So Big!

Happy 11 months BIG boy! A year ago at this time we were busy getting ready for your arrival. Now you keep us busy chasing after you. This month you have started clapping, making up your own games, saying thank you, trying more table foods, standing on your own more often, and taking a step or two from a piece of furniture to us. The games you make up usually involve putting blocks or toys on something, walking to another spot, then going back and taking them back down. You'll busy yourself for awhile with this fun. You have tried many table foods including: mashed potatoes, corn, mandarin oranges,macaroni and cheese, peas, lima beans, and rolls. The only food you have liked so far is corn. You apparently have developed a texture phobia, and will literally throw up if something touches your tongue that you don't like. That includes all the other foods mentioned. You will eat anything crunchy though, such as graham crackers and Cheerios.

It seems that our days have been spent two ways this month: having fun or being sick. For fun, you went to a birthday party. It was the first party where you were able to really play, and you loved the games and toy trains they had. We celebrated your first Thanksgiving with lunch at Granny and Granddaddy's, then another meal at Cracker Barrel with Gam and Uncle Ryan. Pawpaw had to work. We've spent many days playing together, and you love any chance you get to explore the house. You and I celebrated Auburn's win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and an undefeated season for the Tigers. As for the sick times, you and Daddy started the month with colds. Daddy felt really bad for a couple of days. The next week you woke up about 3a.m. on Monday morning throwing up. You were really sick for about 4 hours. I stayed home with you that day, and we had a lot of cuddle time. Then on Tuesday night you and I were running a few errands and I suddenly began to feel sick. Sure enough I ended up with your stomach bug all night. Then on Thursday morning Daddy woke up with it too. Eventually Papa got it before it finally left us all. Now you have another cold. I think your colds are products of the crazy hot/cold Alabama weather.

We spent Thanksgiving weekend decorating for Christmas and getting ready for your birthday party. The birthday invitations will go out soon, and we have most of the decorations now. Our house is mostly decorated for Christmas also. We are going to get a real tree in a couple of weeks, but we have a little one up. As I decorated it, you would watch and laugh as I told you about the ornaments. You seem to love your snowman stocking, and loved playing with the paper scraps as I wrapped a few presents. We also got to see the Christmas pictures we had made last month. Daddy and I are so excited for Christmas with you, and your birthday. I often think about what our life was like at this time last year, and how wonderful this year has been with you. I don't know that you will always like having a birthday so close to Christmas and it was never our plan that you would, but it is so special to me right now. It seems fitting to celebrate two special miracles together.

Today we had a lot of family fun to celebrate 11 months together. We started the day taking a few pictures in one of your Christmas outfits. Nonna and Aunt Mandy bought it when you were born, and I've been waiting this whole time to see you in it. It was just as adorable as I had imagined. We went to church, then had lunch at Nonna and Papa's house. After your afternoon nap, we had a special visitor stop by our house. You met Santa for the first time. Of course it was one of Santa's helpers since he is so busy at the North Pole, and this helper seemed real familiar to you. You loved taking his glasses off and running your hands through his beard. We took several pictures. We also had a lot of play time, your favorite I think. Now to cherish your last month as a baby, and the excitement of the holiday season.