Eleven Months Old

Anthony turned eleven months old on May 30th, and really this seems like a tame month compared to all I had to share at ten months, but we still had some exciting things happen!

• I had given you a sneak peak in last month's update that Anthony was pulling up and standing next to things, and he started doing this on May 2nd within a week of starting to crawl. He loves to stand up next to things and is doing it all the time now. He especially likes standing at his music table and playing, as well as standing next to the couch or recliner when he's watching tv or eating a snack. Unfortunately, he's also gotten to where he likes to try and stand up in the bathtub so we're having to try and keep him distracted and sitting down with bath toys. Even though he learned how to stand and pull up on things, he at first had a hard time getting down. He'd fuss and want someone to help him sit back down, but he quickly learned how to take it slow and put his hand down so that he could get down on his own.

• Anthony had his follow-up appointment from his surgery at the beginning of May, and everything appears to look great and has completely healed. I say appears because we won't know 100% if it was successful until he begins to potty-train and we can determine how he does with using the toilet. We don't anticipate him having any problems, but time will tell. We'll follow up with the pediatric urologist a year from now and then in the future when he does start to potty-train.

• Now that he's crawling everywhere, his new favorite thing to play with are toys that he can push and roll around. He's obsessed with cars, tractors, dump trucks, and really anything with wheels! Also, another one of his new favorite things to do is crawl over to doors and open and close them. He does this with the front door, but also a couple of the bedroom doors at the house. He has his new little Fisher Price house, and his favorite thing to play with on it is the door since it makes sounds when you open and close it.

• Anthony has been cracking me up this month with all he's been doing with his legs. When you are carrying him and he gets excited about something, he'll kick his legs like crazy. He does this most often when you're about to take him outside. He's also been swinging his legs a bunch when he's happy and content, and he'll do it a lot when sitting in your lap or in his high chair or carseat. The other thing he's been doing is propping his feet up on things, and he does this any chance he gets if something is there to put them on. He has especially been doing this when riding in his stroller, but also props them up on the tray on his high chair. He's also been doing this in his crib both when he's lying there awake and in his sleep.

• Anthony had learned to wave hi the previous month, but still hadn't waved bye to people. He started doing that this month around the 12th, but he is not a fan. He can't stand for people to leave and hates to see them go, which is why I think it took him so long to start waving goodbye. Since we've had him waving at people so much to tell them hi and bye, he's gotten to where he waves all the time and will wave at just about anybody, especially if we're out and about or in a restaurant.

• Speaking of noticing other people while we're out, Anthony really loves seeing other babies and kids and always tries to get their attention. He'll wave at them, holler out and talk to them, and just loves other little ones. It's so fun to watch him interact with other babies because they usually get excited too and carry on their own little conversation in baby talk.

• This month Anthony has been taking much better naps. Before, he had been sleeping well at night but not during the day. He would usually nap 20-30 minutes and occasionally would for 45 minutes tops. Since he's been crawling and been so much more active, he's wearing himself out more and has been napping between an hour and two hours. Also, he's gotten to where when he gets sleepy, he likes to play with your hand, hold one of your fingers, and pick at your fingernails. You always know when he's getting tired now since that's his sign and what he wants to do when he's ready to fall asleep.

• Anthony's done so much better this month with his texture issues. In general, he's not been bothered or shivering near as much with anything he's touched, and he's even taken a liking to his touch and feel books. He has several that we never could get him to touch before, but now he seems to enjoy them. 

• We did have one other big milestone this month - Anthony said "Mama"! He started saying it on the 22nd and 23rd and hasn't stopped since. It's the sweetest thing, and not only that, he has been more vocal in general this month and is jabbering all the time now. I love his sweet little voice! 

Here are Anthony's eleven month pictures and a few more from the month of May:

So, Anthony did pretty well with the pictures I tried to take on the blanket, but when it came to the ones on the couch, he was not going to have it. As soon as David sat him down, this is the first picture I snapped:

I'm sure this is really bad, but we ended up bribing him with Goldfish crackers.

"You have what, Daddy?"

"Goldfish? Are you sure about this?"

"Can I have one please?"

I know, we're awful. He ended up looking at David in all of the pictures, and this is the only one I got of him looking in my direction (with his mouth full of Goldfish and chewing). Fun times and only one more set of pictures to take next month!

We were able to meet up with Amy halfway between here and Atlanta at the beginning of May for lunch and a little shopping. As always, it was so good to see her, and yes, Anthony is chewing on her sunglasses.

This is how Anthony always likes to ride around in his stroller - with his feet propped up!

He loves standing and playing with his new music table...

...and crawling underneath it too.

Silly boy!

Opening and closing the door - his favorite thing to do with his new house.

Actually starting to enjoy and touch his touch and feel books.

This one's a little dark, but he loves to open and close the front door.

He also loves looking outside!

"Here I come, Momma!"

Snack time with Daddy.

Remember how I talked about how much he loves to have his ears scratched? I snapped this picture of him one day while doing so...isn't this look hilarious?

 Sitting in the recliner and just growing up way too fast!