11 Months with Jude

Wearing: some 6-9 month clothing still and 12 month clothing; size 4 diapers for nighttime tummy sleeping (mostly cloth during the day); 4.5 in shoes

Growth: I don't have official measurements, but he is weighing right at 21 pounds on our home scale 

Sleeping: He still takes 2 naps during the day and sleeps 10-12 hours at night; he is definitely more wakeful lately and doesn't fall asleep as easily when we are out. He is definitely struggling with nighttime sleep lately (teething pain and/or developmental milestones)

Eating: He likes everything and signs "eat" now. He also reaches into a toy bag and pretends to put food in his mouth. This month he is eating mostly table food and some new foods that he has tried include: baked sweet potato, avocado, cheese, and ritz crackers. He still really loves trying to eat paper which keeps me busy all day long trying to keep it out of his mouth.

Personality: Content, easy-going, extremely active, fearless, playful, independent, rough, and sneaky (always up to something!) 

Teething: He has four teeth now and working on more (so we've been cutting teeth all month!). 

Look: big brown eyes and curly brown hair. :)

New "Tricks": super fast crawler, pulling up, getting into everything, he is not walking yet but is letting go and standing for longer periods of time and cruising very well on furniture, says "Mama," "Dada," and "Duck"...also we think "Baba" (for ball or balloon), opening cabinets, climbing stools, getting into the toilet and trash can, can pull out his own little baskets of toys, clapping and now trying to wave, and he can pull himself up onto the end table by pulling out the drawer and lifting himself off the ground. He keeps me busy!!!

Likes: playing, being on the go and into everything, eating, bath time, watching us brush our teeth, swinging and being outside, anything that James is doing is where he wants to be, he seems to like dog stuffed animals and real dogs too (our neighbor's dog, Sunny, is the highlight of their day many times!), playing with books and paper (and eating paper), he loves to sit and flip through little books (it's so cute!), he loves remotes and cell phones, he loves taking out DVD cases, he laughs at the word "no" and "bless you" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with Mama; clapping, being near and touching James at all times, Praise Baby DVDs - the only things that he dislikes are being stopped from all of his adventures, being left in the church nursery, and being handed off from Mama (we are in that stage now!)

Jude, I cannot believe that in just a few, short weeks we will celebrate your first birthday! What a whirlwind this year has been! You have brought us so much joy, and I loved delighting in all the unique things about your little life that you add to this family. I cannot imagine life without you, and I can hardly remember life before you. I love you forever, sweet stinker boy!

Evidence of his climbing...