So, I know this is entirely behind, but he isn’t quite 11 months old yet, so I still have time … right?! At least I got the Colorado posts up to amuse you in the mean time. =)
Caden hit several new milestones this month. I’m a little sad that I can’t give him the same daily one-on-one attention that Kamy got at this age, but that is just the nature of being a second child. That’s not going to change, so I am trying to be proactive about spending exclusive time with him as much as I can.
- Caden’s dexterity has increased immensely. He is very adept at picking things up — especially microscopic items that end up in his mouth and I have no idea what they were! I’m constantly fishing things out of his mouth to make sure he doesn’t have anything too bad — despite vacuuming daily.
- Food-wise, Caden certainly has his favorite and least favorite foods. He almost exclusively self-feeds at this point, unless I am feeding him applesauce or yogurt or something like that. Everything else is just cut into small pieces and he has the power. For meals I usually give him four or five different foods on his tray and he can pick what he wants to eat. He’ll definitely pick through the pile and eat his favorites first. Pretty much any fruit is a winner, as are snacks like cheerios and goldfish. Veggies are pretty good too, especially carrots and sweet potatoes. Most carbs are acceptable – bread and tortillas especially. Unlike Miss Kamy, he is not a fan of pasta and will usually leave it on his plate instead of eating it. Meat is hit-or-miss as well; ground beef in its many forms is popular but chicken and pork are less appealing.
- In general, Caden is getting much better at exploring and playing by himself. I can set him down by his toys and have a reasonable expectation of a few minutes of peace to get some things done (or have a moment of privacy — something golden for a momma!). Granted, I never quite know where I’m going to find him! He’s learning the few basic rules we have for him — don’t play on the bricks, don’t eat the cat food, don’t chew on shoes, and don’t unroll the toilet paper. Pretty much everything else is fair game for him. He loves to dump over his basket of toys and dig through looking for a specific toy. He is also starting to climb a little … mostly on Kamy’s stool and on random boxes that are stashed around the house. Unfortunately he hasn’t exactly figured out how to get down yet.
- One of his newest skills is throwing a ball! He loves to play with balls and I find myself rolling a ball to him almost daily. Once you roll it to him, he’ll pick it up and toss it. Most of the time it comes toward me, but sometimes we have an errant ball. =)
- Caden is getting really quick! Caden has after burners for his crawl if he wants something or is trying to get away from you! He cruises around furniture constantly and will turn around to switch from the couch to the table without a problem. He spends a large portion of each day standing … he will pull up on anything and his reach is getting longer and longer. Now Kamy has to play with her toys and puzzles on the dining table instead of the coffee table if she wants to be out of reach. “Move Caden away please?!” It seems like half the time I set him down to go do something, he’s hanging on my pant leg in moments. We’re making progress on standing and balancing (and walking), but we’re not there yet. He’ll let you try once and then he figures out what you’re doing and he will have none of it. You just can’t make a boy stand up with his knees bent!
- He’s also learned where the sippy cups live and he’ll go get a drink on his own. Since both kids were sharing sippy cups despite His and Hers designations, I bought a slew of new cups and now they’re community drinks. Both kids are really good about drinking water and stay well hydrated.
- Caden is not a fan of his car seat — even on short trips. He tenses up and fusses every time I strap him in his seat. Once he’s in, he’ll usually settle down pretty quickly. He doesn’t like to be restrained in any way and actually gets pretty upset if you hold on to his hand. Containing his hands is actually a fairly effective deterrent if we’re working on a “no, don’t do that” concept.
- Lastly, Caden’s new favorite sound was a little whinny. It was (yes, was) super cute. He especially would do it while eating and would mmMMMmmmm with his mouth full or when he wanted more food. Caden would also add in lots of vibrato to make it stand out. =) He also said baaaaaaaaaaa and maaaaaaaa like a little goat. Not that those little noises stuck around at all … they’ve all passed by and I don’t think I ever got them on video. =(
Caden has such a goofy little personality. He loves to smile and is quick to laugh. And I love that he smiles with his whole face. He is more and more fun to play with and his curiosity is infectious. I love spending each day with my little boy!
Adorable!!!! He is getting so TALL!
Thanks for sharing!!!