11 Months Old

My babies are 11 months old today. I thought I'd just write a few random updates while they're on my mind.

-Pierce has perfected the army crawl. He scoots around like a pro and looks so cute doing it. We're always amazed at how quickly he can move that way. We're fairly certain he could crawl because every now and then he'll do a few movements- like when he's naked on the carpet before baths. :) In the last couple of days he's tried to pull up after watching Blaine do it. It's so cute to see the wheels turning in head: wanting to, thinking how to go about it, trying, and then giving up because it didn't work.

-Blaine is pulling up on everything. He stands so solidly now and can stand up just by having something flat to lean on. I wonder if he'll be taking steps by his first birthday. He is one determined baby, but we've known that for awhile now.

-The most fun toy is the one that brother has. Pierce can play keep away from Blaine. He just scoots around on his tummy in a circle and makes Blaine chase circles around him.

-Pierce has learned a fake cry. He gets a really dramatic squint going and then can shut it off in an instant. It's cute most of the time, but I have a feeling this could get out of hand!

-Pierce still has no teeth and Blaine is working on his 5th.

-They are great night sleepers, but are no doubt early risers. They go to bed by 6:30 and we don't hear from them again until 5:30ish. The goal is 6, but lately one of them is up fussing or chatting by 5:30. We just leave them and hit snooze until 6. It's so great getting that solid chunk of sleep though. And if we were really smart we'd get to bed before 11! They're doing really well with morning naps and are usually asleep by 9:30 and will sleep anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes. The afternoon nap has become another story though. They don't seem to get really tired, but I usually put them down by 2. It seems like most days it takes one or both almost an hour with a couple of re-soothes before they sleep. And sometimes that nap is just skipped. I'm wondering if they're about ready to move to one. It seems early though.

-Pacis are constantly lost now, but every now and then we'll get them from their cribs and they come out with a missing one. We're certain there's a secret compartment with a stash in each of their cribs.

-I'm starting to think about weaning. Such a bittersweet thing. In some ways I am more than ready, but in other ways it makes me sad to see this bond end. It's been a constant, nearly around the clock part of my life for almost a year now. That is such a long time. I am so proud of myself for getting this far. It's such a natural part of life now that is almost feels wrong to end it. I know it's longer than most people ever make it, but part of me feels like I should keep going. But I kind of like the idea of ending with the beginning of the summer. Kind of a fresh start for a new season.

-  They're eating more and more big boy foods. Today they tried tuna noodle casserole and loved it! It makes me excited to see them liking and trying new things. They LOVE tortillas and cheese and even eat microwaved cheese tacos with black beans. We're getting there. Both of us are ready to see the extra $30 a week on our grocery bill for baby food diminish. We were not prepared for how expensive it would be. It's also nice to see them eating other things besides fruit!

Overall they are such happy babies. Every night we sit down on the sofa and talk about how cute they were that day and how much fun we had with them. It's so amazing to have such fun days with them and I don't take it for granted. I love waking up each morning excited to see them. There is nothing like watching Blaine "haul baby toosh" while grinning to greet you when you walk into a room. Or having Pierce cling to you while holding him. I love being their mommy!