Eleventh Month

So it's official, Henry's now a 1 year old. I'm not really sure where the year went but at the same time, the memories of life before him are very distant.

 

 

 

Henry still loves Eileen, especially when she runs past him (even a baby can appreciate the humor of an overweight 3-legged-dog running.) or kiss him (GROSS!!) We're trying to teach him how to pet nicely, but he usually just ends up poking her in the face or pulling at her jowls. He's quickly corrected and she usually just lays there and takes it. When she's had enough she gets up and leaves, then Henry will lean over or crawl toward her to see where she's going.

 

 

 

Since he had tubes put it in his ears and we cleared up some digestive issues, Henry is now affectionately called "Happy Hank." He is still a little on the clingy side, especially when his Mama is around, but for the most part, he's a very happy and content child when he's at home. Out in public or with a crowd of people, he tends to whine when he's put down or if Mama or Daddy isn't nearby. I hope he's not going to be a shy kid for fear of him missing out on all the fun in life.

 

 

 

Henry's taken several unassisted steps but judging by his often shocked face, it will probably be a while before he freely walks around. It's funny to hear him laugh and laugh while trying to walk or when he's walking holding our hands. We have yet to see him crawl any other way than army crawling. Most of the time he just content sitting wherever we put him. He's crazy fast in the walker though and loves to run through the kitchen, giggling like a maniac. Eileen hates this game though and Henry always gets in trouble when she's on the losing side.

 

 

 

Henry has the best belly laugh I've ever heard. I might be partial, but it totally makes me laugh every time. He is also quite the talker and for the life of me I don't know where he picked up that trait. Ha ha! Poor Daddy has to listen to both of us now, but at least Henry's talk is usually pleasant and quite comical. He babbles "mamamama" and "dadadada" but we're not sure he really knows what he's saying. There's also a new set of words that sound like "giggle" "jiggle" and "wiggle. He looks around when you ask him "Where is (name, fill in the blank)?" He's super nosey and always wants to know what everyone is up to. Oh and now when we sit down to eat, even if he just ate, he wants a bite (or all of) whatever you're eating. This is a challenge right now that has caused me to eat quickly when he's not looking to avoid the battle. Don't tell his pediatrician, but I do share little bites of cake and ice cream when necessary.

 

 

 

He loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and his face lights up when he sees Mickey. It's funny though, he will ignore the middle 20 minutes of the show only to be glued to the tv when the "Hot Diggity Dog" song comes on. The smile on his face is priceless. When Henry gets excited, he waves his hands or pats his knees. He is a big time squealer which is super cute.

 

 

 

Henry is still eating pureed homemade baby food but will eat the occasional mushy pieces of strawberries or banana. He loves mashed potatoes and mac and cheese, but we try to limit his intake of those due to the empty calories. We tried whole milk yogurt but after a rash of hives, the pediatrician recommended we hold off on that for a few more months before trying again. He really enjoys Gerber and YoBaby yogurts which are processed a little different than the yogurt we're accustomed to. He gave up the bottle a couple of months ago and we're still working on a sippy cup for fluid intake. He hasn't quite figured it out yet, but he's getting closer. Practice will make perfect, someday. He has two bottom teeth and after feeling his upper gums last week, the next two on the way should be his top center teeth.

 

 

 

We're still blessed with a baby who sleeps great at night and naps like he's been working all day. He usually takes just two naps a day, but sometimes needs a little cat nap in the evenings. He goes to bed between 8 and 830 and gets up about 7:15 each day during the week. Saturdays he's usually up by 9 (And yes, I know how lucky I am and I thank God for a chance to sleep in) and Sundays he's up by 8:15 for church.

 

 

 

The next post will be about his 1st birthday party that is this Saturday. We can't wait to celebrate our son's first year!

 

 

 

Milestones:

 

• Walks a few steps at a time, unassisted
• Babbles words in a conversation-like pattern
• Wearing 12 - 18 month clothes, size 4 shoes, size 4 diapers

Stats (on 3/24)

• weight:  20lbs 9.5 ozs  (20%)
• height: 30 1/4 inches (70%)
• head circumference: 47 cm (70%)