Seriously, how is our baby 10 months old already!? This time last year, we had already had 2 baby showers and were eagerly preparing for "Baby P's" arrival! Now that he is here, we can hardly remember what life was like without our Lucas.
This post is going to be a bit long since I didn’t really get into many details in the 9 month post…
The biggest change in personality that we have seen this month is that Lucas is really starting to have an opinion! When we take a toy away, he cries as if his world is collapsing! He also does not like when we leave him in his bouncer and walk out of the room! He is also very good at going “boneless” when we pick him up and he is not ready to stop playing or get out of the tub from his bath. Good times.
This month, Lucas has also really started to work on his vocabulary. “mom mom mom mom” is a recent favorite, and as much as I would like to think Lucas is referring to me, I think it’s more of a practice phrase. “Dadada” and “bababa” come out of his mouth a lot too. On the evening of Halloween, I took Lucas to visit some of our neighbors, and as we were leaving Connie’s house, he raised his little hand to wave to her, smiled, and said “ba-ba-ba” while waving! She and I both got very excited and thought Lucas was attempting to say ‘goodbye’, though he hasn’t done that since, so we are not so sure now. Eric and I also think he can say ‘banana’ which comes out as “now-na”. Lucas would eat bananas for every meal if we let him, so they are definitely his favorite food. When we take out a banana for him to eat, he gets very excited, and has definitely said “now-na” on numerous occasions as we are slicing. So, we believe that ‘banana’ may be Lucas' first intentional word! Lucas has also started to use some of the signs that we have been teaching him - "more", "eat", and "all done." Use is still sporadic, but he seems to understand how to use them in the proper context. He definitely asked for "more" food after he finished the first few items of food we gave him at Thanksgiving dinner. And once he is finished eating a meal, he will use the "all done" sign. We definitely know he is finished because if we put another piece of food on his tray, Lucas will either whine or swipe the piece of food to the side to show that meal time is over!
This month, Lucas has also really started to work on his vocabulary. “mom mom mom mom” is a recent favorite, and as much as I would like to think Lucas is referring to me, I think it’s more of a practice phrase. “Dadada” and “bababa” come out of his mouth a lot too. On the evening of Halloween, I took Lucas to visit some of our neighbors, and as we were leaving Connie’s house, he raised his little hand to wave to her, smiled, and said “ba-ba-ba” while waving! She and I both got very excited and thought Lucas was attempting to say ‘goodbye’, though he hasn’t done that since, so we are not so sure now. Eric and I also think he can say ‘banana’ which comes out as “now-na”. Lucas would eat bananas for every meal if we let him, so they are definitely his favorite food. When we take out a banana for him to eat, he gets very excited, and has definitely said “now-na” on numerous occasions as we are slicing. So, we believe that ‘banana’ may be Lucas' first intentional word! Lucas has also started to use some of the signs that we have been teaching him - "more", "eat", and "all done." Use is still sporadic, but he seems to understand how to use them in the proper context. He definitely asked for "more" food after he finished the first few items of food we gave him at Thanksgiving dinner. And once he is finished eating a meal, he will use the "all done" sign. We definitely know he is finished because if we put another piece of food on his tray, Lucas will either whine or swipe the piece of food to the side to show that meal time is over!
Other than first words, Lucas had a few other new firsts this month! He loves to play “peek-a-boo”! He uses his hands or flips his bib up to cover his eyes and sits there giggling quietly Daddy or I say “where is Lucas?” Then he removes his hands or his bib and grins so big! And then does it all over again! In a similar light, Lucas' favorite books this month are the “peek-a-boo” series where there is a flap that lifts on each page to show a hiding baby or animal. He will lift the flap and immediately touch the fuzzy sheep or a soft animal ear that is on each page. Lucas' love of reading continues! The question “how big is Lucas?” usually gets a huge smile and arms reaching up in the air for “SOOOO BIG!” Absolutely adorable.
Clapping is still on his list of favorite activities. And we think Lucas may actually use clapping as his way to show agreement (in addition to showing joy). For example, if he uses the "all done" sign, then we will say "are you all done, Lucas?", and he will clap with a big smile on his face, which we believe is his way to answer "yes!". And earlier this week, he was standing up at his toy basket, let go, and clapped a few times! He was not holding on to anything! He didn’t even fall over, just grabbed back on to the toy basket when he was done! This was not the first time we caught Lucas standing for a few seconds on his own – it has been happening here and there for about 2 weeks now. He also enjoys cruising along the furniture – especially along the ottoman and when the remote is at the other end. He can step between two pieces of furniture when they are close enough for him to keep a hand on each as he makes the jump between. Lucas is definitely becoming stronger as he pulls up and does not use his upper body nearly as much as in the past – he uses his leg strength more to get into a stand, relying on his hands only for stability. Crawling seems to be Lucas' preferred method of travel.
Clapping is still on his list of favorite activities. And we think Lucas may actually use clapping as his way to show agreement (in addition to showing joy). For example, if he uses the "all done" sign, then we will say "are you all done, Lucas?", and he will clap with a big smile on his face, which we believe is his way to answer "yes!". And earlier this week, he was standing up at his toy basket, let go, and clapped a few times! He was not holding on to anything! He didn’t even fall over, just grabbed back on to the toy basket when he was done! This was not the first time we caught Lucas standing for a few seconds on his own – it has been happening here and there for about 2 weeks now. He also enjoys cruising along the furniture – especially along the ottoman and when the remote is at the other end. He can step between two pieces of furniture when they are close enough for him to keep a hand on each as he makes the jump between. Lucas is definitely becoming stronger as he pulls up and does not use his upper body nearly as much as in the past – he uses his leg strength more to get into a stand, relying on his hands only for stability. Crawling seems to be Lucas' preferred method of travel.
We have decided to wean from breastfeeding this month. We used the last of our frozen breast milk to transition to formula, and Lucas did not have a problem with the change at all. He now sleeps right through the 4am feeding that was still lingering while he was nursing because he is getting all of the liquid and solids food he needs during the day. I miss seeing Lucas before I leave for work now, but this change seems to be working out well for all! Also on the feeding-front, we are getting a bit more explorative with Lucas' meal options and giving him more and more of what we are eating. He still gets fruit and veggie purees at school since that is easiest, but at home, for dinner and on the weekends, he mainly get table food that he eats with his fingers. New foods this month include: blueberry pancakes, grilled cheese, pulled pork, and chili. Soft veggies and fruits cubed so he can self-feed are also a go-to such as sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, peas, peaches, mango, avocado, and his beloved banana. He also enjoys cheese cubes, toast or deli flats with hummus or cheese spread on it, and beans. I actually just bought some tofu, so I’m hoping to get creative with it and hope he enjoys it! Thanksgiving dinner in Rochester was especially fun since Lucas ate everything we did - turkey w/ gravy, sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, apple and squash bake - he loved it all! It was so cute watching him eat all by himself. What a big boy!
