Eleven Months Old

Can I help you with these boxes, Mama?

Dear Will,

After I was whopping 30 days late on your 10 month post, I told myself that I'd write this one ASAP. No procrastinating this time! Yet, here we are again, nearly a month late. Where do the days go?

Oh, I know... I spend them chasing after you! This past month was a big one. You finally started crawling on your hands and knees (yay!). I was partially convinced that you'd be one of those babies who went right to walking and never crawled. But right after we moved, off you went! My friend Lisa said it was clearly because you wanted to explore the new house.

Crawling was preceded by a few key milestones. Mid-way through the last month, you figured how to go from your belly to your bottom. Then, it wasn't long before you we're going from your bottom to your hands and knees. Then you started rocking back and forth (pre-crawling) and pulling yourself up on furniture. Before we knew it, you were crawling around and cruising along furniture. And you haven't stopped since!

You still don't have any distinguishable words, but you chatter constantly. "Ba" is used most often, but you also throw "ma", "da" and "pa" in there for good measure. You love to puff air and spit out the side of your cheeks, which makes a funny gurgling noise. So cute!

You still love oatmeal, purees and yogurt, but we're working harder on finger foods. Your interest in puffs is waning, but you love to eat crackers, cheese and fruit by yourself. You reject all finger vegetables, which means the only way I can get you to eat anything green is to stir it into your yogurt. Green bean yogurt is among your bizarre favorites (yum!).

You aren't a fan of sippy cups. We've tried five different cups (different brands, different spouts) to no avail. Doesn't matter if it's juice, water or formula. You just aren't interested. You drink well from a regular cup, but you need Mama's help for that. I worry about you getting enough fluids when (if?) we stop bottles next month.

Now that you're crawling, you love to explore. You crawl in, around and over everything, dragging toys and other odds and ends along with you. Whenever I open the patio door, you make a bee-line for the backyard. It's such a big world out there! You just want to see it all.

Already, we can tell that you're very mechanically minded. You are obsessed with wheels and love stacking and sorting objects. You love toys with screws, bolts or holes that you can inspect. You explore everything with your fingers, gently flicking, stroking or poking objects to see what they do. You love books with different textures to feel. "I Like Bugs" and "That's Not My Monster" are among your favorites.

Whew! Another month come and gone already. I feel like I blinked and it was over. You keep me busy in the most joyful, exhausting, rewarding way possible. I love watching you grow. I love you, my darling boy.

Love,

Mama