11 Months

Austin was 11 months old yesterday. 11 months. Wow. 4 weeks from Saturday is his first birthday party. It blows my mind. It doesn't seem like it's already been a year since I watched my belly in amazement as that baby boy moved and kicked. And now I watch him in amazement as he seems to do something new everyday.

• He still wears some 12 month clothes, but they're getting snug. He's been wearing lots of 18 months clothes for a few weeks now.
• He still wears size 3 diapers.
• The boy loves to eat. I think he would eat all day if I let him. He enjoys his stage 3 baby foods, but really enjoys feeding himself. Everything he has tried, he has liked. Except for ice cream. I figure it must be that it's cold, because it can't possibly be the taste! Who doesn't love ice cream?!
• He enjoys clapping his hands. When he does something that I'm proud of (which is all the time!), and I clap and say "Yay, Austin!", he smiles and claps for himself.
• He says Mama, Dada and Ba. The first day he was crawling towards me and saying "Mamama" I was so excited and proud! Especially since he's been saying "Dada" for a while now! He uses "Ba" to refer to lots of things, but he will say it when he's looking and reaching for his big sister, Bella. Bella loves that! He also refers to a ball as a "ba".
• Speaking of balls, throwing and retrieving balls is one of his favorite games. He'll throw a ball, crawl after it, pick it up and repeat the whole process. Over and over again.
• He's cruising! And he loves to "walk" with his sister. Scott and I have to constantly remind her to not walk so fast with him, but he seems to enjoy walking fast with her.
• He will stand on his own for several seconds. But, when he realizes what he's doing, he quickly eases himself down to the floor.

What a fast and wonderful 11 months it's been! Happy Birthday Austin!