Eleven months and two days

In a few days less than a month, I'll be celebrating Declan's first birthday.  Cripes.  I was just thinking about how he's been around for longer than I was pregnant with him, yet it feels like less time has past.  Weird.

Who needs toys when there are KEYS!

Yes, Declan is eleven months old now!  And boy, do we have our work cut out for us.  He is mobile.  I repeat: he is mobile.  Quick, too.  He has truly mastered his crawling technique, a combination of crawling and crab-walking.  He can make it over to the dog's water bowl in the blink of an eye.  (That being one of his favorite, forbidden "toys.")

He has also expanded his repertoire of understood words and phrases.  He now will happily push a button on one of his toys when asked to do so.  He also gives kisses on demand to Big Sis and Daddy.  (Seldom interested in planting love on Mom, ah, well.)  He also is recognizing several baby signs, including "more,"and "milk."

Exploring the grass at Mile Square Park

Speaking of food, we've learned that he loves eating whatever Mom or Dad is eating.  He will flatly reject food offered to him if it is not what he sees us eating.  Declan still snacks on crackers and cereal, but will not be pacified with eating those if he sees one of us eating something else.

We are still happily nursing, too.  His six, almost eight teeth have made nursing a bit err... "bitey" at times, but Declan only seems to bite when he is bored.  Solution: remove him from the breast when he stops actively nursing.  This is working so far for us.

LOVES the pickles at Disneyland

We have decided to delay introduction to typical trigger foods, for the most part.  (We had to order mac-n-cheese for him out of desperation when there was nothing else his system could digest while we were out once.  Now he gets it occasionally.)  No refined sugars, no chocolate, no "nuggets" of any kind.  He eats mostly whole foods, as unprocessed as possible.  It's been tricky at times (see the mac-n-cheese comment), but we've done our best.  We've had to politely beg-off cookies, cake, ice cream.  He'll have a lifetime to enjoy those treats, but we'd like to start him off enjoying healthier foods.  And he is happy to eat them, too!

Declan is become more social.  He is beginning to make it out of the stranger phase and is allowing some folks to hold him for small amounts of time.  This is a tremendous relief to me as having it has been quite awkward having to politely explain to people that it's not that he doesn't like them, he just doesn't want to be held by them.

EARS!

This past month, we introduced Declan to that SoCal institution: Disneyland.  I've found that wearing him in either his soft sided carrier or our Vatanai wrap works best.  No stroller to push, easier to navigate the crowds, and I do not even need to remove him to ride rides.  I really do pity those folks trudging along with the strollers.  What a headache that must be!  Alas, I suspect that once Declan is even MORE mobile, we just might have to join the stroller flock.  Not looking forward to it.

Declan loves just observing all the people and all the fuss at the park.  He does tolerate a few rides, but seems happier people-watching in the queue house.  I figure it is only a matter of time before he is all about the characters and the rides.

All in all, he seems to be developing apace with his peers.  He's becoming such a clever boy, but definitely all boy.  He loves bagging on objects, and turns just about everything he can hold into a hammer.

Seven months

(Note: I began writing up this post yesterday, the 29th.  Volunteer obligations interrupted my writing, so I continue the post today, the 30th.)

Seven months ago today, I was relaxing at home after the out of hospital birth of my first son.  It seems simultaneously like yesterday and yet like it's always been like this.  I am so used to so many aspects of our daily routine.  And morning just would not be the same without his wake up smiles.  He is such a happy boy, especially now that his GERD is almost completely under control.  Plus, we took him to the chiropractor a few weeks ago and that settled a lot of his aches.

We had a follow-up with the chiropractor yesterday.  His back and neck tension is much improved--even the spots that are characteristically troubling for GERD babies.  Most of his tension was in his jaw.  No surprise as he has been teething like crazy.  Two teeth at once.  Poor guy.  Thankfully his bottom left front tooth has just broken through.

Declan continues to amaze us in many ways.  He is very quick with a smile and has the cutest little giggle.  Not much of a belly laugher, he choses to quietly chuckle instead.  He does so well sitting on his own now, he only teeters when he gets distracted by a toy or new interest.  No crawling yet, but we do not mind.  I'm going to enjoy him in arms as much as I can.

He takes after his father in more ways than just his good looks.  Like dad, he is not much of a conversationalist.  He will chitter from time to time, but not too often.  However when the mood strikes, there is no shutting him up.  He loves to blather away at his squeaky giraffe, Sophie, or sing songs to his fishie-keys.

Holding up his own bottle of coconut water

His favorite game is probably still the Stand Up Game.  He just loves it when Dad grabs his hands so that Declan can pull himself first to a seated position and then into a supported stand.  Declan can support his weight very well (he's been doing it for about two months now).  It make his so happy to stand up and survey the world around him.

Favorite toys include Sophie and his key rings.  Just the other day, though, I let Declan play with the monkey that I had knitted for Brian.  He took to it right away, immediately putting it to his mouth and squishing its soft body in his little hands.  It was so sweet to see Declan has so much fun with something that I had knit.  I may have to knit up some toys just for him.


New foods in Declan's diet include pumpkin and mashed potatoes.  Yes, from his Thanksgiving dinner.  We also made a huge batch of sweet potatoes--probably his all-time favorite.  He has become a good little eater.  We still breastfeed, of course, but he also gets bottles of coconut water from time to time.  All of this is helping him to put on weight.  (He even has regained his cute little double chin!)

He's not really skin and bones, but he is messy!

In short, Declan is still right on track developmentally except for where he is a bit ahead of the game.  I couldn't be happier, but I'm also starting to really notice just how fast he is growing up.  So there is some definite melancholy from mom.  Still, I am so happy and grateful to have such a happy, healthy child.