Brantley Carter: 11 Months Old


11 months old.  Let's repeat that.  11. months. old.  Already.  It's been nearly a year since you came into this world.  A year since I sat anxiously every day wondering if that would be the day.  In one sense, it seems like yesterday.  But then in another, when I start looking back through all the photos I've taken (which I've been doing a lot lately in preparation of your upcoming birthday), it truly seems like a year.  You've grown from a newborn into a near-toddler.  And it's just so darn crazy!

Feeding you has started to get more difficult.  I wouldn't say you're losing interest in eating, but you are losing interest in eating pureed baby foods (see, toddler!).  You often look away in rebellion.  When you do take bites of the pureed food, you immediately put your hands in your mouth.  Like you want to feel it.  Or feed it to yourself.  Who knows.  You still seem to love eating, as long as it's something you can feed yourself.

You must have recently gone through a growth spurt.  Friends keep telling us you look so big!  Maybe I see it??  I don't know...it's hard when I see you everyday.  Some of the t-shirts you've worn this spring seem shorter and more snug in the belly.  That's my only clue.  We've been in public twice in the last week and strangers have commented on how big of a baby you are.  Unless you've really sprouted on the growth charts, I think you're pretty average for an 11-month old?  But apparently, you look gigantic to others!

With your older age comes more vocalness.  You are becoming louder and more talkative every day.  No true words, but lots of screams, yells, baby babble, and just constant noise.  It's almost like you have a language of your own.  You have also recently shown signs of a temper.  You get mad when you don't get what you want and throw mini-temper tantrums.  And you're not even one...yikes.  You are also uber-ornery.  You know you're not supposed to be doing things (pounding on the window screens, climbing the stairs, playing in the plant dirt), but you do them anyway and wait for us to "catch" you.  You think it's so funny.  You also play this little game.  When Daddy is holding you, I'll hold my hands out for you to come to me and you onerily (is that a word?) turn the other direction.  Ditto when I am holding you and Daddy reaches for you.  Such a little teaser, you are!

Other words to describe your 11-month self: fearless (not scared of anyone or anything), happy (smile and laugh all the time), active (always on the go and rarely cuddle), inquisitive (always trying to figure out how things work), silly, and of course, sweet.  You play hard and you sleep hard.  You truly are the best baby we could have hoped for!
 
Only one more month until your big first birthday!  One more month until we can officially tell people you are 1!  Here we go...

11-Month Update

Size - Unofficially about 24 pounds, according to our bathroom scale!

Words - Ba-ba (baby) - we often look at your pictures up the stairs and you mimic the word baby.  Also da-da and pa-pa and an occasional ma-ma, though none of the three seem to be in reference to anything specific.  You know what the words 'fan', 'doggy', and 'light' mean, and you now give high-fives!

Activity - Not a huge difference from 10 months.  Your balance seems to be improving and you are better at standing unassisted, but only when I work with you on it.  Still little interest in walking.  You're a master crawler and even a speed-walker with your walker toys.  You play independently all the time, though it's rarely with your baby toys.

Food - Three bottles per day (morning, afternoon, and bedtime) - 6 to 8 ounces each.  You always drink 8 ounces in the mornings, but it's a struggle to get you to drink that much during the other two feedings (you'd rather play).  You are eating three full meals per day - a mix of pureed baby foods, rice/oatmeal, and table foods.  Among the table foods you tried this month: refried beans, crumbled hamburger, raisins, muffin, yogurt, cupcake, doughnut, hotdog, cottage cheese, mac & cheese, cheese stick, fresh blueberries, crackers, and goldfish.  You also love bananas and the typical "baby" snacks (mum mums, yogurt bites, puffs, cheerios, etc.).

Sleep - Around 10 hours per night plus two to three naps ranging from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours (in your crib) per day. We don't really follow a "schedule", but morning nap time is typically around 9 and afternoon nap time is around 1 or 2.  You've been going for occasional runs with Daddy and often take a third nap in the stroller during his run.

Bedtime/Waketime - Bedtime is anywhere between 7:30 and 9, after your last bottle. Wake time is usually 6:15 on the dot, but has recently been as late as 7:00.

Hair - Very blond.

Eyes - Dark blue

Teeth - You've doubled your number of teeth in the last month, and you're now up to 8!  Four on top and four on bottom.  And luckily, they haven't seemed to bother you!

Likes - Kinnick, feeding yourself, and getting in everything you shouldn't.

Dislikes - Waking up from naps, having your face wiped after meals.

Wardrobe - You are wearing mostly 12-18 month summer clothes.

Diapers - Size 3

Mommy's Fave - Oh boy, what is my favorite thing right now?  I love that you're becoming so independent and developing your own little personality.  Even though it's hard to believe (and emotional), I love that you're almost a toddler!  My favorite age for kids has always been 1 to 3 and I'm oh so excited you're almost there!

And can I say, I'm so glad we're almost done with these monthly pics!  Seriously stresses me out so much each month because you never cooperate!  We got a couple of decent pictures (sans smile, of course)...




 But this is how most of the session goes...


 Love ya, Kiddo!

 

No comments:

Post a Comment