I am not going to do it. I am not going to sit here and type about how my little baby is suddenly 10 months old and where has the time gone. I am not going to mention that we are creeping up on a year and soon our infant will be considered a toddler. I am not going to say that thinking about all this could make me cry and smile at the same time. Nope, I am not going there. Instead, I give you the 10 month update:
Sleeping: No big changes here. Still up around 6am, asleep around 8pm, and taking two naps during the day. Over the course of the past couple of weeks though, we have had a few nights where Arlo has woken up once or twice. Most of the time he will "sleep cry," where he lays there with his eyes closed and within a few minutes will fall back to sleep on his own. But the other times he actually stands up at the side of his crib and then there is absolutely no going back to sleep without some comforting (and maybe a teething tablet or two.) It's hard to tell if it's a growth spurt or teething that is causing these late night wake-ups, as I think he has been going through both now for most of this month. But in any case, Arlo is still a pretty good sleeper and I am pretty confident we will return to normal when he gets through whatever seems to be bothering him lately.
Eating: Arlo definitely eats like a boy and I am sure his big appetite was inherited from his father. For almost the entire month, he has consistently been eating three full meals a day, and usually drinking 3-4 bottles. I still spoon feed most of his food but he is also doing finger foods everyday - puffs, rice cakes, teething biscuits, bananas, sweet potato pieces, tofu, and whole petite peas (these made me nervous initially, but he does so well with them!)
New foods this month (yes everything is organic, and no I don't care about the cost): blueberries, cherries, kale, broccoli, whole cooked quinoa,
whole petite peas, bell peppers, raisins (pulsed in baby bullet to
chop), cauliflower, rice cakes, natural "cheerio" cereal, hemp milk, flax oil, raspberries, tofu, and
split peas.
Sample breakfast: banana + blueberries + oatmeal + hemp milk + flax oil
Sample lunch: split peas + carrots + brown rice + water
Sample dinner: lentils + broccoli + sweet potato + water
The sippy cup is still a work in progress. He knows how to drink from both a straw and sippy cup (although he still needs help with tilting it up) but he also thinks its hilarious to get a mouth full of water and then spit it out. He also loves to throw the cup on the floor, or bang it on the high chair tray. I know that one day he will (hopefully) decide that he likes the taste of water, and then decide to drink it instead of spitting most of it out. Until then though, I will have a lot of bibs and washcloths on hand...
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| before and after a lunch of peas, tofu, and pureed kale |
Weight and Length: No official stats, but I can tell you this month he has gone through a major growth spurt in length! See below for details...
Wearing: We started out the month wearing 9-12 month clothes. He has pretty much outgrown the 9 month stuff, and is well into his 12 month wardrobe. Pajamas are now 12-18 months, with not much extra room. He is still a trim little guy, but has grown so tall! I would be very curious to see how he would now measure on the growth charts and would be willing to bet that he is above average in length these days...
Likes and dislikes:
Likes: The dishwasher, the washer and dryer, closing an open door, trying to open a closed door, taking things out of baskets (the laundry basket in particular), pulling things off shelves, standing up at the window to see outside, stealing toys from Lucy, puffs!!, remote controls of all kinds, hanging upside down, peek-a-boo, other babies, bath time, and toys that play music.
Dislikes: Zarak (our roomba), the dustbuster, and the regular vacuum cleaner. So basically everything that looks and sounds like a vacuum. I turned on Zarak recently and it was the first time Arlo was on this floor while he was running. Arlo whipped around and crawled so quickly in the other direction with a look of absolute panic on his face. Poor kid! He also hates having his face washed after a meal. I try and make a silly game out of it but he still cries until I stop.
New milestones and developments: It is actually difficult to remember how things were just a month ago. I know that two days after I wrote his last post he pulled up for the first time (on the open dishwasher) and within a week he was pulling up on absolutely everything. Now he is climbing stairs, slowly cruising along the edge of the couch while standing, and easily pulling up on anything from the cabinets, to our pant legs, to a flat wall. He started sitting up on his own this month and now has that skill mastered. In the last couple of weeks he has started to walk while holding our hands, and has tried to "let go" in the standing position once or twice but quickly falls on his butt - still working on that balance! He has a little plastic fire truck he loves to ride and can scoot across the floor easily on his own, but needs help getting on and off the truck.
I didn't waste any time in trying to teach him the word "no" and I am impressed with how well he responds to it. He certainly has a clear understanding when we use it, and will immediately stop doing whatever he is doing and head in another direction. I can't imagine this will last forever, ha! He also knows his name, the word "bite," and is also getting better about being "gentle" with the kitties.
We had Grandma and Grandpa C visit two weeks ago, and while they were here Arlo learned how to clap, and is slowly starting to learn to wave "bye bye." He seems to do both at random times though so I don't think he has a solid grasp on either yet. He still says "mama" all the time, and while others are convinced he is asking for me, I still believe it is just his favorite babble.
A few weeks ago, Arlo started to show signs that more teeth are on their way - the fussiness for no apparent reason, drooling like crazy (he had stopped after the last set came in), and putting his fingers in the sides of his mouth. He is also pulling on his ears which he always does when teething. According to our pediatrician, the molars are the next to come in, and she said if he has had a hard time with teething so far, the molars ain't gonna be easy. So far, they are not visible or palpable, but I think in the next couple of weeks they will start to make their appearance. Poor kid... We are armed with lots of Hylands teething tabs, chewy teething toys, cold washcloths, tylenol, and hugs and kisses when the time comes.
And one last photo... Arlo helping me do a little furniture rearranging ;)
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