11-Months-Old!

Eli is now 11-months-old and we are in disbelief that he will turn one in a little under a month! Where has the time and our little baby gone? He seems so much more like a big boy these days. Here's what's gone on during his 11th month...

* Weight & Length: We will find out his new stats at his 12-month well-visit next month, but he sure does seem to be growing like a weed. Mark and I went in to check on him before we went to bed the other night and we couldn't believe how long he looked all sprawled-out on his back in the crib. Long gone are the days of a little swaddled bundle...

* He's solidly fitting into 12-month clothes (and a few items that are 18-month...like sleepers)

* Eli's moved on to size 4 diapers after many a leaky one over the past couple weeks. We're still trying to figure out which diaper we like the best and trying to cope with the fact that as the diaper size gets larger, the fewer number of diapers are actually in the package for the same cost...or sometimes more money. Diapers are NOT cheap!

* As of last weekend, Eli now has a total of 8 teeth that have popped through his little gums. We're working on getting him used to brushing his teeth. I think he's convinced the toothbrush is some kind of food.

* Over the past month, Elijah also decided that he likes to feed himself food. Gone are the days of him gagging on anything other than purees. Thank goodness! He's been eating lots of new things and really hasn't refused any of the finger foods I've given him yet. Some of his current favorite foods are pieces of string cheese, sweet potato, grapes, green beans, peas, squash, blueberries, apple, peaches, and yogurt.

* One downfall of his newfound love of "big people food" is that he's developed this really high-pitched demanding screech when he really wants something. Hopefully this is something that will pass with time, as I don't think our eardrums will be able to handle it for the long term.

* Eli's really getting mobile these days. He's been pulling-up-to-stand on EVERYTHING the past few weeks. He will cruise a little when he's standing at certain objects like the couches, but not too much as of yet. We found out last weekend that he will walk with support, though. My parents got him a new musical dinosaur walking/riding toy while we were away last weekend and he pulled himself right up with the handle bars and walked with it almost immediately. He's been doing it more and more ever since! So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see if he is walking on his own by next month's post!

* In the communication department, Eli continues to develop his ability to make different sounds. He's started to make the "T", "S", and "P" sound over the past month. There are no real words that he's saying yet, but he definitely is beginning to understand certain words that we say. For example, if you ask him where his doggie is, he will go find Candy immediately. It's too cute how much he loves that dog!

* Eli's 11th month was also characterized by many new quirky behaviors he developed...

He began doing what Mark and I call his "Pop-Eye" mouth, where he would "talk" out of the corner of his mouth.

Ever since we went to vacation at the beach, he will stick his little fingers under a closed door if someone is on the other side...such as when you are in the bathroom.

Just recently he'll randomly begin crawling with his head looking down at the floor while he is moving. The only problem with this is that he will not realize that there is something blocking his path and he will literally ram into it...but not too hard. It's hilarious!

He's also become our little "Rolly Poly" these days. I bought a new pillow a few weeks back and put it on the floor and next thing I know Eli is falling onto it and rolling of the sides over and over again. All the while, giggling his head off! He does this on Candy's dog pillow and sometimes on Candy too!

* Some other "tricks" we are working on these days are getting him to wave and "dance." He will do both pretty randomly but it is always so cute when he does!

Eli's 11th month was full of changes and fun. It's amazing to think back to how much our life has changed with him even since the beginning of this year, when he was only 4-months-old. We are so blessed to have such a sweet boy and look forward to the awesome times his 12th month will bring!






An attempt to get the "Pop-Eye" Mouth on film...




Eli is OBSESSED with the opening theme song of Sesame Street...as seen here...oh, and Cookie Monster is his absolute favorite character too!


He finally fits into the JMU t-shirt we bought him last fall!







Here are some outtakes from this month's photo session. Eli was a total wiggle-worm the entire time and actually wiggled himself off of the rocker at one point...which didn't make him too happy. He survived though!