Eleven Months!

I know I post a lot of pictures of Jace that look pretty much the same...but I can't help it. I just think he's adorable, and I don't have anywhere else to put all of these extra shots! So they come live here, on the blog. 

Jace turned 11 months on December 26th, but we were pretty busy over the holidays and I never got a chance to sit down write his little update, or take his picture (these photos are from our trip to Leavenworth a week before Christmas). So this is a little late, and in just a couple more weeks, I'll be writing about his first birthday.

What.The.

How do I almost have a one-year-old??

At eleven months, Jace...

-Has five teeth, with number six on the way. He actually cut his fifth tooth while we were at my parent's house, so now he's had a tooth come through while visiting each of his grandparents. Impeccable timing, kiddo.

-Is becoming a great imitator. When we say certain words or phrases, he tries to copy the vowels and consonants, and his sounds and intonation patterns come super close to ours. His favorites are: "Where dada go?," "Hey Jace!" and "kitty cat" (he loved the cats at Mimi and Papa Todd's; whenever he saw Riley or Bella he would stop whatever he was doing and say "Oooooooh!").

-Is so persistent. I love watching him problem solve. He attempts a skill over and over and over again (like placing his food in the lid of his training cup. Why?) until he is successful, or something more interesting catches his attention. When he loses a toy under the couch or chair, he reaches his arm in there and adjusts his body angle until he retrieves it. I actually really admire that trait; I tend to get frustrated quickly and give up when I can't figure something out right away. That patient persistence is Colton all over.

-Says "doe-di doe-di doe-di" over and over again. No meaning, just fun to say I suppose.

-Is EVERYWHERE at church. It's hard!

-Loves to "help" me in the kitchen by emptying out the tupperware/bottle cupboard. 

-Just started exhibiting some separation anxiety. Not going to lie, I was a little worried. He'd go to anyone, without a second glance at me, and I was a liiiittle concerned that there was an attachment issue (thanks, Google). But now, even though he is still super friendly and loves to smile and interact with everyone, he definitely likes to stay close to mama. 

-Crawls like Grammy says Colton did as a baby: he puts his head down like he's going to ram something, and plows forward at full speed. 

-Stands up by himself for several seconds at a time, cruises around the furniture like it ain't no thang, and loves to walk around while holding our hands. I don't think we're too far away from having another biped around here.

-Has become extremely picky. No more vegetables for this guy, unless it's in a green smoothie. Even most fruits he won't touch anymore. Sigh. He does, however, play with all of his food-he shakes it, places it carefully on his head or in his cup, and drops it down the back of his shirt. So, you know. At least he's touching his vegetables.

-Gives me big, sloppy, open mouth kisses over and over again. I love it.

-Enjoys grabbing my hands and clapping them together. I guess he's bored of making his own hands clap. 

-Inconsistently waves hello. He doesn't do it all the time, and I don't think he understands what it means, but give him a break. He's only eleven months old.

-Loved getting up early with mama during Christmastime and turning the lights on the Christmas tree. He smiled and smiled up at the tree and we just sat together in the dim living room, enjoying the twinkly lights. It was my favorite part of the holiday season.

-Plays independently for longer periods of time, which is nice. He LOVES to drive his cars around the living room (he loves anything with wheels, including other people's strollers, toys, and wheelchairs). He purposefully rolls his little basketball out in front of him and chases it down.

-Quit the binky cold turkey. He refused it once he started teething. Sometimes, I miss the bink, particularly when he's screaming in the car.

-Still loves the blender, hair dryer, and the vacuum.

-Laughs and laughs when I fake sneeze

-Loves to stroke my hair softly...for a minute. Then his sticky baby paws enclose my strands in an iron fist as he yanks them mercilessly out of my head.

I used to believe I was a patient person. Now, however, I know that I was simply a well-rested person. I'm learning that I don't do well on very little sleep, and I'm a completely different mama after a peaceful night's rest. This boy keeps us on our toes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. That's what boys do, right? He's too much fun, and his little gap-toothed smile and playful spirit bring us so much joy. We love our little J-man.