Kingston: 11 Months

My gorgeous baby turned 11 Months today!! Exactly one month from today my sweet boy will leave the fleeting stage of infancy and become a toddler. Gulp. I wonder if this lump in my throat will be a constant at every birthday. I'm sure it will. I am so very excited to celebrate him. He is such an absolutely amazing little person and a deliciously sweet angel. (I'm a wicked sap, I know. But I can't help it!) On one hand, I am excited to reign in this first big life milestone with him, but part of me wants to take him and hide from it! I am torn between wanting to keep him a baby forever, and seeing what other wonderfulness he is has in store at every future age. But regardless, a month from today we will be donning our birthday shirts and blowing out the candles! Wasn't he just born yesterday? 

11 month stats:

Height and Weight - Unsure!
Clothing size - some 9-12 months, but mostly 12 months and some 12-18. He also wears a few pairs of pajamas that are 18.
Shoe Size - 4
Teeth - 2! He has his two bottom teeth and is hard at work on his two top!
Favorite Song - The "Bye Bye" Song from his gym class
Favorite Book - Daddy Kisses by Anne Gutman and any book with a bear or puppy in it!
Favorite TV Show - Same as always (Mickey & Sid) though we have started to branch out a lot more. He also loves reality TV .. judge me.
Favorite Toy - He is loving his VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker and any kind of ball!
Favorite Activities - Getting into mischief (he is constantly trying to get under the table and over to the dogs water and pee pad. He gets himself in all kinds of head bumping pickles!), BUBBLES, biting toes .. and arms.. and hands .. we are definitely teething over here, DANCING, walking with his walker - walking holding hands - walking holding onto furniture - walking, walking, walking!, giving kisses and hugs, singing songs, signing, eating, cuddling with his stuffed animals, playing in the bath tub, playing with the puppy
Favorite Food - Pasta, Cheese, Hamburger, Broccoli

I like to start with our monthly events! So this month, Kingston attended his Aunta's bridal shower. He looked very dapper all dressed up, but was not a very happy camper. It coincided with nap time. After his nap though, he was thrilled to be there! Mama turned 25 this month, and in celebration we went to a local farm/zoo where Kingston got some up close and personal interaction with some animals. He got to pet goats, ride a pony, and go on a tractor ride. It was such an amazing time. I am going to put up a post about it, but here is a sneak peek photo: 

This month has been all about social interaction. We signed Kingston up for his very first gym class! We have been about 6 times at this point. He loves it. He is literally getting stronger each time we go. He can completely climb stairs and steep ramps now. We love watching him do things like the trapeze, the trampoline, and the pull ups on the bar. He also loves grooving to the music. Kid's got moves!

We also go to infant storytime now. Soon, he will join the toddler storytime, which is even longer! He really enjoys being part of the group, dancing to the music, and interacting with the other babes. We have been participating in tons of play dates recently and becoming more involved in a lot of different local events. We took K to his very first Home Depot workshop. He loved it. He made a truck and it was so much fun! He even got a little apron with his name on it.

Starting this month, every week we watch Kingston's sweet friend Olivia and they have a blast playing together. He also loves playing with his buds Chloe and Talon, and even made two new little friends this month, Parker and Aubrie! He interacts with a lot of other babies at his different activities also. I love to see him play and meet new people, though I am constantly having to tell him to "do nice", "go easy", and "be gentle". He wants to bear hug EVERYBODY, which I'm sure doesn't seem kind to other parents. He has a lot of love, but isn't quite sure how to safely share it! Some other activities we did this month were attend a carnival at my old daycare and go to a La Leche League meeting. 

Kingston's communication skills have improved immensely. We are working on signing "please", "thank you", "eat", and "milk". He is a pro at "more" and "all done". He is making all kinds of noises and saying a lot more words now. What has blown me away this month is his cognitive awareness. He can now identify and point out the difference between his three favorite animals: bear, puppy, and birdie. He is very into selecting a book and bringing it to me to read over and over again. He could pick a book out before, but he wasn't so seriously interested in every little detail like he is now. He responds to all kinds of directives. Though, along with that, he has started to test boundaries. I have to fish him out of so many off limits spaces in the house over and over again. I'm racking my brains trying to figure out how to accurately baby proof this house and still make it liveable! Anyone have any tips on dog bowl placement?!

One thing that has significantly changed this month is Kingston's sleeping! He has slept through the night or woken up 1 time for several weeks now. This is big stuff for us. We haven't slept this well since before he was born. I am crossing my fingers that he continues these great sleep patterns. We have been so busy recently, that he is truly exhausted at night. He starts rubbing his eyes at about 6:30 and is generally knocked by 7:15-7:30, unless we are out and then it is a free for all! 

Nursing is going great! We still nurse anywhere from 5-8 times a day and usually once at night, unless he sleeps through. We have no plans of stopping anytime soon! For solid food, he is eating everything and anything. We have tried so many new things with him and we are getting into a great groove with recipes and things he loves. 

K has been standing on his own for a little bit here and there. He flies around the house with the walker and is constantly skirting the walls, furniture, people, etc. He uses all of his toys to walk around with. He is pretty much doing everything he was last month except way better and way faster! He is definitely stronger too. He can climb very well and is a super speed crawler. He likes to slap his arms down in wide arcing smacks as he crawls around. He also likes to pounce on things - the puppy, his animals, Mama and Dada! He is one fun little kid. 

I am waist deep in birthday party planning. Items are arriving on the daily, and I am busy crafting and planning away fingers crossed that it comes together well. I have never planned a party like this, so I am trying my best to make all my ideas come together! I can't believe that my next post here will be his 1st birthday post. Until then, I will hold on to every last speck of his babyhood that I can! I love my little schweeps so very much!