10 months

Little stinker,

this past month has absolutely flown by! Our days have been full - from playgroups with friends, to swimming, to a trip to Kansas City to visit your Aunt Lesley while your dad was in Ethiopia, we have been on the move!

You continue to be all over the place these days. You're standing a lot, pulling up on everything you can. A few little steps here and there - along the couch, behind your push toy - no real walking yet, but I know it's coming soon. You've even tried to climb the stairs a few times or pull yourself up onto the fireplace hearth. I've constantly got to keep my eye on you!

This month has certainly witnessed a marked increase in your verbiage! You babble constantly, experimenting with all kinds of different noises, including screams in a very high pitch (much to our chagrin amusement). You also think it's pretty fun when you run your hand back and forth across your mouth and yell. Whenever we pat your mouth, immediately you'll open up and say "awwwwww," just like a little Indian. :)

One of my favorite achievements this month: we're pretty sure you've been saying "mama!" You've seemed intentional about it several times, looking at me, reaching your hands up and saying it. Sometimes when you're upset or tired you say it over and over. You also continue to experience a bit of separation anxiety from me, especially when you're in an unfamiliar place.

Nearly everyone who sees you remarks how much you are looking like a little boy, and it's true. Your hair is getting thicker and longer, you're growing taller and sure enough, a big boy is starting to emerge. Of course, I have very mixed emotions about this.

You're so smart, Boone. You inspect everything, constantly trying to figure things out. You can't get enough of anything electrical or mechanical (mostly things you shouldn't be touching). Cords, tubing and wires are the things that most hold your attention! We wouldn't be surprised at all if God calls you into a career involving detail and precision. You're also totally into books right now, slowly turning the pages, opening and closing the front and back covers. Pulling them off your bookshelf onto the floor is one of your favorite activities, a mess I get to clean up multiple times every day. :)

When you were around five months old, your first-time parents were convinced that a tooth was on its way. Five months later it has finally decided to make it's debut! It barely pushed through a couple of weeks ago, but is present enough for a bite on my finger yesterday to really HURT (and even leave a mark)! The tooth is also the source of some funny new faces - your bottom lip pushed way out or pulled way in as you chew on it.

We've experienced a little more of your independence this month as you currently despise eating from a spoon. You prefer to feed yourself! However, your one little half-tooth doesn't allow for much variety in big-people food. I'm trying to give you whatever I can think of that is soft: little puffs, melts or raisins. Then I have to sneak purees into your mouth in between the bites you feed yourself. You're eating three solid meals a day now, with a schedule that goes something like this:

7 - wake and 6 oz. bottle

8 - cereal, puffs, raisins/peaches, egg yolks scrambled, little pieces of bread

9ish to 10:30ish - nap

10:30 - 5 oz. bottle

12 - lunch - only finger foods (cheese, puffs, fruit)

1:30ish to 3ish - nap

3 - 5 oz. bottle

5 - dinner - vegetables, cereal

7:30 - 6-7 oz. bottle

8 - bedtime

I'm still pumping bottles for you but am looking forward to ending this ritual later this month, as there is over a month's worth of frozen milk to last through your 12 month mark. I made it significantly farther than I ever thought I would and am happy and thankful, with all this year has held, to have been able to give you milk this long.

It seems that you've fallen in love with your stuffed animals lately - you are always grabbing them and squeezing them. You also try to do this to Stryder and Annabelle, and they are incredibly patient and tolerant with you. We think its hilarious that you have been giggling when we lay you in bed for your naps and give you your pacifier and blanket. You just love your bed.

Oh buddy, I've been starting to think about your one year birthday party and I just can't even believe that it's really almost here. In some ways this year has been very long, in others, it's gone so fast that it makes my eyes well up. Can't imagine life without you, sweet boy.