Noah is 11 months and two weeks old! AAAAAAAAH! Thanksgiving is just around the corner…I remember being big and pregnant with him last Thanksgiving. I can’t believe we’re here again. I already have his Turkey Day PJ’s packed and ready to go (you better believe you’ll see pictures!) and his cute little sweaters for the weekend. We’re packing up and going to Grand Maman and Poppy’s house. Noah LOVES eating whatever we eat now, so he will enjoy the Thanksgiving feast!! I’m really looking forward to sharing the day with him!

Noah’s two teeth have turned into four (possibly five, I think). He’s been chewing solid food up without any problems, regardless! I didn’t get teeth until I was a year old, which may be why he is taking longer. My how he’s changed! His little personality is just blossoming…he tends to be really laid back like his daddy—not at all high strung. He likes to observe the action, if there are lots of other kids around. If it is just he and I, or he and one or two other people, he does get more vocal and more goofy. He is easily excited by seeing people he knows and loves. When Grand-maman, Poppy, and Daddy come into the room, it’s as though everything is right with the world, and his heart couldn’t be more content!

He loves to play with toys. His favorites are his touch-and-feel books, his push toys, and anything that plays music that he can dance to. He had his first fever about 3 weeks ago…had a virus. He was as sick as a dog, and even then, he danced while I held him. He had zero energy or spunk, but couldn’t resist the urge. His favorite game of late has been the “let’s crawl around on the floor together” game. He just laughs hysterically and squeals when you manage to catch up to him and make your most ferocious monster sounds!

Mimicking us has become more frequent, lately. He used to shake his head “no” as a dance move, but now he has correlated it with the word “no”…and also with the word “yes” because when he shakes his head, I’ve also tried to teach him to nod. When I cuddle with him, I hum to him and tell him I love him. He’s started to make the same humming noise whenever we hold him close, and also one occasion while he was enjoying a cookie which was apparently really good. He has mimicked words like “uh oh”, “da da”, and “woof”. He hasn’t caught on to waving yet. I’ve tried to hold his hand up to show him but he can’t be bothered. He loves to clap, but doesn’t try it himself…only when I’m clapping with him, holding his hands. We sing while we clap, so he realizes it’s a musical instrument.

We’re getting to the stage where he tests me. If he touches something he shouldn’t, I say “don’t touch that” or “touché pa” (French) and he usually draws back. But sometimes he only hesitates, looks at me to see if I’m serious, and then reaches again. At this point, he has his hand slapped, and yet another “touché pa”. If he tries for a third, he gets another slap, and is removed from the situation. His Aunt Dawn has been supportive of the bilingual instructions, and has been enforcing them with him, as well. She definitely loves him, that’s for sure!

Almost a year and he’s not quite walking. He totally could….he just seems to be content with his current modes of transportation! I’m sure one day his curiosity will get the best o him and he’ll take the leap. I’m not in any hurry. Either way he will be mobile, and when he walks, he’ll be taller and slightly more wreckless!

We’re FINALLY using the stinking sippie cup! I’ve had to train him in it. He loves his bottles but wanted nothing to do with the cup. Since we will be weaning at the one year mark, except for night bottles, I’ve been giving him his daytime bottles in the cup, and his night bottle in a bottle. So far, so good!

We’ve gone from hating baths in infancy to LOVING baths now. If I turn on the water, he will hold to the edge of the tub and help me to undress him….lift his legs for sock and pant removal, and pull out his arms from his sleeves. He then jumps up and down and eagerly hums until I finally put him in. He then plays with the water coming from the spout, tries to pull off the tub grips, plays with toys, and chases the bar of soap under water.

Oh, my time is up—Noah is awake. I will write more later. Prob. Much later. Quickly in summary, though, with the changing economy, Keith still has a job, and God has been faithfully providing for our needs. We are grateful and very, very blessed!
Pictures to follow!