10 months!

Hey punkin, you're 10 months old today. We've had a big month. I've had so much fun with you lately. I might have to make nine to ten months one of my new favorite ages. You are learning new things almost every day and have a new skill at least weekly. You've done most of what I predicted for you last month except the waving and signs. I've already written about a lot of the new things you've accomplished, so here's a quick update.

Just two days ago you took a couple of steps along the coffee table to get your toy. You are also trying to move between the couch and the coffee table. So far you do that mostly on your bum, but I bet you will make it on your feet this week. You are crawling much faster in the last week or so. No more putting you down and turning my back even for a second...you head out the door, to the trash or to the stairs! You know just where to go to get mommy's attention.

Speaking of, it doesn't matter how much mommy sweeps or Swiffers, you find something on the floor that I miss. Twice already you have popped something in your mouth that I didn't even see you pick up. The first time I couldn't retrieve whatever it was . (I think some pulp from the center of the acorn squash I was making for you.) I think we are both still traumatized from me trying to sweep it out of your cheek. I can still see your wide, frightened eyes as I held you and put my finger in your mouth over and over. I'm sorry my love, but I had to try. The second time, I did retrieve the object. It was some pea-sized black rubber piece, perhaps from the back of a picture frame or bottom of some tchotchke. It definitely wasn't food. Not sure how that would have gone down or come out. This past Saturday you and I raced each other around the living room. You finding dust bunnies, pillow feathers, cellophane from who-knows-what, and me taking them from you and trying to get to the next "no-no" before you did. You then trumped me by heading to the electronics, pulling cords and sending a stack of CD cases to the floor, repeatedly. Yes, I could have put you in your play area, but you learn by exploring and I learn my trying to stay one step ahead (or at least right on top) of you. You wore mommy out! Now that I have dusted under the couches, run a lint roller under the coffee table and re-stacked the CDs, I'm sure you'll find something else I've missed. This morning you managed to turn over your diaper pail while I was rinsing out your poopa doup (dirty diaper). Fortunately you weren't hurt and did not manage to eat your diapers before I got to you. Let's not make a habit of that ok?

While we were talking to Grandpa on the phone yesterday, he commented on how talkative you have become. You still haven't gotten the hang of saying the right word for the right object, but you have expanded your vocabulary to include "ba-ba-ba-ba", "boop-boop-boop", "da-da-da-da", "guh" and, finally, "ma-ma". You have used the latter more often in the last week and usually when you are cranky or crying. "Da-da," on the other hand, is your happy sound. One day you're going to have to make up for that, kid.

Here are some other fun things that you do right now that I want to remember:

1) You think it's fun to sniff in and out of your nose. You wrinkle it up and make sniffing sounds. You think its funny when I do it back. You've been doing this for a month or so, but I'm just remembering to mention it.

2) You think it's great fun to throw things over the arm of your rocker. If you don't have anything to throw, you just lay on your belly over the arm and hang off the side. You'd go head first if I didn't hold you. You do this several times every feeding and when we're supposed to be reading books for bed or nap time. After "breakfast" you hang over the side and look at your books. Sometimes they get hit with your "leftovers." Yuk! I think you owe Hungry Caterpillar more than one apology!

3) You sort of play fetch with yourself. You throw a toy and then crawl to get it, then throw it again and repeat. It's really cute. Sometimes it seems you are trying to sneak someplace you aren't supposed to be by throwing closer and closer to that place. At this point, I think I'm giving you too much credit though.

4) One of your favorite toys is an empty trial sized bottle from Johnson's baby shampoo. Truth be told, I emptied the shampoo so you could have the bottle because your friend Sam likes his so much I thought you should try it. Sure enough, the bottle makes you happy. You like the way your voice reverberates inside it. You often "sing" with it in your mouth.

5) You also love to play with the doorstop springs all over the house. You open and close the door with it or just make it "ping" with your fingers.

5) We just started putting you up on our shoulders and letting you ride around up there. You love it. When we bounce you up there it makes you laugh. We. LOVE. your. laugh.

6) You have learned to look for Daddy and me when we come home. If you are on the floor, you crawl quickly to meet us. It's one of the best feelings ever to see you excitedly coming to see me.

Your nicknames are fewer these days. We most often call you "buddy," "pumpkin," "dude," or "(my) love."

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that we're behind the curve on your diet. (Who makes "the curve" anyway?) I'm a crunchier mama than I thought I'd be and of the opinion that you should get most of your nutrition from nursing at this point. Soon I'll transition you to eating first, then nursing, but not yet. I also love to make your food. It tastes much better and I know exactly what's in it. That seems normal enough, right? Somewhere along the way, though, I've developed some phobia of giving you the food the rest of the world eats. Have you looked at the ingredients on the Cheerios box? Of course you haven't, you'd just eat the box (I don't even want to think about THOSE ingredients). They aren't took bad, but they aren't made by mama either. I've also been seriously wondering if you REALLY need a birthday cake. You've never had such junk. Maybe a sweet potato pie? Come on, you love sweet potatoes. Ok, I'm kidding a bit here, but I'm having issues with giving you table foods. I think your Daddy is going to have to sneak you a Cheerio if you're going to get one before your prom.

You don't realize it yet, but there are a lot of changes headed your way this month. Nanny C, who has been with us since January's Nanny-gate, found a last minute position as a fourth grade teacher. So we are on the search again for her replacement. This last month she was away two days, so Ms. Beth kept you. Mommy and Daddy really like Ms Beth, but you were not so sure. You have learned to associate Nanny C coming with Mommy leaving and when the same scenario happened with Ms Beth, you were-not-having-it! Poor Ms Beth, I've never seen you throw such a fit! Suddenly you took stranger and separation anxiety to new levels. Fortunately you calmed down on your walk and were happier after a good morning nap. Ms Beth actually returned the next day and our morning went more smoothly. Ms Beth will be back with us again this week and her daughter will keep you this Friday. Next week we may do the same, but we have to find someone else by the end of this month. We still don't know who that will be yet, but we are trying hard to find her. In the meantime, you will have several new people in and out of your Thursdays and Fridays. I'd like to think that will be good for you, but I'm afraid it's going to be hard on us both anyway.

For fun, here's where I think you're headed in the next month: I think you will cruise the furniture with ease, wave or clap, pick up a "word" or two, climb the stairs with help (you did the first step today), and drink from a sippie cup (if I can find one we both like). I hope you'll get a little more comfortable with company. With everything we have going on, this month is going to fly baby boy!