Eleven Months Old

Happy Eleven Months, little boy! It is such a joy to watch you grow and develop. You are a gift to us! 

Titon is a busy little guy, moving from one toy to the next! He certainly keeps us on our toes. He officially started crawling at ten months, and he can really travel! Within a week, he was also pulling up on furniture. He took quite a few topples at first, but his balance is improving and he's learning to fall the right direction, usually landing on his seat. :) He is gaining a little independence as he explores from room to room, but he still likes to know we're close by. Of course, we're typically not far behind. In fact, we're already learning that if he's been quiet for more than a few moments, he's been out of our sight for too long!

Sometimes, his curiosity gets the best of him, but overall Titon responds very well when we say "oh-oh" or "no-no" to things that are off-limits. He's learned to shake his head "no" (which isn't a bad thing!), but we're also practicing nodding "yes!" :) He seems to understand a lot of what we say and usually follows simple instructions such as "sit down," "come here," "turn off the light" (light switch), "give it to Mommy, please" or "wash up." He loves to wave "hi," and smiles at himself in the mirror.

Some of Titon's favorite toys this month are his balls. He has fun rolling them around the room, crawling after them, and trying to throw the small ones. He's learned how to "dunk" the basketball and likes when we cheer for him! He's even learned how to give a "high five!"

Helping Pooh-Bear to escape... :)

Titon still loves to take things OUT of a basket or box. But, now he's also interested in putting them IN... a help to Mom (until they all come out again!). He's very clever! Rustling paper is still one of his favorite activities. He's finding that he can tear those magazine pages in half and shred them into tiny bits of confetti... a nice snack if Mom's not watching! :)

Fortunately, he hasn't torn any book pages yet. He truly loves his books and pulls out his favorites to read each day. We started going to a weekly "Books and Babies" story time at the public library. It's a fun chance to learn new books, sing songs, and meet other moms and little people Titon's size. :)

This momma's artist-heart was excited for Titon to color with crayons for the first time! So far, he may say the crayons are better for eating, and shaking the finished artwork is more entertaining. :)

Another new adventure for Titon this past month was getting to ride in the shopping cart for the first time! We think he's pretending to "drive" when the cart is moving. :)

One of my favorite things Titon is learning right now is to "share" his toys or food with us by holding it up to our mouth or putting it in our hand. He loves when we say "thank you!" Sometimes, he offers it to us, but then takes it back and giggles. He sure is fun and playful with us! :)

He's getting some practice with using a spoon, but after he's eaten most of his food. :)

One night as I was setting the table, I set Titon's bowl down just a little too close within his reach. Before I knew it, he had grasped his bowl and started scooping handfuls of greens & rice to his mouth. Who needs a spoon?!

Regardless, Titon is extremely happy to eat a few more foods that look like what Mom and Dad are having... such as pizza, spaghetti, and chewing on corn cobs! He has four teeth now... his middle two on the bottom and middle two on the top!

One of our special family times is relaxing after supper. We love spending time outside and often go out to check the garden in the evenings. Then, we head inside again for some wrestle and playtime with Dad before getting ready for bed. :)

It's fun to close these monthly updates with a "sleepy" picture, but there were several shots to include this time. Sweet dreams, baby boy! We love you! :)