So here we are, at 11 months! Only one more month before Adik turns 1! It’s really amazing how quickly time has passed. I mean, it’s almost a year since he was born! And look how far he’s come now.
[[image:2012_1129_rafe18.jpg:Happy Adik:center:0]]
* Mouse over the pictures for captions
Adik is growing so fast, we can hardly believe it. He is a super fast crawler (four-point) and pulls to stand up by pulling on anything and everything, disregarding his own safety for the most part. He also walks along the coffee table and other furniture as long as he has a hand-hold. He also stands without holding on to anything for short bursts. But when he needs speed, he goes on all fours and motors away. Vin predicts that he will be walking by age 1 – the clock is running, Adik! 😉
Along with “Ma ma ma ma” (his first words, remember? Mama!), he looks at Lily and yells “Ka” (Cat!) although it seems like he calls every animal “cat”. He does babble a lot and likes to experiment with different consonants. He is very good at getting his meaning across without using very many words – his babbles do sound like conversation with intonation and meaning. We may not always understand the meaning, but he’s definitely trying to communicate. Unlike Yaya, he’s never really taken to sign language. We’ve been doing the “more” sign for a while and he’s never really signed it back to us. He seems to want to talk rather than use his hands. Maybe it’s because he wants to be just like his sister.
Adik has four teeth now! Wheeee! There may be more just under the surface. We shall see! He’s still not even close to sleeping through the night though. I am exhausted and haven’t had a good night’s sleep since, well, since before the third trimester of the pregnancy pretty much. I really could do with a break. One day, this boy will sleep through the night. I don’t know when, but it will happen. And then I may sleep for two or three days straight and come out of it a new person.
Foodwise – we had to adjust the food intake. Adik’s pediatrician, after his 9-month checkup, was concerned at his lack of weight gain and Adik got sent to the GI Tract specialist. It wasn’t urgent, just a double check to make sure that his growth continues with no issues. We saw the specialist in mid-November, and she recommended a high calorie diet (addition of butter, heavy cream, milk powder, and to have him drink 1 to 1-1/2 bottles of Pediasure a day) to see how he progresses. It was about 6 weeks between Adik’s 9 month checkup (where he had only gained 3 ounces since his 6 month checkup), to the Specialist appointment, and he had gained over a pound in that six weeks, so rather than subject the poor baby to a complete (and possibly invasive) workup, the doctor wanted to give him a few weeks of this high calorie diet to see how he responded. Luckily, Adik loves food and had no trouble consuming what the doctor ordered. So, foods that Adik tried in this past month are:
* banana yogurt (thumbs up)
* onion+garlic+chicken+rice with ginger and olive oil (thumbs up!)
* vanilla pediasure (thumbs up)
* butter + savory foods (thumbs up)
* heavy cream + fruit purees (thumbs up)
* roast turkey breast + rosemary+sage+rice+onion+garlic+cloves (thumbs way up!)
Adik still nurses on demand and eats solids 4 times a day. He takes two naps during the day and wakes up anywhere from 3-6 times a night (yes, really). He does seem to be enjoying this new diet and has taken to eating very happily. Will report back on his progress after the allotted time has passed and another doctor visit completed.
We have noticed that we have a dearth of vehicular toys in the house (Yaya was never really into cars and trucks so we never really got her any). Adik seems to be quite mad about them. He wants wheeled things to push around. He will push Yaya’s old Alphabet bus around the house, or one of the building block cars. When he has nothing wheeled to push around, he will use anything that will slide and push that around the house while he crawls along with it. Poor child. We have put wheeled vehicles on his birthday list and soon he will have his own vehicular toys to play with! Huzzah!
He is such a joyful and fun baby though. He’s always laughing and smiling, loves to play tag/chase, loves to be tickled, and is such a joy to hang around with. He loves playing with Yaya, and wants to always do what she does. He’s even taken Yaya’s crayons and tried to draw with them (he doesn’t yet understand that if you draw on the carpet, nothing will happen).
Anyway, let’s get to how Adik spent his 11-month birthday:
In the morning, he goes downstairs with Papa and Yaya so Mama can get a little extra sleep to make up for all the waking up in the middle of the night. He hangs out in the playpen while Papa gets some things done (like make coffee, etc.). And then he plays!
[[image:2012_1129_rafe03.jpg:Dismantling blocks that Yaya built:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe01.jpg:Rapt birdwatcher:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe02.jpg:Wa-wa-wa-wa-wa:center:0]]
Then he nurses and takes his morning nap on Mama, while Mama works. When he gets up, he is ready to go again!
[[image:2012_1129_rafe04.jpg:Standing up and reaching the piano on his own:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe05.jpg:Cowboy Adik says Howdy pardner!:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe07.jpg:We call this on the knee move “Prairie dogging it”:center:0]]
One of the new things that has been added to Adik’s menu is the vanilla flavored Pediasure which he drinks from a sippy cup! Adik is now drinking from a sippy cup!
[[image:2012_1129_rafe08.jpg:Mmmmmm:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe09.jpg:Glug glug glug:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe10.jpg:Ahhhh!!!!:center:0]]
Here are more pictures of Adik at play:
[[image:2012_1129_rafe11.jpg:Funny face!:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe12.jpg:Confidently standing:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe13.jpg:Cheeky boy, waiting for the opportunity to pounce on the computer:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe14.jpg:Prairie dogging it in the tent with a balloon:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe15.jpg:Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe16.jpg:Hip hip hurrah!:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe17.jpg:I love this shot of Adik:center:0]]
Here are more pictures of Adik with a wardrobe change – dressed in his jammies but not quite ready for bed yet.
[[image:2012_1129_rafe19.jpg:I’m very awake and happy!:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe21.jpg:What can I do with an empty water bottle?:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe20.jpg:Use it as a bat?:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe25.jpg:I am a big boy sitting on the sofa all by myself!:center:0]]
(While Mama and Papa are ready to catch him should he decide to jump head first off of it).
[[image:2012_1129_rafe26.jpg:Safely in Papa’s arms now:center:0]]
Here are some Yaya and Adik interaction photos:
[[image:2012_1129_rafe22.jpg:Huuug Adik while Adik tries to make Yaya talk to the hand:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe24.jpg:You want a piece of me!???!!!?!?! Try it and see, sista!:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe23.jpg:Oh Adik, you’re so cuuuuute. Huuuuuuuug!:center:0]]
I love Adik’s “oh, brother” expression in the above photo. 🙂 And then Papa takes Yaya up to bed, and while we give them time to brush their teeth, get a story on and settle down, Adik and I read downstairs. Adik’s favorite book right now is Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton:
[[image:2012_1129_rafe27.jpg:Completely into the book:center:0]]
[[image:2012_1129_rafe28.jpg:Read it again, Mama!:center:0]]
And when all is quiet upstairs, Mama takes Adik up to bed too. Good night, darlin’. Happy 11-month birthday, baby boy! We love you!
[[image:2012_1129_rafe06.jpg:Good night y’alls! I’ll be one next month!:center:0]]
