Happy 11 months Mitchell!

Why is it that every month I have to say to myself where has the time gone? Here we are already at 11 months - that means in one more month our bibiti will be 1 year old. ONE YEAR OLD! YIKES! His sister really wanted to have a party for him but I convinced her that next month will be enough.


But let's not jump the gun. At 11 months you are:

• You are eating everything we are eating (although we avoid the obvious junk food). Carbs appear to be the favourite right now – especially muffins, breads, crackers etc. Applesauce, ground beef and gerber pickles get devoured more quickly as well. I thought you were going to like kiwi but after 2 days you started spitting it out. I have also started giving you the last of the rice cereal you had a while back and you are devouring that.
• Clapping seems to be the hand signal of choice. It could mean 'eat', 'toilet' and 'all done'. We are figuring it out though! You hit my chest when you want to drink or snuggle. You wave hello and goodbye.
• We are back to lots of cheesy grins and head throw backs. You are still happy a majority of the time. LOVE that.
• You are still doing a lot of scooting on the potty all around the house, but more often than not, you let yourself up when you are done. You are faster on your knees.
• You continue to pull yourself up to a stand around the furniture and are now starting to inch your way along.
• Tooth #8 (Feb 22 – lower left) and again lots of drool
• Sleep-wise we had another few late nights where once you were up you didn’t want to go back down. Daddy took you downstairs once and informed me in the morning that for some reason he didn’t sleep so well with you sleeping on him. Go figure! I’ve never experienced that lol!
• You have continued EC successes, signaling, ~early~ mornings, and nakey butt time. We have significantly lessened your use of diapers this month. See your daily routine for more details. You surprised me the other day by staying dry for a few hours while we were out and then going potty in the washroom! I was so happy about that! We do laugh about the “little puppy” in the house but when we are paying attention it works so well. You are such a great kid and we are enjoying this adventure!
  

your daily routine this past month continues to start around 6am with you kicking me in bed, I get you up and potty you (wet diaper with liner). It is usually a success. We then go downstairs where I feed you and then give you some table food. We then get dressed and head off to school (new diaper) - driving or in the stroller this month.

You are getting a full nap in the stroller right now in the mornings so we are all happy. You have just not been able to transfer once you fall asleep. One afternoon I had some extra kids with us so I put you in the back pack. You fell asleep and somehow I was able to get you off my back still asleep. You stayed that way for another 45 minutes. You must have really been tired!

After you wake up (around 12-1 pm), you are pottied (consistently dry), fed and then we sit at the table for table food. Then we hang out doing chores, computer work or errands until Cierra gets home. We then help her with lunch prep and getting snack ready for all the kids. We then bundle up (which you don’t like) and head to the school to get the kids (fresh diaper). We hang out there for 40 minutes playing outside and then walk home. You are usually asleep at this time and stay that way until 5ish when the kids start going home. Once you wake up you are pottied (again usually dry) and then you are usually wanting up and/ or to be fed. I'll be trying to get dinner started and kitchen clean-up going. We sit down to eat around 6pm and you get more table food. You are such a messy eater! We will then clean you up and take you for a bath or to play with your siblings. You want to be everywhere they are – especially when it is tumble play or mini sticks.

Bedtime routine has gotten better again. Daddy will usually bath you (which you LOVE –especially with the other kids). You are then diapered (with a liner) and then we then brush your teeth, read a story, get the other kids in bed and then I sit down with you. After about ½ hour you are ready for bed and are going down awake but are asleep within seconds. This leaves us at about 9pm. It is such a blessing. You are still not taking a bottle from anyone but will settle for them a little later than usual but without many tears. This does allow daddy and I to go out if we want.

When you do go down I can usually be assured that you will sleep for at least 3 hours at which point I will feed you again (usually about the time daddy and I head to bed), hopefully put you in your own bed and if not ours and then go to bed ourselves. We will sometimes change you again but it’s hit or miss whether that will “wake” you up or not.

That my boy, is your routine this month in a nutshell. Always changing and yet staying the same. Go figure.