Eleven Months

SS is 11 months old today - only one more month until he is ONE ENTIRE YEAR OLD.

We are on the countdown, especially because GG, fAuntie Jen, Uncle Aaron, and Cousins M and A will be in town to celebrate along with the rest of the fam.

(The birthday party planning hath begun.)

Life before B's diagnosis and life after B's diagnosis feel very distant from one another, and yet somehow both occurred in the past month of SS's life. 

SS took his first official belly-off-the-ground crawl-steps on June 8th. He still prefers to army crawl, as he is very speedy at it, but is rocking a bit on all fours and taking a tentative step here and there before retreating to the army crawl. This past week he gets on all fours, takes one small step forward and then maneuver himself into a sitting position, which seems to please him.  Otherwise, he army-crawls to follow us all over the house, as he does not enjoy being left alone in a room.

This month SS has enjoyed some pool time. The first time I tried to take him in the pool, he immediately started crying and that was that. No swimming. This month we took him to a pool party and he sat on the edge of the pool and splashed and splashed his feet while J and I talked with friends.

And then we tried full submersion again last weekend after SS watched BB and I swim for a while, and SS laughed and splashed through his inaugeral swim.

For about 10 days this month SS communicated mainly through blowing raspberries. SS did not regard food in his mouth as an impediment to raspberry-blowing.

Another way SS communicates is by opening and closing his hands in the air when he's sitting in his high chair, to tell us "I want" or "More", and then at the end of the meal he does the same gesture to signal us that he wants out of his high chair and to be held. (You can see how this gets a little confusing at times). 

We haven't heard any more "Da"s or other words, but SS unintelligibly babbles with the best of them.

On  June 22nd SS clapped for the first time, and has done it a few times since.

J lowered SS's crib mattress, one step closer to big(ger)-boydom.  When we put SS down for bed at night he watches us change BB into his pajamas, peeking through the crib slats over his crib bumper, like a little jailbird peeking through the bars.

SS is almost completely weaned - or my milk has almost completely dried up, it's a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Either way, I am clinging to the last vestiges of breastfeeding, nursing SS in the morning with the few ounces of milk I am still producing. I am guessing we have days left before SS completely loses interest. While I had hoped to breastfeed for a year, I am at peace with eleven months. SS drinks three full bottles of formula at mealtimes and a "snack" bottle in the afternoon, and eats finger-food solids at mealtimes as well.

SS is still in kamikaze pilot training on the changing table, flipping over and determinedly army-crawling to the edge where I catch him before he plummets down. Changing his diaper has become a full-contact sport.

Those are the Notable, Momentous Events of the past month - the Every Day Truth is that we still can't get enough of this giggly, ticklish, cuddly, smiley baby. Or kisses. There are never enough kisses.

Happy 11 months Boo Boo! Me loves mah wee naked bahby! (.....We saw Brave Tuesday night with the fam and have been unable to contain the Scottish accents ever since.)