Happy 10 months, Waylon!

Baby boy is 10 month old today.  WHAT IS HAPPENING?!  I just can't believe how fast this is going.  People have been asking me about Waylon's first birthday party and I'm like, "what?  That's a long time from now."  But of course, it's not.

Waylon's newest thing is giving kisses to Scott and me.  It's just about the best thing ever.  He doesn't pucker up but when you ask for a kiss, he leans in and it's the sweetest.  Except when he's not feeling it and shoves your face away.  That's less adorable.  He continues to be an active, happy little thing.  It's amazing to me how much of a boy he is.  He loves climbing on furniture, playing catch, watching big trucks go by in the front yard, and tearing up papers into (apparently) hilarious shredded piles. 

  

It's hard to describe, but he's both really independent and super attached to Scott and me.  He is really happy to play by himself but only as long as he can see either Scott or me.  Also, sometimes when I take him to play dates, he will play for a little bit with the other kids, then make his way back to just hang out next to me and play by himself.  OMG he's a LONER!

The little guy has 8 teeth now!  And the hugest gap known to man.  Thank God they're not permanent teeth because whoa.

What makes Baby Waylon happiest is being in his little walker.  He's getting really fast in it and is also able to maneuver it pretty well.  Getting run over by it is the worst though, and the dogs run in fear whenever he's in it.

  

Here's the official 10 month portrait:

Summer days

When we bought our house in Suffield, I had to come to terms with the fact I was to be a New Englander for the foreseeable future, no matter how unsavory that sounded to me.  So, I had a couple of choices:  stay cranky and complain about my biggest Northeast pet peeves (seriously, no one in their right mind could call that folded piece of Wonder bread a hot dog bun), or make the best of it.  So I joined a mom's group in the hopes that Waylon and I wouldn't die of boredom.

I went in fully expecting to spend most of my time eye-rolling everyone else but bearing it for the sake of my son's socialization.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ladies (and babies) I met were interesting, accomplished, and fun to be around.  I've been to places I probably would never have found on my own, gotten some pretty good advice when I had questions, and have just had a really good time getting to know some smart, like-minded women and their kiddos.  It's been a real blessing to feel like I have my own life here and to expose Waylon to other kids and adults, especially since I am constantly worried that he leads a sheltered life with our families so far away.  Here is a cute pic of us at one of the Mom's farewell party last night:



As far as home life is concerned, I feel like I'm really hitting my stride as of late.  I feel like we are communicating really well right now and since we haven't traveled in a few weeks, we've been getting into a nice routine at night with Scott that includes a walk around the neighborhood in his little backpack and watching Jeopardy.  I'm telling you, this kid loves Alex Trebek.  Yeah, he gets excited by the Jeopardy music but when Alex appears on screen, he laughs and kicks like a little crazy person.  I must get a video of this.  It's making me hate Alex Trebek a little less.  As I said in his 9-month update, this is the most fun stage I've had with Waylon yet.  He loves running around in his little walker, terrorizing the dogs or pulling open the kitchen cabinets. He is also really into dragging his his stroller around while in his walker, which Scott thinks shows great strength in one so little.  He could do this all day:

Happy 9 months, Waylon!

So we had Way's 9-month appointment yesterday which went well.  He's 29.5 inches tall (88th percentile and weighs 19lb, 14 oz. (50th percentile).  So, he's still a tall, pretty skinny little thing.  He waves hi now, claps his hands and is an old pro at crawling.  The pediatrician doesn't think that  walking is very far off.  

We finally got the sleep thing worked out and he's back to a 12 hour stretch at night and a 1.5 hour nap during the day, sometime between 10:30 and 1:00 (I just can't with a rigid schedule).  He goes right down once he is in his crib, which I am super thankful for.  Yea sleep!

I think Waylon eats a ton.  I'm not complaining, I'm just saying I thought boys were a little older before they started eating all the food in your house.  He likes fruits, veggies, meat, cheese, fish, pasta and waffles, and I've decided to start giving him eggs and nuts now too.  I know some people say wait a little longer, but I think he will like them, there are no allergies in my family and I actually am of the school of thought that withholding certain food groups makes it more likely that kids will be allergic in the future.  So bring on the omelettes and peanut butter!

Month 9 was an exciting time for young Waylon.  He and I traveled to Chicago because little Way is not the littlest on the Brizzolara side of the family any more!  Little cousin Vinny arrived July 8 and we were so excited to meet him.  I forgot what it's like to be around a tiny little baby and he is really cute.  Waylon also got to spend some quality time with Gino, Tio and Coco this trip while I went to a party.  Waylon loves his cousin but he hasn't really been away from me a lot (the disadvantages of having no local family) so he had a hard time.  He did like going for walks with Tio and Gino though (and Coco and Vinny probably needed the rest)

We also got a chance to go up to Milwaukee to see some dear friends.  We were hoping to meet their newest addition as well, but baby Graham decided not to arrive until 2 days after we visited!  Waylon loved playing with Avery though.  Look how sweet they look together:

Dara was also able to get a couple really good pics of Waylon by himself.  Here is standing:

And here is his handsome smile!  Well, I guess handsome might be in the eye of the beholder :)

I have to say, this is my favorite of Waylon's ages.  He's just so FUN now.  He's really expressive and joyful and it feels like he masters a new skill almost every day.  It's so amazing to watch him learn something new or interact with other people, especially kids who are a little older.  He has such a sweetness about him that warms my cold black heart.  I also think he's really observant and can't wait to hear what he has to say once he starts talking.  I know I'm his mom, but damn if this kid isn't awesome!

The 9 month photo, still no chalkboard.