11 months!

March 15,2011

Holy cow! Only one more month until 1! It's so hard to believe. Our little guy continues to light up our lives on a daily basis. He is such a blessing!

Here's a peek into the last month:

*Paxton officially started crawling after scooting for about 3 months. I had my doubts, but he surprised me and just took off one day. He is now very proficient at crawling and is FAST. We have quickly learned that our baby-proofed house was not baby-proofed enough!

*Taking pictures with monkey is becoming more and more difficult (hence the pictures above), as are getting good pictures of any kind. Paxton is much too busy to pose and smile for the camera these days. The best pictures we have come when he's stuck in his high chair!

*Paxton continues to be a champion eater. He is definitely over baby food and would much rather have what mommy and daddy are having. With a few exceptions, he usually eats what we eat (or a slight variation of it). He definitely has his preferences and continues to make dramatic faces when eating things he doesn't like (tomato, pears, melon).

*Paxton is a talker! I can't imagine where he gets that from. He would yak all day long if he could. He still sticks mostly with the 'da', 'ba', 'ma' sounds, but has started incorporating them into more "conversational" speech. It really does sound like he's having a conversation with you when he talks! No official first words yet, but we're convinced it will either be ball or dog, since those are the two things he loves the most!

*Paxton and Presley have a love-hate relationship. Paxton loves Presley, but Presley isn't so sure. He loves Paxton when he gets to eat his leftovers (which has also resulted in some extra Presley pounds!) and when he's in the right mood, but other times he just wants to be left alone and will let Paxton know it. He is protective of his food and his spot on the couch, but hasn't done anything besides growl when Pax gets too close.

*Paxton continues to pull up on EVERYTHING. He is getting more and more brave about letting go. He loves to stand up, let go, and lean towards whatever adult is in the area hoping they will catch him! Thankfully we've always been there to catch so far!! I don't think that his first steps are far away.

*Paxton's latest favorite hobby is standing at the back door watching Presley or the two big dogs behind us play. He also loves to empty out the plastic containers from the cupboard, along with clearing off Presley's shelf. He is very curious and loves to try to sneak in to the pantry when mom/dad leaves the door open. He is also fascinated with the garbage can and the blinds on the sliding glass door. Presley's water continues to be a favorite play spot.

*Paxton loves daycare. A lot. He has recently started having a temper tantrum when we pick him up because he wants to stay. Makes us feel better that he truly does love it there.

*We've recently started Skyping with grandparents and uncle/aunts. Paxton doesn't get the concept very well but tries to close the computer to see where they are. We'll continue to work on it!

*Paxton just recently started waving appropriately. He has been waving for awhile, but would never do it back to people. Now he loves to wave, even though the timing may be slightly off and he may start doing it after we've already left.

*Paxton has learned the word 'no' and has also learned that he can get away with things because he's cute! He loves to chew on things, especially his crib and his toy chest. When we catch him chewing on his toy chest, we tell him no and pull him away. He'll usually get a big smile on his face and watch you as he goes to chew it again. When you pull him away, he starts giggling. It's really hard to keep a start face and I'm really worried about how I'm going to possibly be able to discipline him with those darn dimples!

*He continues to be a big boy and is currently busting out of most of his 12 month shirts. The 12 month pants still work and usually fall off of him because he's tall and skinny. Sleepers are mostly 12 or 18 month. He is comfortably in a size 4 diaper.

*After a rough spell, Paxton is back to being a wonderful sleeper (although I'm scared to say that outloud and jinx myself!). He usually gives us at least 12 hours before waking up and he usually wakes up in a good mood!

*Paxton has learned how to climb the stairs and has gone all the way up a few times (with mommy or daddy right behind him of course!).

*Bathtime continues to be a highlight of his day. Daddy has bath duty and the two of them have a blast. Paxton usually cries when he has to get out. He is also very good about getting his teeth brushed!

*Paxton is showing more and more interest in books and often "reads" to us. Previously, he thought the best part of books was opening and closing them. Now he will open it appropriately and "read" them. It's pretty comical and adorable at the same time. He doesn't really have much of a choice when it comes to reading, since mommy and daddy are both bookworms!

*Swimming lessons are now over, but we're still doing Kindermusik, which Paxton loves. He does "sing" along in class and the CD will usually calm him down when he gets fussy in the car.

*Paxton has a flair for the dramatic (again, where did he get that from?). If you interrupt his activity or try to put his coat on when he's not ready, he may throw himself backwards, arch his back, or just yell. We quickly learned the importance of getting his coat on in a carpeted room.