Forrest is 11 Months Old!

What? Huh? When? Forrest turned 11 months old on 10/7, about a week ago. This monthly photo thing is getting harder with him. He's a wiggle worm. Then the more I try to get him to sit still he starts to think it's hilarious and starts laughing and rolling around more. Soon I end up with just a bunch of blurry shots of him or parts of him as he crawls away. The playstation controller or the remote control seem to be the only things that keep him still. He is SOOOO his father's son.

See??? This was the best I could do for this shot. 

So then we changed location to Christopher's room for some brother shots. Still hard to keep him still. Christopher is learning how to hold on to his brother without hurting him. He never has, it's just different for him. This one here is probably my favorite.

I know this is blurry, but I love Christopher face :) He absolutely 100% loves Forrest. Christopher decided he wanted to read to Forrest, so we picked an easy book, Red Truck.

Then back out to the kitchen to start dinner. Forrest worked on a bottle while Christopher entertained him. Forrest's laughter, the best... mixed with Christopher's... my heart swells with pride and joy.

Forrest is starting to eat whatever Christopher is eating. This was what is currently Christopher's favorite. Go figure. Tilapia, with broccoli and alphabet pasta. Forrest got the same thing, just smaller bites. The both devoured it.

Forrest is doing really well. He's cruising and trying to walk very very badly. When he isn't moving, he's perfectly content watching what it going on around him. He's a very happy, peaceful baby. He's still working on his weight. We are trying to hit the 19lb mark but just a few ounces shy of it. He might have hit it now but as of a week ago he was 18lb 14oz I think. He just started getting into the sippy cup yesterday which is great. I really want to stop the bottle at one and he had been refusing to use it as a cup rather he'd use it as a hammer. He still an amazing sleeper. Asleep by 7pm, sometimes 7:15. On the rare occasion (like last night) he's a bit wired and I just put him down awake and just figures it out and is asleep within about 10 minutes. Not usually a peep from him till between 6:30 and 7:15am. If it's early, like 6:30, he'll chat, sing, growl (yes, growl), babble or turn on his musical crib toys until we come in to get him. He's still napping two times a day. Once at 9:30am-ish for about 60-90 minutes, then a 2-3 hour nap after lunch. 

He'll eat ANYTHING we put in front of him. Lentils, chicken, beef, salmon, white fish, broccoli, green beans, tofu, beans, grilled cheese sandwich, hotdogs, you name it. We are starting to phase him out of the purees and into whole foods (like the picture above). We alternate between purees, spoon feed whole food, and finger foods. The kids just likes to eat and get it in as quickly as possible. 

Overall, he's doing great. I wish his weight were a bit higher, but it is what it is at this point. Oh, and he LOVES his big brother. He laughs, and bounces and grins from ear to ear whenever he's in sight... love it :)

Forrest is 10 months old!

What? What? 10 Months Old? No way... I can't believe it. He was 10 months old this past Friday.... time, gone. I now almost have TWO toddlers.... and Forrest is desperately trying to be one. What first... I think I'll start with the update since the photos are... interesting :)

Forrest is trying move more and more each day. Two weekends ago he started pulling up, last weekend, Saturday, he started cruising. He wants to go go go. He still on a Dada kick, 90% of his babble is "dada", a few "mama" and "baba" but that's about it. He has his bottom two middle teeth. We just found out Saturday he has his top lateral incisor in. Not sure when it came in but probably just late last week. It already looks like 2 more are going to break through soon on top. 

He'll eat ANYTHING, and for such a little guy he wants to eat all the time. Brocolli, green beans, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, squash, lentils, tofu, chicken, egg yolks, cheese, hot dog pieces, cherrios, avocado, banana, apple, pear. Last weekend he tried raw pieces of apple which he did great on. He's eating more pieces of food with his hands. Sometimes, that's the ONLY way he wants to eat. He's still breastfeeding like a champ when I'm with him. Only  mornings and bedtime on the weekdays but all day on the weekends and holidays. 

We just switched him to baths in the regular bath, not in the baby tub. I was still using it in the tub since he's a mover but without it seems fine. He LOVES bath time. He can be so tired and cranky, fussy when I change him, but the minute we go into the bathroom, he's laughing, giggling and big smiles. I'll have to get a photo. Love it.

Christopher is great with him, is my big helper. If I am doing something, he'll take Forrest cherrios, or other snacks or check on him for me. He'll hear him fuss and run over saying, "I'll check on Forrest for you!". He's a great big brother. 

So we tried taking photos Saturday morning (yes, one day late). Forrest had decided that he this process was hilarious! He was laughing, bouncing, moving, wouldn't sit still. I tried a second set of photos later in the day and finally got a few good ones. Here are some of the best "outtakes".

Yeah, exhausting. And I love that you can see his lower teeth in some of these. The one on the right was his first and is longer.

 

Then photos from the second try. I tried to give him a toy.

 He wasn't too impressed. Decided he wanted to MOVE instead.

 I'm holding something, the toy probably up to get him to look at me. He was sitting when I started, then he MOVED!

 Almost...

 And he's gone again... but the smile. So happy!

 Yes, that's the shot I want for your 10 month shot Forrest...

 Then we moved on to other "toys". I love the look here...

 But the concentration he had wasn't leading to any other good shots... ugh

 And he was just having soooo much fun!! :)

 And then.... as I'm about to give up... I got these...

 I think it's a tie between the above and the one below. I love the smile above though the best. He's getting so much bigger and he's looking a little different.

 I love this one only because of the sun in his "mow-hake". My boys and their "mow-hake"s.

 And some bonus shots :) He is a cutie and we love him!

 

 

Forrest's 9 Month Stats

We took Forrest in on Tuesday for his 9 month appointment. His weight wasn't where I wanted it but it was ok. It was the same weight I'd recorded him at over a week before. He increased his percentile on his height and head circumference. 

Stats:
Weight - 17lb 9oz, 5th %
Height - 28", 36th %
Head Circumference - 18.11", 68th %

The doctor was happy, said everything is going fine. His weight could be from all the new movement which makes sense. He grew two inches in the last 3 months and almost an inch around his noggin! Overall, great appointment. Also, no shots, just a thumb prick to check for anemia. No anemia :)

Next appointment isn't till his 12 month appointment! I can't believe it.

Time to get low...

I don't know why I hesitate to lower the crib. I don't know if it's the idea that Forrest is getting bigger that I'm resisting. I'm sure it's worse because it's our last child, but it's still hard. Hard get rid of his clothes he's out grown, the equipment he's outgrown like the swing, etc. It's nice to know we don't need to hold on to them but it's still hard to let them go. 

So my point.... it's obviously time to lower Forrest's crib again to the last spot.

Since he can pull up to he knees. He can pull up to a stand, but needs to be very, very motivated.

On a side note, this is him in the morning, even a little sick. Happy....

And he's started chewing on his crib with his one solo tooth! Ugh.
 

Forrest's 7 month and 8 month pictures

I'm bad, I'm so behind. But I'll post the photos from both Forrest's 7 month and 8 month photos. I can't believe he's getting so big. He'll be 9 months old in a week and a half. He isn't crawling 100% but is just about there. He'd rather stand and cruise. He can't get himself to a stand yet, but he's trying. Lately he's getting himself into the "downward dog" on his hands and toes with his but in the air. Silly Monkey.


Hi LOVES food. We can't get it in him fast enough. I've been making all his food which has been a bit of work, but worth it. So far he's had quite a range. Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, White Potato, Peas, Tofu, Prunes, Pears, Apples, plus puffs and mum mums. So far, we haven't found anything he won't just shovel into his mouth.


His first word, of course like Christopher, was Dada. Over and over if he wants daddy. He pats his chest or the floor if he'd rather an item or person come to him so he doesn't have to go to it. Toys that make noise or sounds are his favorite. He's started to sing to a few of them. We've had one or two mamas and a baba but nothing consistent. He LOVES his older brother and luckily the feeling is mutual. Christopher adores him and is always making sure he is okay. If Forrest is awake and talking when Christopher wakes up, he'll usually go into Forrest's room and start to read to him. My heart melts when I hear this over the monitors.


Ok, photos now. 

These are from his 7 month shot.

These are from his 8 month shot.

 Hard to get a newly mobile baby to sit still :)

"Argh" Forrest growls, "I'm a dinosaur!"

 Let alone two mobile children!

 And some of Forrest on the move!

 His favorite way to stop... love it :)