Henry's 10 (months)!

Kim

Henry's 10 (months)!

Our babe is two months away from being a year old.  How in the world did that happen?  I feel like his development has really exploded over this last month.  He is pulling up all the time now.  He can get to his feet in his crib like a champ...and just the other day, he figured out how to pull up in his Pack 'n Play.  He would much rather be standing than sitting.  We spend a lot of time on the floor with him holding onto me, or the coffee table, or the footstool, or whatever else is around.  He's also starting to enjoy toddling around while you hold his hands.  It's amazing how quickly he got the hang of that!  Oh, and I think it is safe to say that he can officially crawl now - when he wants to.  If there is something he really wants, he'll crawl to it, but he still prefers scooting and other means of getting around.  You probably won't see him crawling from room to room if you stop by. 

Playing with dad's old Curious George.

I like this guy, dad!

Henry will still eat the blended baby food, but he really prefers to feed himself.  I guess it is time to start letting him experiment with a spoon and fork, but I'm just not quite ready for that mess yet.  We're sticking to finger foods that he can just pick up.  I spend a lot of time researching and brainstorming healthy things he can eat like that.  This morning he ate entire blueberry waffle.  I toasted it, broke it into little pieces, and he chowed down.  I was a little worried it was a bit dry (he still won't drink from a sippy cup - more on that in a minute), so I dipped some of the pieces in milk before giving them to him and he loved it even more.  He also loves roasted vegetables - I found the recipe online and it is super easy - just take a sweet potato, red bell pepper,  zucchini, some carrots (and really whatever else you desire), dice them up, toss them in olive oil, lay them on a tin-foil lined baking pan, and bake it in the oven for 30-45 minutes.  The veggies are the perfect size for him to pick up and soft enough for him to eat.  He also loves cheese and black beans, guacamole and pita bread, and will taste almost anything you give him.  He truly hasn't found anything he doesn't like.  Even carrots, which he wouldn't eat as blended baby food, are now on his list of top favorite foods. 

But, as I mentioned, he still won't drink from a sippy cup.  He pushes it away when I try to give it to him...and if I let him play with it he just throws it on the floor or turns it upside down and watches everything spill out of it.  I've tried water, juice and milk, and still, nothing. Milk does seem to be the most appealing to him though.  I think I even tried some formula in there one time.  We've also tried all kinds of sippy-cups.  I know I just need to keep persisting with it.  He'll get the hang of it eventually.  After he turns one, doctors really recommend that you stop with the bottle...Henry LOVES his bottles.  That is going to be a challenge, and I'm a bit intimidated by it, but we'll do it.  And then he won't have a choice, I guess.  He's already dropped one bottle a day, with all the food that he is eating, so hopefully as the solid meals increase, the need for the bottle will decrease, and his love of a sippy cup will increase (come to fruition?). 

At 10 months Henry's also babbling...a lot.  He will mimic what you say and has mastered "bye-bye" complete with a wave.  He will wave "bye-bye" to everything.  It is adorable.  He also waves hello when he's in the mood.  We're working on saying "uh-oh!" when he drops something.  He can only get out "uh-uh!" though.  The "oh" sound is a little more challenging...but he knows what it means.  Also, Matt and I are pretty sure he said his first words/mini-sentence the other day. ;)  For a long time, I have been prompting him to say "Hey Dad!" when we wake up Matt in the mornings.  He will often mimic it, and has been saying "dadadada" for quite a while now, but not really with any meaning.  However, the other day, we were all sitting on the bed in our room and Henry peaked right around Matt's shoulder, looked at him and said, "Hey Dad!" while grinning.  It was the cutest thing.  We're counting it.  It seemed totally intentional...and he's done it again a few times, but just not consistently. 

Playing with all my toys.

His personality is so hilarious.  Mostly, he enjoys an audience and is used to having lots of people around.  I think going to preschool at 12 weeks really helped with this.  He does like his mommy-and-me time though,  and I can tell when he needs some quiet time.  He loves to grin and seems to know just when you say something funny.  He has the best giggle, that is easily brought out when you tickle his belly or his thighs.  His favorite songs are still "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," and "Patty-Cake," but he loves all music and will stop whatever he's doing and turn to the TV or iPhone whenever music starts. 

mmm...beans!

Oh, months 9 - 10 have been so much fun.  I really can't believe we'll be planning a 1st birthday party soon, but I am excited for all the fun that is to come.  Happy 10 months little man.  We love you more than words and we really love getting to know you more and more each day!