Cale: ELEVEN months

ELEVEN MONTHS

July 22, 2013

Cale, how on earth are you already eleven months old?  You are going to be ONE year old soon!  I really do feel like you were just born yesterday and you are still my little baby, but your daily adventures tell me you are growing up fast. 

Right now you are particularly fond of the outdoors.  You get very excited at the prospect of being outside and you always always ALWAYS make a beeline for the dirt.  And if I am not fast enough, you ingest that dirt.  Sorry, buddy.  I do my best to keep up with you, but between you and your sister…. Well… yeah.  A little dirt gets eaten on occasion.

You also love BALLS.  Especially saying the word “ball.”  You can say “mama,” “dada,” “bye-bye” and “ball,” as well as “rawr!!!” and “whooo-whooo.”  However, you much prefer to repeat the word, “ball.”  And I stinking love it!  It’s so adorable!  You suck your bottom lip in every time you say “ballllll.”  And you always get very happy when you see a ball.  If there’s a basket or bowl around, you also make sure that ball is popped inside!  Do we have a basketball player on our hands?  Hard to say yet, but I do believe you are very BOY.  Cracks me up to see how BOY you are in comparison to your VERY sparkly girly sister!  (Though lately Charlotte has taken a liking to wrestling you to the ground and holding you in a squeeze position.  Right now, you cry for help.  But I have warned her that in a month or so, you will be the one placing her in the squeeze hold….)

You are definitely my little man.  My biggest fan.  And as I say every month, you melt my heart.  I am smitten with you, buddy!  And therefore you get away with a LOT!  For example, nursing.  You much prefer nursing to every other form of nourishment.  And I often give in.  However, lately, I have been actively trying to give you more bottles.  (Which fortunately you also take like a champ… it’s just a matter of preparing the bottles that takes time…)  I have also been a little more creative in feeding you solids.  You like to use spoons and forks like your big sister.  And while you usually use the utensils to fling food everywhere, you also manage to get at least a few bites into your mouth.  So our kitchen is a bit of a mess for awhile.  That’s okay.  Drives your Daddy bonkers, but I’m doing what I can to make my boy eat! 

One of the benefits to you taking a bottle is that your big sis can feed you.  Though you are pretty much as big as she is, she LOVES to feed you!  And I am simply swooning with love as I spy!

Nights have improved slightly.  You still wake up twice.  And I still go in to help you back to sleep.  It won’t be forever.  And while I am absolutely tired, I’m okay with it.  Because before I know it, these days will be simply a distant memory.

Every day I am amazed by your strength and growing mind.  You are able to squat and lift heavy objects- such as my weights and heavy toys!  You have taken a few single steps here and there but you still prefer to crawl because you are super fast!  I love watching you learn every day, Cale.  I basically just love being your Mom.  I’m excited to celebrate your first birthday and see you enjoy your first taste of cake.  Thanks for being so sweet to me, buds.  I love you.