11 months

11 months please go slowly!

You are sequencing many different communication strings.  For instance, early this month you saw a banana on the counter and walked to your high chair said "up" labeled banana and then once you were in your high chair you signed "eat".  That is a long chain of communication and you continue to blow us away with your language skills.

Receptively: know head, belly button (love finding your belly button and lifting up people's shirts to find their belly buttons), love touching eyelashes, make dolphin sound, make owl sound, horse sound, chicken sound (you even make chicken sounds while eating chicken), horse sound, monkey sound, burp, lamb sound, hop for bunnies, cat sound.  You can follow instructions to place objects "in", "out", and "under" things.  You can identify the shape "star" when given a choice of 2 objects.  You anticipate book pages and will make sounds for the page that is next.

Expressively:  words: momma, dada, grandad, Pa, Gran (grrrrrr), Grammy (Ga), all done, eat, drink, juice, snack (imitation only), hot, outside, up, out, in, hat, shoes, shhh (quiet), clock, bubble, ice, brrr (cold), peas, glasses, eyes.  Plus, all your animal sounds.  I know I am missing lots but it is hard to keep tabs because you are learning so fast.  You click your tongue to label "sun" and "moon" because we sing a song "Mr. Sun" and I click my tongue in the song.

Signs: eat, wash, hat, thank-you, water, hair, brush, book, more

You have started functional play and will wash things with wipes and brush your hair with brushes.  You LOVE shoes and want to wear them around the house while carrying a pair in your hands.  I don't know why we buy you toys because you only want to carry around Annie's toys and you love to play with her.

You are walking more and more and gaining confidence.  You use your push toys like your dinosaur to  walk by yourself and recently walked from your toy chest to the coffee table and back by yourself.

Favorite things:  ducks, owls, water, outside, music, and books.  You will read books 3 or 4 times in a row.  You love to play in your crib right now with your toys and watch your mobile.

Recently you had your first experience with an ear infection and had your first antibiotics.  Poor baby, you were sneezing and coughing constantly.  At the Dr. we got your measurements and you weighed 20.6 (50th%) and were 31.75 inches long (off the charts).

You are so long that I get looks out in public as I mix your formula and feed you a bottle.  Everyone thinks you are at least 18 months as you always tower over older kids at the aquarium etc.  The other day a lady in the store asked if you were going to be 2 on your birthday!

Speaking of being 2, you have said 2, 2-word phrases recently which is expected of a 2 year old.  You have not even had your first birthday and you are putting 2 words together.  You have at least 41 words.  It is expected that a child of 12 months of age have 1-5 words and you have 41signs and words.  Stop developing so quickly, momma wants to enjoy you being little!  Your first 2-word phrase was "momma up" and then "momma bubble" because you wanted me to blow you a bubble with gum.  You better believe as soon as you said that phrase I got up and got some gum. ha ha

Seperation anxiety has reached an all time high.  You go through phases where you won't even let daddy do anything for you, you just scream and scream.  You are beginning to drop your morning naps but occasionally still want them.

Eating:  You are not eating as well right now, but you are also recovering from being sick.  You no longer want baby food and want to self-feed everything.  You are not a fan of zucchini.  I even baked zucchini with tomato sauce and mozzarella on it like a healthy pizza and you still did not like it.  New taste adventures:  melon, chicken and rice casserole, deer meat with potatoes and peas, tortillas, mac n cheese.  Favs: bananas, cheese, avocado, mac n cheese, and ICE.  We have bought a big bag of sonic ice to keep at home and you request it 3 times a day or more.  Every time we get in the car you say "ice" because you want to go to Sonic.

FaceTime is AMAZING.  We FaceTime once a week with lots of family members including my Gran and Grandad.  Because we have religiously face timed every week since probably June (when I stopped working) Kennedy knows who Gran and Grandad are.  Recently she was eating dinner and saw the Ipad on the table and starting saying "Grrrrrr" which means Gran.  She often requests FaceTime with Gran now.

Story behind Gran being "Grrrrr".  Gran was trying to get Kennedy to say her name and so she was over exaggerating the "Gr" sound and would say "Grrrrrraaaaan" and so Kennedy started imitating "Grrrr" so naturally that is Gran's name now.  You did it to yourself Gran! ha ha ha

Momma and Daddy are so excited and proud of all you have accomplished in your first year.  Daddy is excited about what is to come and momma is excited and sad to miss my infant!  I guess it is time for a brother or sister.....ha ha.