11 Months!

Levin is eleven! Eleven months that is. Hard to believe we're only one more month away from toddlerhood. How exciting yet incredibly sad at the same time.

He is one wild little creature! Big boy toys absolutely fascinate him and he loves to act like he's already a toddler. Maybe having an older brother prompts him to want to do certain activities, but I feel like he never wants to play like a baby anymore

If you can't tell, he loves vehicles! He loves riding in/on them, playing with them and imitating their noises. It's amazing how much of a boy this little man is already. He is in love with airplanes most of all! He spotted his first one flying above a few weeks ago and it nearly made me and Levi tear up. He heard the sound, gasped, and pointed his tiny little finger at the sky. He stood there, wide-eyed and pointing, until the plane was out of sight. Shortly after coming back inside we found him playing with one of Lucas' cars, but pretending it was a plane. He was swooping it around his head making airplane noises...loving every minute of it! There's nothing greater than watching your children learn right before your eyes! His expressions and actions were absolutely priceless to watch.

He loves being outside and is really comfortable crawling around in the dirt and grass now. That cautious little baby is gone...now he's hard to keep on eye on! He is walking around and taking as many as 10 steps at a time. He loves to stand and squat. I think he's pretty proud that he can get up without something to hold onto these days.

He's also a big fan of hiking! He's always loved to be worn so it was no surprise that he would love it while hitting the trails. Nature is so inspiring to babies and I just love watching him explore his surroundings. Some of his favorites are sticks, rocks, trees, and leaves!

The biggest development this month (other than practically walking!) is his huge stride in communication and understanding. He loves to mimic our actions and demonstrate how to properly use certain items. He knows that phones are for talking on and if I say "hello" he will put it to his ear!

He will also follow commands and shake, tap, clap, and bonk items if I tell him to. He isn't talking near as much as brother was at eleven months, but I am still so proud of his words. He now says dada, mama, dog, ni-night, more,  and my all time favorite....tickle-tickle! I can't help but giggle every time he pretends to tickle. He is very attached to his green blankie and a few days ago I could tell something was wrong. He was crawling around looking for something and was obviously sad that he couldn't find it. He looked at me very pitifully and wimpered 'ni-night?" I knew he wanted his blankie (as he's asked for it a few times before) so I went and pulled it out of his crib. His eyes lit up, he squeeze it super hard and then he started rubbing his fingers all over it while laughing "tickle-tickle ni-night". It was the cutest and funniest thing I have ever seen him do!

He is also very communicative while eating. Every time I tell him to open, he says "ahh". And when you ask him if something is good he immediately smiles and says "mmm!". I probably ask him both questions like 20 times each meal because I think it's just super stinkin' cute! I'll even admit that I'm waiting for him to mix up the answers...but he never does. He's a smart little cookie!

He is still a super eater, fantastic sleeper and now a determined climber. I have such a hard time keeping this boy on the floor. He'll climb boxes, buckets, chairs, you name it!

He's almost too big to throw into the sink for a quick bath these days. His hair is starting to get so long that it's curling at the tips and he even has 3 teeth (working on #4). One of the top teeth decided to come out by themselves so he looks so goofy at the moment. I can't help but laugh every time he smiles! The other top is beginning to protrude through so hopefully it's a quick advancement. Teeth are so evil!

This last month has been so full of excitement! As big as he's getting, I love that I can still look down at him and see a tiny little person. He has the greatest personality and is such a magnet of happiness!