11 Months!

We are officially on the countdown to Kingston's first birthday - unbelievable! He is such an energetic, sweet and opinionated little boy - we are having so much fun with him. Here are the 11 month milestones/updates:

Eating: The boy loves food. In particular, blueberries, Gerber cheese puffs, and toast. He will eat pretty much anything - he's not a big fan of meat, but he will eat it mixed in with a casserole, or with some veggies. For the moment he is still downing veggies with no protests - sweet potatoes and green beans are his favorite. Mid month we will begin the transition to whole milk - hopefully its an easy transition :)

Sleeping: Ugh. He is getting up a few times a night still - I am hoping the situation improves when I stop nursing. Who knows. His naps are at least decent - most days.

Social skills: Developmentally appropriate separation and stranger anxiety have set in. Usually he is ok once he gets distracted by toys etc, but there is a fair amount of crying each week at the church nursery. On the other hand he loves playing with the other kids and is starting to really interact and imitate others - especially when we laugh - its too cute!

Motor skills: Kingston is one speedy crawler - he is zooming everywhere and pulls up with ease. He can stand for a few seconds on his own and will cruise between pieces of furniture. He can also give a high five, wave good bye, dances to music, claps, squats, kneels and throws a ball. He rarely stops moving :)

Likes: Our new games include emptying my tupperware drawer, playing the drums (aka my pots and pans), throwing a variety of items on the tile floor to see what noise they make, chasing said items across the tile floor, and trying to sneak past mommy to get to the dog's water bowl. He also loves playing with balls, anything musical, books, and his Fisher Price Laugh and Learn home - my $18 garage sale find - wahoo! We also walk in the jogging stroller or about 45 - 60 min per day - he loves being outside. Belle is also one of his favorite toys - although I can't say she shares the same sentiment - most of her day is spent running from Kingston!

Dislikes: Anything that requires sitting still. The car seat, being changed, drying off after bath time, being cleaned after eating and not getting to touch electronics (the computer, phones, etc!). We have always joked that Kingston is "opinionated" but at a recent doctors appointment for an ear infection the doctor commented that he was particularly strong willed and warned us of some behaviors that may be in our future. Lets just say when a guy who sees your kid for only 5 minutes and notes his particularly stubborn and independent nature, it brings fear of the toddler years to this momma's heart. Dr. Dobson here I come. I am already praying for these qualities to be harnessed into a passion and drive to serve the Lord!

Personality: Kingston is very compassionate - he is a sympathy crier! He particularly feels for Maddie Dyer - her squeals of delight sound like crying to him and he cries while she squeals - it's too funny! He is also quite the snuggler. Despite his busyness, he stops frequently to give lots of hugs and kisses. Getting him in the morning and from nap time is one of my favorite things thanks to lots of big smiles and tight hugs. He is also very focused on finding out how things work - he is very in tune with his environment. He is quite verbal - he says mama, dada, ooo (meaning "boo" for the end of peek a boo - which he plays with a blanket and is just so cute!), and he has just started trying to say dog - I think. I need a few more days to decipher just what he is trying to say. In addition to talking he sings quite often - it is so sweet. Poor thing has been listening to me sing all these months - hopefully he sings more on key than I do!

Nate just informed me this post was getting too long and no one would read this much - so I'm done! Happy 11 months Kingston!