Eleven down, one to go!

 If there is one way to describe Nathan at eleven months, it is on the go! Which means we are too! He zips around the house, finding his way into cupboards, drawers and dusty corners.  Jeff and I finally took care of some baby proofing around the kitchen and bathroom. Be it a blessing or a curse, he can turn just about anything into a toy: coasters, shoes, socks, plastic food storage containers, you name it.
As always, Nathan is a big hit at day care and the church nursery, smiling and independent. The ladies at both places often remark on his ability to entertain himself, not needing to be held constantly like other children. The director of Nathan's school made a point to stop me Friday morning to "commend" Jeff and I on how well Nate can feed himself, use a sippy cup and some of the other "big kid" behaviors. I have a feeling the director will move Nathan out of the infant classroom right around his birthday!

Nathan is learning how to bounce a ball back and forth with us, and loves "driving" his cars around. He knows how to put toys into the basket, but much prefers taking them out. Boy, what he can do with a full laundry basket in just a few minutes!

Lately, he seems to be developing his own sense of humor. Nathan will laugh out loud at something unknown to us, but do it again right away. To Jeff's delight, he has learned to throw his arms up in the air on the command of "Touchdown!".

Nathan is pulling himself onto anything that will support him, especially his book shelves. One of his favorite hobbies is pulling the books down. Once he has cleared the shelves, he has a few favorite that he digs from the ruble. He loves books with bright primary colors and books with pop-ups, textures or flaps to flip. I love watching him turn the pages of these favorites, forwards and backwards, often babbling in baby jargon as he does so. He will entertain himself this way for quite a while. He really shows his appreciation for these books by laying them open and flat on the floor and putting all his weight on it, often crunching the spine. Some of his current favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? (Slide and Find edition), There is a Monster at the End of this Book, Curious George at the Zoo (Touch and feel) and How Big is Baby Elmo? (Pop up).  I usually spend a few moments each evening putting his books away so I don't trip over them in the middle of the night. One of these days, he'll need to learn to put them away. I truly hope to instill a love of reading in him for it's one of Jeff and my favorite hobbies.

Fortunately for me, Nathan continues to eat anything I put before him. He has developed a bit of a preferences for fruit over veggies, clearing his plate of mango or watermelon before the asparagus or carrots. I've noticed in the last few days, that he really likes chicken and finishes that before I can cut up more. Per recommendations for the American Academy of Pediatrics, I try to balance his fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains. Honestly, I'm sure I've said it before, Nathan eats a better diet than we do (takes a sip of Mountain Dew).

Along with our church small group, Jeff and I are taking a six week parenting class. We know it's a little early to be talking about specific discipline issues, etc. but we saw it as an opportunity to plan for the future. In the first two weeks, it seems to be based largely on Love & Logic, something we have both been trained in for the classroom. It's a nice refresher to what we've learned and we can both practice on our students. :)

Jeff is thankfully, done at Fred Meyer. While I loved the discount on food and baby gear, and all sorts of household items, I missed spending time with him on the weekends. Now, I look forward to relaxing as a family as we head into summer. Today is the first day since Easter that he hasn't had to work. It is nice to reach Sunday afternoon and not feel rushed to have dinner so he can work. He and Nathan are currently napping, cuddled, on the couch.

Next weekend, Nathan will be dedicated at our church. Just a quick trip to the stage for a chance to thank God for the gift of his child and to ask blessings over Nathan's life. We are making simple plans for his first birthday: family and friends, a BBQ and some cake. I have seen plenty of adorable birthday ideas on Pinterest and Etsy, but it doesn't make sense given he is only one years old.