11 months old

Happy {almost} first birthday, Connor!

Today, you are 11 months old!

No official stats this month, since none of his doctor visits are requiring vitals.  If we had to estimate, I'd put him at right around 20 pounds.

Some of the things Connor's been up to this month:

• He's cutting his 2 bottom teeth simultaneously...  F.U.N.
• He's rapidly outgrowing the 1st stage of his jumperoo, the highest level of the crib mattress, the baby aisle at Target, the swing, the infant carrier car seat...  this all makes Mommy sad!
• He still lets me hold him for his first morning nap, just after the first bottle everyday.  Hands down, my favorite part of every day.
• He now cries for attention... and we're on to your fake cries, buddy!  ;)
• He's also getting pretty attached... and gets upset when you leave the room.
• Get so excited when I pull out the Graduates Melts (snack food), turn the deadbolt on the front door (b/c that means we're going outside), when he's being undressed for bath time, when the bib is being placed around his neck for solid food meal time.  I love how predictable and FUN his responses are to these things!
  
• He's moving into the big boy car seat this weekend, still rear-facing, but it's a good transition for our big excursion to Phoenix.
• Connor LOVES his snacks... esp. yogurt melts and freeze-dried fruit.
• He drinks from a regular cup (with assistance) and a sippy cup.
• He even holds his own bottle when he's in the mood.
• When he's patient enough, he can get his finger foods (Gerber Puffs) into his mouth all by himself.
• He can roll both directions and sometimes from his stomach back to his back
• He loves to hear his name in whatever song Mommy is singing... "C is for CONNOR", "La-la la la, it's CONNOR'S world", "CONNOR, I love you", etc.
  
• He's very coordinated with his pacifier...
• Connor makes lots of funny noises, and likes to hear the sounds he makes - entertains himself sometimes just vocalizing.
• His latest favorite sound is making one like a creaky door... which is pretty close to shrieking.  I bet he'll figure out that treasure just in time for our plane ride in a couple of weeks.
  
• Connor prefers to sit up to play, rather then lay down, and can go quite awhile without toppling over.
  
• He's inhaling Stage 2 foods right now, and we're close to moving on to more finger/table foods.
  
• We're so used to bigger diapers on him, he'll be transitioning to size 4 soon  (which he already wears at night to protect his clothes - ahem.) - we prefer the entire butt cheek to be covered in this house, no matter how cute it is.
• He's this close to fitting into 12-month clothing.
  
• He's learned how to spit raspberries...  makes feeding time a whole new experience.
  
• He's definitely the cutest kid in a helmet we've ever seen!
• He's kinda sorta starting to wave bye-bye and give high fives.

Connor's had a very quiet month, medically.  We've only traveled back and forth to one place (numerous times) - CT - for his band.  This next month will be quiet for Connor, too... yippee!  (As far as doctors' appointments go.)

In a couple of weeks, barring a massive pandemic, we're very much looking forward to our trip to Phoenix to visit my side of the family.  Grandpa and Uncle Scott haven't seen Connor since last December, Grandma not since May, the MacKinlays not since July, and Erik & Emily not for very long at all!  We also have a new niece/cousin to meet... and we can't wait! 

His monthly photo album:

 November 15, 2009

October 23, 2009

 Tummy time - October 24, 2009

 Got a monkey on his back - November 15, 2009

 Mommy's view - October 27, 2009

 November 15, 2009

 October 28, 2009

 October 29, 2009

 LOVES his juice - October 29, 2009

 Big boys sit up - October 29, 2009

 Serious. - November 6, 2009

 Big boys hold their bottles - October 31, 2009

 November 15, 2009

 Best friends - November 1, 2009

 Enemies - November 4, 2009

 Just peeking - October 31, 2009

 Seriously?! - November 6, 2009

 November 15, 2009

 Daddy & his Drool Machine - October 23, 2009

Connor's Elvis impersonation - November 8, 2009

Brian and I are both anxious for his upcoming first birthday... not because we want him to get older (because believe you me, I'm mourning the aging of my BABY), but I think we both want to put this tumultuous year behind us.  We want to experience a year of NORMAL... a year without hospital stays and copious doctors' visits.  We both still have a hard time thinking back to the beginning of 2009, and all that Connor had to go through - we still can't make sense of it all.

So, we look forward to December 16th as an opportunity to put the stress and grief of 2009 behind us!

Since we'll be in Phoenix for a while close to his actual birthday, and because Uncle Scott's birthday falls on the 12th, we thought it would be fun to celebrate his first birthday with the entire Rogers Clan on December 13th.  (We'll also be having an early Christmas that day, too... whew!) 

Anyone have any ideas of a game for adults to play at a first birthday party?

I'm completely stumped, and drawing a total blank.

Instead, I've been focusing my efforts on the food, the cupcakes, and the decor... early Christmas prep here at home and for 9 of our AZ family members... and oh yeah, prepping for a major trip.

Just a wee bit busy...  :S

October 27, 2009 

After next month, I won't be posting these monthly updates anymore.
Don't worry... I'll still be blogging and posting pictures, just not these massive monthly posts.

I'm actually looking forward to compiling this year of Connor posts and monthly memes into a book of some sort, to have a permanent record.  I don't scrapbook, so this is the closest thing Connor will have to a baby book.  (If any grandparents, family, friends would like a copy, just contact me and I'll let you know what I come up with.)

The.End.

November 15, 2009