10 Months!

Brooks is 10 months old!

This was one of the first pictures I snapped...Sitting pretty still.

And about 5 seconds later, he's planning his escape.

And another 5 seconds later, this happened! :)

10 month photo session done after 10 seconds!!

Another month has flown by, and Brooks has continued to grow and grow and grow! I can't believe he is 10 months old! He'll be one whole year before we know it! He is a firey, wild, little man! Mostly, he is firey in a good way...Like when he tries to grab toys that his big sister has stolen from him or when he crawls just as fast as he possibly can to chase Jon or me or Kylie! But sometimes, he is firey in a not so good way...Like when he SCREAMS because he is not getting what he wants (i.e. food, attention, sleep)! He is a mover, and he just doesn't stop unless he is sick or sleeping. He is happy to play, and crawl, and wiggle, and squirm all day long. He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth! He has the best giggle and the cutest smile. His top two teeth are giant chompers that make him look like a such a big boy. His eyes, oh I could go on and on about his eyes. They are big, and blue, and sparkly with beautiful, full lashes...And I just love them! He has one adorable dimple just like his sister, except it's on his right cheek! He still has his chubby baby thighs and rubber band wrists! Chubby babies are the best! :) But what I like best about Brooks is how sweet and loving he is. He cuddles and kisses. He smiles and laughs and talks. He follows us around, pulls up on our legs, and says, "da-da-da-da," as if he has the most important story to tell! Life is so wonderful with our little man in it!

Brooks is making it obvious about the things that he likes. First and foremost, he likes to move. Cuddling with him lasts about 5 seconds before he is on to the next activity. He loves attention, and anyone who will get down to his level and give him some undivided attention. He adores Kylie! He stares at her in their bedroom and in the car until she talks to him. When she does talk to him, he giggles and laughs for the entire "conversation." The boy also loves to eat! There has not been one thing that I have given him that he hasn't devoured in seconds. I can't even name his favorites because he doesn't discriminate at all! I hope he keeps that trait! He is still addicted to his pacifiers. I'm using the plural here because not only does he use one as they are intended to be used, but he also likes to fall asleep with one in each hand! :) So, yes, he sleeps with at least 3 pacifiers! It's kind of hilarious! Also, he enjoys making loud noises. He bangs, and yells, and squeals, and pounds...The louder the better!

Oddly, although he likes making loud noises, he does NOT like loud noises that he didn't create. In fact, he HATES them. These noises always result in screaming! Some examples include the vacuum, the dishwasher, sneezes/coughs, and trains...all of which occur fairly regularly. As I alluded to before, Brooks does not like to wait for food. If someone (anyone) is eating and he is not, there is usually some sort of whining/crying. He also doesn't like getting his diaper changed/getting dressed. This is only because he is being forced to be still for more than 5 seconds. Diaper changes have officially become wrestling matches. There is a lot of gator rolling on Brooks' part, and head/leg holds on my part. It's not fun!

In the milestone department, Brooks is continuing to stay right on track (YAY!). This month he has perfected his speedy crawl, mastered pulling up (the first time was on September 4th), and started cruising! He is definitely still a long way from walking, but it's so fun to watch him try to figure out being upright! Some big cognitive developments are happening too! He does "so big," gives kisses (big, sloppy, open mouth kisses), wiggles and dances (flails his arms wildly) on command, and seems to be saying "da da" purposely for both Jon and me. I still haven't heard "ma ma," and knowing my kids, I'm sure it will be awhile! :) Brooks popped another tooth through last week...It's the one on bottom left next to the middle two, and the right side one is on it's way too! It's really been non-stop teething for him over the past few months! As for his schedules, he is taking a 5 ounce bottle every four hours at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm. Currently, he is getting about 50% breast milk, and 50% formula. I am in the process of weaning off the pump, and I hope to be completely off it in the next few weeks. So he will likely be on formula for about a month or two before he goes to cow's milk. He eats solid food with Kylie and I at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast usually consists of oatmeal and fruit, and lunch and dinner is typically finger foods from my meals plus some sort of pureed baby food. Although he is not quite the sleeper that Kylie is, Jon and I have really been blessed with good snoozers. He sleeps from about 8pm-7:30/8am, and naps from about 9:30-10:15/11, and again from about 1:30-3:30/4pm. Brooks is wearing all 9 month and 12 month clothes, size 3 or 4 shoes, and size 4 diapers.

We are loving this little man more and more with each passing day! He keeps us busy and moving, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Our hearts are so full with love for our Brooksie Boy!