Ten months

Gavin is ten months old today! Here's the rundown of his last month.

Physical traits:

You started off the month with a check-up. You weighed 22 pounds, 15 ounces (85%), had a head circumference of 47 cm (75%), and stood 29 ¾” tall (95%). Your hair grew a lot that month and we started trying to tame it by parting it on the side. What a cutie. You were working on your eighth tooth (on the bottom) the last week of the month. You took your first steps on Thursday, September 4^th. By the end of September, you were walking fluidly, but you hadn't yet figured out how to stand yourself up after a fall.

Little things I’ve noticed:

You learned to clap in September. You clearly favored your Daddy when he was home. You weren’t interested in being confined, especially in the stroller at your brothers’ soccer games. You wanted to move and explore. The Johnny Jump-up lost its savor, too, but you still jumped during my morning shower. You did silly things like pulling towels off the rack, opening cabinet drawers, and trying to close the bathroom door – all while in the jumper!

My favorite moments:

A wonderful development was your inclination for cuddling. During what I called the cuddle game, you nuzzled my neck, curled up on my lap, or rested in my arms. We would hug and squeeze as long as you were willing, which was sometimes several minutes. I told myself, “I won’t let go if you won’t!” I loved those tender moments. You also loved to grab my nose and hear me say, “Beep beep!” Silly boy.

Stuff I’m learning about you:

You adored bananas and yogurt. Other favorite finger foods were grapes, cheese, and bits of ham and turkey. You figured out sippy cups that month and loved to drink! Our lunchtime nursing session didn’t seem to be super important to you, so I substituted four ounces of formula in a sippy cup at lunch. You seemed very happy about that. You were down to morning and night nursing.

Highlights:

You took your first steps during the parent orientation at Tyler’s preschool. You were restless as I sat on the floor, so I stood you up in front of me. Instead of sitting down immediately, you took four solid steps and tumbled into my arms! I was surprised and elated! Within a few days you were crossing rooms with your hesitant, lurching steps. It was thrilling to watch your steady progress – and it was obvious that you enjoyed this new freedom, too!