Sammy is 11 Months!

I'm a little early with this post, as technically, Sammy does not turn 11 months until this coming Saturday, but considering I've neglected formal updates for the past month or so, I figure we'll get it in while we can.

So who is that boy in the photo above? Oh, just my little (almost) 11-month-old-going-on-3-year-old! When did my little baby turn into an almost toddler?! It doesn't help that above, he is wearing his cool big boy sneakers, which I swore wouldn't fit him for another few months. These are legit sneakers, too! Not Robeez, not shoes with a leather bottom, not faux sandals - they actually have rubber soles!

So many personality quirks (and I mean quirks in a positive way) are starting to come through that I find myself updating my "Sammy" note page in my iPhone almost daily. We'll start with his new fascination with his tongue. Apparently it's fun to play with when you're 10-going-on-11 months. (As is a number of other little body parts. Eesh.)

We've spent a lot of time outside this month. While the water table and swing are lots of fun, Sammy's favorite outdoor activity is watching his pinwheel go round and round. (Also an indication that he apparently shares his mom's and Queenie's love of shiny objects.)

My boy continues to be one of the best eaters around. Friends tell me to cherish this before the picky toddler stage hits, but let me tell you - it's exhausting. Each meal time basically involves me preparing food and putting in front of him as fast as I can. If he's in his highchair, and his tray is empty, the entire neighborhood is subjected to Sammy's squealing / whining. Apparently "patience" is not in an 11-month-old's vocabulary. Four new top teeth came in over the past two months, which I think makes eating that much more fun for him.

I think I do a decent job at preparing balanced meals for Sammy, but this kid definitely loves his fruit. This past week, I finally took the plunge and offered him some strawberries, which apparently is something that isn't supposed to be eaten before year 1. (He is not allergic, thank goodness.)

Sammy is still not walking yet, though he has taken a few itty bitty steps - two in a row at the most. He is, however, a ridiculously fast crawler, which has resulted in some ridiculously fast sprinting on James' and my behalf. He began cruising like crazy this past month, and it's funny to watch how he travels throughout various parts of the house.

(ETA: Within 15 minutes of publishing this post, my boy walked! He took eight legitimate steps! And then many more throughout the rest of the day!)

Though we're still a little ways away from walking, Sammy's favorite activity this month is to kick a mini soccer ball around while we hold his hands. He could run and kick around the house for hours and not get tired, and let me tell you - he can kick the ball pretty straight! It makes this former-midfielder / future soccer mom's heart swell with pride to see how happy he is during this activity.

Of course, with this newfound mobility, it's become increasingly important for James and I to be on top of our games when Sammy is ... well, not napping. Gone are the days of fitting in a few household chores, cooking dinner, etc. I can only imagine that once he starts walking, it will get worse. Way worse.

(Our newly constructed "baby jail" is pictured above. We can go about five minutes at the most in it before incessant whining and cage rattling begins.)

As for other milestones, no real words have been uttered yet, though we hear a version of "what's that" every other second. I'm sensing that we're going to have quite the inquisitive kid. He also says "da da," "ga ga," there's been an occasionally "ma ma" (never when I'm in the room, of course), and just yesterday, he learned how to "shh," as Queenie was rocking him to sleep. (And if you ever lived with Queenie, you would know that this is pretty ironic.) Sammy is also getting really good at waving on cue, which thrills every grocery store checkout person we come across.

In the spirit of not getting too mushy (I'll save that for his 12 month post), and because a certain someone has just woken up from his nap, I'll end with the same words I probably say every month, but really can't be said enough: I truly feel so very lucky every day to have such a happy and healthy active little boy. We simply could not have imagined a better baby!