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| I like this picture because you can see his three bottom teeth. |
It seems (to me) this month Jude went from little baby to nearly toddler. His new little teeth (all three of them) are fully in, he's all over the place in a flash (army crawling along most of the time since it gets him from point A to point B much more quickly than crawling), he's feeding himself at mealtime, and his hair is growing and becoming much thicker. He can take baths with all the other kids now without being drowned in their splashing. He plays on the floor for longer periods without screaming for us. He's become much more resilient to Owen's attempts at play. He can hold his bottle himself, and the big one...he can find his pacifier when it falls out and put it back into his mouth on his own.
Just this week we lowered Jude's crib mattress since he's beginning to pull up to stand (infrequently, but he can do it). That always seems like such a milestone to me for some reason. I guess it is just a sign that the baby is not going to be a baby much longer. This time Jeremy commented, "this is the last time we will ever do this." Wow!!! and Hallelujah!!!
Jude is enjoying books and beginning to turn pages. He even attends to book features; lifting flaps, feeling textures, turning pages, etc. He likes balls, cars, trains and trucks-just like a boy! He loves to splash in the bathtub. He lies on his back and kicks his legs until the water is crashing in waves over his head. He has especially taken a liking to cords, trash cans and paper. One day this week I think he consumed several calories worth of printer paper that he confiscated from the trash can. He finds little pieces of food crumbs, bits of trash or anything else lying on the floor and it immediately goes into his mouth. I've fished out candy wrappers, popcorn kernels and hair ties just to name a few. One night this month Jeremy was feeding him a bottle and noticed he wasn't drinking well. Upon closer inspection there was a plastic door stopper in the back of his throat just waiting to be removed using the Heimlich.
Jude likes to eat just about anything we offer him. He isn't a big eater but he is an adventurous eater. The only thing I've seem him refuse after multiple attempts is eggs. He likes to feed himself more than having it fed to him. Pretzel rods, yogurt melts, graham crackers and blueberries are favorites of his. He also enjoys just chewing on a spoon at mealtime. He's gotten over his dislike for his highchair thankfully.
Jude's sleeping patterns are pretty good. He goes to bed consistently between 6:30 and 7:30. Most nights he wakes up at least once (and never goes back to bed without being fed). He wakes up around 7 a.m. Naps are pretty hit or miss. On most days his naps only last an hour if I'm lucky. That doesn't deter me from lying him down consistently at 10 and 2.
Jude is beginning to make babbling sounds and is pretty amused at himself. He attempts Dada and Momma. We are beginning to introduce signs to him. He communicates in smiles, laughs and cries and certainly gets his point across.
