Toby: 11 Months!

Eeekkk the countdown until a year is on!  Toby turned 11 months earlier this week on Thursday, and like usual, I needed to wait until the weekend to attempt a photoshoot.  He is even more of a squirmy worm now and he’s gotten to the point where he will fuss like crazy until you put him on the floor so he can explore.  Thank goodness it hasn’t happened too often in public yet…

Biggest news this past month is someone has been practicing steps!  On May 13th, we were hanging out in the living room and I was sitting in our chair finishing my coffee.  Toby was cruising around the coffee table and then suddenly decided to walk right over to the chair, taking about three or four steps without holding onto anything.  I was like “WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!” and then we immediately called Daddy.  Of course I tried to get him to repeat the walking but he refused and would keep crawling to me.  Now he will walk with you if you are holding one of his hands, and he’s pretty steady but can’t do it longer than thirty seconds.  He will take a couple steps randomly unassisted but definitely isn’t walking across the room on his own at this point.  Not sure if he’ll be actually walking before his birthday?

I also think his verbal skills have really blossomed in the last few weeks.  He is saying a lot of “g” sounds and recently he says “ate, ate, ate” all the time but I’m not sure what he’s referring to when he does that.  Doing a lot of “da’s” but no “ma ma” yet.  He can also roll his r’s – not even kidding.  Not sure where he picked that up from since me and Hubby cannot do it.  He seems to understand when I call the kitties and instantly looks for Maggie or Ellie when I say their names.  Hubby also thinks he knows what his toy green car is.  Curious to know what the first official word will be!

Weight: No idea and I keep forgetting to weigh him with me.  I’m assuming at least 20 pounds, maybe close to 21 pounds?  He has gotten leaner, though, as he was wearing a pair of 12 months jeans a couple months ago with no problem but the same pair of pants is now loose in the waist.  Sure feels heavy, though!

Height: Again, no idea!  1 year check-up is 6/17.

Medical Issues: Still hasn’t been sick (knock on wood!).  Eczema has been kept under control, has had much less flare-ups as the weather has gotten warmer.  Only issue has been the teeth…all four front tops one are in, and the side ones next to the bottom front teeth are also coming in.  He’s handled them really well, though, considering.

Sleep: Nighttime sleep has been great, still sleeping from 7:45pm until 6:30am, and rarely needs us to go in at night if he wakes up suddenly.  There were a few mornings where he slept in til 7:30am and I woke up at 7am completely shocked.  I was hoping his schedule was shifting until he went back to waking up at 6:30am…grr.  Sometimes I can sneak in a quick shower before I get him as he enjoys playing quietly in his crib.  Naps have been an issue…I thought he was getting ready to combine the two naps but we tried doing that a couple days and it failed miserably.  I try to get him down in the morning by 10am, he sleeps for 90 minutes, and then try to get him down again around 3ish, when he sleeps anywhere from 45-90 minutes. 

Clothes/Diapers: Moved up to size 4’s and we have switched over to Cruiser’s which have worked really well.  Also in 4’s for overnights.  For clothes, he’s wearing all 12 month or 6-12 month clothes with the exception of a few 9 month size pants that still fit.  And he managed to squeeze into a 9 month white onesie for the photoshoot.

Diet: Drinking four 6oz bottles a day, usually at 7:30am, 11:30am, 4pm, and 7:30pm.  Eats breakfast at 8:45am, lunch at 1:30pm, and dinner anytime between 5-6pm.  Doing great with finger foods and eats basically anything that we’re eating, as long as I can tear it into little pieces.  Not a fan of eating fruit, though, unless it’s in puree form, so I’ve been making smoothies for him.  He still eats some purees, but definitely not as much as he was last month.  Favorite foods would probably be yogurt, chicken (he loved the one I marinated in sun-dried tomato dressing last week), ground turkey we use for tacos, and sweet potatoes.  But he will really eat anything, though, he’s not picky (thank goodness).

Baby Gear Love: Nothing new? 

Milestones/Firsts: Started clapping on 5/1.  Took first steps on 5/13. 

Likes: When I say the ABC’s to him when changing his diaper (NOT singing).  When I sing and clap to B-I-N-G-O.  Chasing the kitties and looking through the cat door in the basement door to find Ellie on the other side.  Climbing up the stairs…he will go all the way up to the loft now.  Climbing over our backs when we lay on the floor.  Being thrown up in the air and also being “Super Toby” when we fly him.  Going into the bathroom and taking the toilet paper off the roll.  Being chased around the living room. 

Dislikes: Being put down for an afternoon nap.  Having the living room gate closed (the gate has now been moved to just block off the stairs).  Being kept out of the bathroom.  Being told “no” after opening the garbage. 

Things I don’t want to forget: How he will pull books out of his toy bin and quietly go through them very fast by himself.  He will come over to me if he wants me to read one to him, but sometimes he likes reading on his own.  How he can be a little “fresh” and will pull your hand off of something if it’s covering whatever he wants to see or get into.  How he squawks like a bird when he gets excited.  How proud he is when he uses his walker to go a far distance.

Still hard to believe almost an entire year has gone by.  So true with how the days seem long but the months go by so quickly.  Last year around this time we were in Maine celebrating our second anniversary and took time to do maternity photos.  Some days I miss the bump and feeling all the kicks, but I do have to say the outside kicks and squirms are a lot more fun!