first birthday party, and I could not be more excited!  I'm not a very crafty person at all, so my new obsessions this past month have been Pinterest and Etsy...thank goodness there are other crafty people out there! :)  I can't wait to celebrate Graham!  Also his first birthday is on the day of the first football game so that will be a fun and busy day for us!  

Oh how I love him and his sweet smile!

 He can put his rings back on, just not in the right order! :)

 He likes to help me cook!  He will usually play with spoons, cake pans, and a bowl for awhile so I can get dinner made!  Although one morning I made the mistake of giving him a metal bowl, and he started banging on it.  The vibration of it on the tile floor set off our house alarm!  The company called and said they had a report of a kitchen window break...no, that was just my 11 month old!  Oops!

 I LOVE our days together, and he's such a good helper! :)  He loves to unfold laundry, which usually means I fold things at least 5 times!

 Playing peek-a-boo at dinner!  He has gotten really good at this and will play with lots of different things - kitchen towel, bib, lovie, pillow.

 We have had so many fun play dates this month!  One of his favorites is sweet Libby!  He loved pushing her around the house in her car!  Can you say arranged marriage?! :)

 His newest trick, thanks to Bop, is dancing!  If he hears music on TV or if you start singing, he gets his hands flapping, arms waving, and his upper body twisting!  It's hilarious!

One thing that he will sit still for is for books!  I'm so glad!  

Wow...11 months...he has changed and grown so much!  I love watching his mind work, and it is crazy how much he comprehends now.  How we love you sweet Graham!  You bring us so much joy!