Eleven Months With Jude

- November 26, 2013

Eleven? Are you sure that's right? It has been an incredible eleven months watching this little dude grow up! Boy, does he look different than he did when we brought him home! This month marks the change from a tender little baby boy to a tough toddler! We love to throw you around on the comfy bed pillows and blankets and hear you squeal with joy! You get up on those back legs and bounce up and down! You've been walking since October 21st and man, you hit the ground running ever since! We can't keep up with your speed! Sometimes, out of the corner of my eye I'm pretty sure I see you jump and skip even! We love to chase you around the house and play hide and go seek with you. We let you discover the house by yourself as we peek around the corner just to make sure you're not getting into mommy's lotion, trying to open the toilet lid, or eating toilet paper! You go to bed around 7:30 and wake up around 8:00 with cute little noises or short cries just to let us know you're awake! You like to shake your blue elephant with a rattle inside in the mornings and you even turn on your sleep sheep to let us know you're ready to play! My favorite part of the morning is when I walk into your room and you're jumping up and down, ready for me to grab you! You always rest your head on my shoulder for about ten seconds right after I pick you up and I whisper, "mommy loves you." It makes me feel like I'm at home!

We like to pray over you and I especially like to sing this song to you each day, "Holy Spirit you are welcome here, come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory God is what our hearts long for, to be overcome by your presence Lord." We listen to this group, Jesus Culture, on our walks a lot! We're gradually weaning you off your bottle and your passy but since you'll be taking your first plane ride pretty soon, we'll need that passy to remain attached to your little shirt! You're still in a size three diaper and a size four at night to avoid leaks! You wear size 12 month clothes and still sport a short sleeved shirt and shorts most days because it still gets up to 85 degrees every day here! Your absolute favorite thing to do is take a bath! You could stay in that tub all day long! You splash so much that the water just goes all over the bathroom! You also love to push objects across the house. With our tile floors, it's easy to push chairs, your tricycle, the stroller, your cart, or a coffee table! You're just an amazing little guy who is developing left and right! Even though you test our patience and remind us how selfish we are on a daily basis, you are the biggest blessing in so many little and big ways! We can't wait to celebrate your first birthday very soon! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

You did not want to sit still for these pictures!

Daddy started a new full time position at Lowe's (PRAISES!) so he leaves our house really early and misses spending the mornings with you. However, he LOVES wrestling with you on the floor when he gets home, playing piano each night after dinner with you, and wrestling on the bed under all the covers.

You eat a variety of foods but right now your favorites are veggie burgers, black beans, organic yogurt, bananas, oats, carrots, sometimes broccoli, and definitely Cheerios. You love your water and even like almond milk! When you eat, if you are done with a certain food you even shake your head, "NO." We thinks it's cute now but I'm pretty sure it's not going to be cute for long. Sometimes you protest at dinner but you're also getting your sixth tooth so I know you're in some pain!

We dressed you up as a turtle this Halloween! Aunt Lea Ann gave you the costume that cousins Jackson and Parker wore!

You love watching the lizards, ducks, iguanas, and turtles outside! You also have fun chasing Lolly cat around the house!

You love walking around during our church service and singing along to the music! Everyone loves to cuddle with you and hear you speak all your gibberish! You say "Dada," "Mama," "Baba," and a lot of other words we don't understand! You definitely know the word, "NO" as we try to keep you safe and from misbehaving! You love to bang on daddy's drum, the piano, and you absolutely LOVE to hear Daddy play guitar!

We go on a walk in the early morning or early evening as much as we can and you love meeting new neighbors each trip! Sometimes we even walk to the gas station to get the paper with all the coupons in it!

We had some special visitors from Tennessee this month! Katie, Jeremy, Lincoln, and Lliam came to play and we went to the beach together with the Olsons too!

Your favorite toys are balls, cups, your push cart, pots, pans, and books with flaps. We read each day for about 10-15 minutes and you can't get enough of "Where's Spot," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." and "Baby's Valentine."