Managing Our Quiver: Eleven Months Old

Oh my goodness! In one more month, we'll be seeing the last "bear in the chair" pictures! Jonathan turned eleven months old yesterday! This first year has been so fun, and I think we have all enjoyed the baby year again. It's so funny how much bigger and independent Andrew and Coleman seem to me now. It's also been so sweet to remember them at each stage Jon Jon has been through this year.

This was a busy month for Jonathan. He got his first tooth, and I can see his second one right below his gums. It should be in next week. Jon Jon got to do a lot of fun fall activities this month too. A visit with Uncle Hugh, Mule Camp, apple picking, a fair, a trip to Gigi and Papack's, a pumpkin patch trip with a hayride, and Halloween were all packed into October. Whew!

He is crawling all over the place, and getting pretty fast. He still hasn't figured out the stairs, but I feel sure that is not far off. He loves to stand and play at his little music table, and will dance when he hears music. He's a good singer just like his brothers too! And does he ever love a teddy bear. His favorite is the build-a-bear Andrew and Coleman made for him before he was born, but any bear makes him smile and squeal. Jon Jon is our happy boy most of the time, but gets just plain mad when he can't go where he wants when he wants. Diaper changes, dressing, and undressing all frustrate him to no end!

His communication is getting better every day. He has learned to shake his head "no" and does so readily. At first, he shook it as a game and laughed when we did it back to him. Now he clearly means "no" when he does it. He loves to babble and talk. It cracks me up to hear him sometimes. He will be quiet for a bit, study something, then point, nod, and utter some syllables that to me are nonsense, but to him are very precise.

His first word was "uh oh" after he dropped something one day. I'm pretty sure he has said "go" and pointed to the car or door also. He's also using a fairly consistent version of Andrew. We're also working on signing with him. We're starting with "more" and "all done", and he actually did the sign for more one day. Could have been accidental, but we think it was purposeful, of course.

Coleman and Andrew are his two favorite people, and he tries to do whatever they are doing. He loves to be held up to their portraits and he smiles and talks about them. He's leaving baby food behind, and is transitioning pretty well to table food. He loved spaghetti the first time he had it, but hasn't been as impressed with it lately. He also really liked a banana cut into pieces. Saltines and goldfish and cheerios are still favorites.

So here are his bear pictures this month. You can see he went to the barber shop this week for his third haircut. He got the "Mr. Willard Special."