10 Month Update!

Xavier is almost 10 months old and he is doing so many new things!!!

For nearly a month now, he has been attempting to pull himself up onto every piece of furniture, toy, etc. Yesterday, he succeeded in doing this on our glass TV stand...several times! He is a pro at it now. Luckily, our furniture is soft and he struggles to get a good hold on it. As soon as he masters this skill on the couches, we are in trouble!

Getting fancy with a twist!

Also within the last month, he began crawling. He is the cutest little crawler :) It is funny because he still prefers to roll everywhere but he is beginning to crawl more and more. He loves to crawl and scoot on the kitchen floor!

We noticed this month that while he has been saying a few words for several months, he is beginning to use them in the correct context. For example, he has been able to say titi (what he calls his pacifier) but now he says it when we are driving and it has fallen out of his mouth and he can't reach it. He also cries for dada if he wants Dustin to pick him up. The fact that his words have meaning now is very exciting! He is also starting to say new "words" like wawa (water) and baba (bottle). He is a smart little cookie :)

Beautiful :)

This month, it was necessary to "up" his food amounts as well as start finger foods. We are also starting the weening process so that we can eliminate formula by the time he is a year old. He is still eating four times a day and we are still preparing it ourselves with organic fruits, veggies and meats. This kid eats like his daddy and it's expensive! At breakfast, he eats the equivalent to 1 1/2 "Number 2" foods. He also gets 1/2 a pack of raisins with this meal. For lunch he now gets 3 "number 2" foods!! For his mid afternoon meal he gets a 6 oz bottle and for dinner he gets 2 "number 2" foods as well as an 8 oz bottle. He does not like scrambled eggs, cut-up strawberries, or cut-up bananas...but we keep trying :)

Raisins!

Even though he is eating more than ever, surprisingly (according to our scale) he has not gained any weight in nearly a month and a half. He doesn't go to the doctor for another 2 months though so we will see :)

Finally, he has started reaching for and away from people. Last week, for the first time, when I took him to homecare in the mornings, he would turn from Isabel or Suzie and hold onto me. This is the first time he has ever done this...and it broke my heart to leave him! I know that they take good care of him but it was still very hard...like the first day all over again! If he is on the ground and wants held, he will now crawl to you and then lift his arms and get your attention so that you will pick him up. In the beginning it was adorable and flattering...but it didn't take long for this to become exhausting. He has reached the stage where he just wants mama or daddy (but mostly mama) a lot. It makes housework and other tasks nearly impossible. It is interesting because this separation anxiety began when we returned from our Indiana trip. Hopefully it is just a stage!

The last 10 months have flown by...I can't believe he will be a year old in just 2 short months. We have been so blessed.