Eleven Months - Harrison

Dear Harrison,

Buddy, we are just one short month away from your first birthday!  Can you believe it?  I certainly can't!  This month has definitely been the most fun with you and I think that you've been the happiest you've ever been.

You finally figured out how to crawl!  It was very slow at first, and you wouldn't go far, but every day you got better and went further and further.  I loved to watch you cautiously try to figure it out and put your hands in front of each other and move your legs forward.  It took so much concentration.  You started crawling at the beginning of the month, and by the end, you're flying around the house!  You can get where you want to go quickly.  You're a pro at pulling up now too.  You use the walker toys and Annelise's shopping cart to help you walk around the house.  You also push around the activity table, Maya's food bowl stand, laundry baskets, and anything else you can get to move.

You have started to be a little troublemaker!  You know the things that you are not supposed to do, like get into Maya's bowls, but you crawl over to them every time you're in the kitchen.  I'll look at you and say, "Harrison, no sir" and you'll stop crawling, sit yourself up, look at me, and grin.  Then, you take off crawling towards the bowls again.  You naughty little boy!  It makes me giggle a little bit.  You like to get into things more than your sister did.  She never messed with cords or outlets.  You, on the other hand, are obsessed with them.

You tried lots of new foods this month, and you seemed to love everything.  Cheese, oatmeal, animal crackers, mostacolli, "baby cheetos", goldfish, it was all a hit.  I usually give you yogurt and Cheerios for breakfast, and then nurse you afterwards.  Dinner is a pouch, some cheese, and some crackers.  I'm working on coming up with some options for fruits and veggies for you to eat on your own.  You don't seem to be a fan of fruits on their own.  You might be better with them now since you're eating better.

Sleep is still going very well.  Naps are hit and miss.  Some days are good, some days are bad.  Night sleep is awesome!  I give you dinner around 5 PM, then I get you ready for bed around 6 PM.  You are usually sleeping between 6:30-7:00.  You wake up in the morning between 6:30-7:00 AM usually.  Definitely awesome!!  I'm so thankful that you've become such a good sleeper, especially since I'm here by myself most of the time.

Words are pretty non-existent.  Occasionally you will say "mom" or "mama".  That's about it.  You've starting saying "da" a little more frequently, but you don't associate it with Dad.  You don't talk a lot at all.  You screech and squeal and whine, but that's about it.  You have your paci in your mouth often, so I'm sure that attributes to the lack of words.

You are wearing 18 month clothes, but they are still a little big.  You've definitely slowed down your growth the past months.  You are still in a size 4 diaper.  I bought you a pair of sandals that are a size 4.

I just can't believe that we have one more short month until we are celebrating your birthday.  You are so much fun and I love to watch you grow and change and learn.  I love you more than words can say!

Love forever,
Mommy