Monday, July 6, 2009

A Late 11 Months

Cooper has reached the age of 11 months (one month ago. I'm late again!!!) He is requiring a lot of supervision as he is a very busy, curious, happy and mischievious little guy. I no longer think of him as a baby:( He has taken on a whole new persona. Cooper loves the dirt and mud. Irrigation time, dumping water from the pool into the flower bed, or anywhere else he can sit in dirt, mud or small rocks will keep him occupied for hours. He still enjoys putting the rocks in his mouth. Sometimes, I think he looks like an abandoned or neglected child because he is filthy (but still cute!) He also like to hold the hose and assist in filling the pool or watering the lawn. Cooper also loves water and swimming both in the wading pool in our front yard or big swimming pools. At bathtime, he crawls from one end of the tub to the other and back again. He stands up and is so busy touching everything outside of the tub he can. When it rained a lot, he loved sitting in the puddles and splashing.Cooper's communication continues to improve. He has added the signs "duck," "rain," "again," "water," "airplane," "book," and a few more. His vocalizations have continue to increase and are becoming more distinctive. He loves to talk and call out to people. He attempts copies sounds and blowing that we do - like giving raspberries, saying "shhhh" with a finger upto his lip, blowing air on hot food, and blowing kisses. Eating is going well. He still loves to nurse (but won't sign "milk" and he pulls his own hair when he nurses at night), but eats a variety of food. Oranges are one of his favorite foods. I usually put the oranges on top of this countertop and he climbs and reaches for them and starts eating the peel. He gets a funny look on his face from the taste, but continues to eat!!! He actually spit out some food this month - mashed potatoes and jello. Cooper is still crawling. He is fast and has a "sprint crawl" when we wants to get somewhere fast. When he crawls outside, he uses his hands and feet (not his knees). He looks like a stink bug crawling through the grass. He is obsessed with the stairs. Whether we are inside or outside, he climbs the stairs and has climbed up our long steep stairs by himself quite a few times. He has stood on his own a few times, but will fall down when he realizes he is doing it. Walking while holding our hands is another favorite activity. He holds one of our hands and walks, but does not want to let go. Cooper is getting heavier and heavier. He's got some major stomach overhang and rolls. I am developing some great muscles in my arms. His 5th tooth broke through. It is on the top. His hair is turning quite blonde and straight and his skin very white (although he sunburns quickly and easily). He doesn't look like a bi-racial baby.
Cooper enjoys assisting me with the laundry. While the washer is filling-up, I put him on top of the clothes and he plays with the water. When I am getting clothes out of the dryer, he pulls up and empties the lint tray. Sometimes he tries to eat it, but realizes that he does NOT like the taste or texture. He wants to help me wash the dishes, but there is little space for me to put him up on the counter. Let's just say he doesn't like to help me clean up. He carries toys all over the house and plays/destroys/messes up Cadence's dollhouse toys. One of his newest obsessions is pulling the wallpaper off the wall in the upstairs bathroom. He finds the edges, and with his little finger nails, gets underneath it and pulls. He has ripped some rather large pieces off. Oh well :(!!! I guess we will get to redo that room too someday. He also likes to ring the doorbell when entering the house, turn lights on and off, and turn the water in the sink on and off.Cooper is into everything - even more than last month. He has dumped bags and boxes of cereal. Two more shelves in the kitchen have been cleared off and one of the countertops is a victim of his climbing and pulling off items to eat or play with. He can climb on couches and even can get up on some chairs. He has a stubborn side and gets mad if I take something away from him. He lets me know when I have made him upset!Cadence loves Cooper and they are becoming better friends every day. Cadence is his partner in crime. They both love the mud and dumping water, riding bikes, and laughing. It is so fun to see them interacting. Most of the time, they get along. Cooper got sick for two days this month. He had diarhea (yeah for me) and threw up twice. He was a little clingy even though he usually will go to most people and is very social. Cooper doesn't hold still for very long. Church is a struggle. He has the desire to explore, move around, crawl under the pews - not sit still for three hours. He keeps me busy.

Getting Cooper into his carseat is NOT fun. He does this stiff body thing and turns while screaming so it is nearly impossible. I feel like I am abusing the poor kid while I belt him in. He is just so interested in everything he sees (like the seatbelts and hooks and locks and window roller) that he wants to touch them. He doesn't mind driving though. Him and Cadence have lots of fun pretending to drive. Even though Cooper is no longer a baby, he is my baby and I love him deeply. His smile melts my heart. He LOVES to cuddle and is a momma's boy. Despite not getting anything done and some frustration on my part, I love this stage of exploration and curiousity. Cooper is learning and growing tremendously. My "Bubba" is my joy!!!

1 comment:

Brett and Becca Muir said...

What a cute boy he is. He seems to have such a cute little personality!!! Avery is going to be 11 months on monday, and I can't believe how fast they grow, but its such a fun age.