10 Months

Double digits, whoaa! My son is on the move. He is crawling and cruising all day long, he can open cupboards and drawers, and he's decided screeching is his favorite form of communication. As exhausting as it can be some days, I have to admit I've been having a ton of fun with the little guy lately. Now when we play it is much more than me entertaining him, he can wheel cars around, toss balls, stack rings, bang toys together, and move things in and out of containers.

We are slowly baby proofing the house. The living room and nursery are the safe zones and he pretty much has full run of those rooms. He also has two cupboards in the kitchen that he is allowed to open and play with (Tupperware, thermoses, and water bottles are regularly strewn abut the kitchen). We've started to use "no" a little, we try to reserve it's use for things that are dangerous. We say it, shake our heads, and then try to divert his attention to something else. He can't yet remember what he is and isn't allowed to do, but at least when he hears "no" he seems to recognize that he's doing something he shouldn't. Diaper changes are my least favorite part of the day. They are full on wrestling matches and there are only losers in this type of competition!

The eczema battle is still being fought. We just added two new prescriptions to our arsenal and Mom and Reed are both still off of eggs and dairy. I tried to reintroduce eggs last week with disastrous results (a full afternoon of vomiting). It left me pretty scared and the little guy a bit traumatized so we are steering clear of eggs for sure.

Monthly Statistics

Weight: 21 lbs 3 oz

Length: 30 inches (measured by Mom, not a professional, so who knows)

Head Circumference: 17.5 inches

Clothing Size: Pretty much all 12 month outfits now, with a few 12-18 month onesies and shirts thrown in.

Teeth: 7 -  4 on the bottom and 3 on the top with another trying to make its way down

Can't live without: Beco Gemini Carrier, BOB stroller, Soft Sheep, Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat, Baby Bjorn Bibs, ZoLi Bot Sippy Cup, Any of his Board Books, Plastic containers (especially ones with lids), Blackout Curtains for the nursery at night, Swimways Baby Spring Float Activity Center

Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Buddy Bear, Baby Bear, and Monkey (this is the most popular right now)

Favorite Foods: Avocado, Banana, Fish, Blueberries, and Peppers

Words: DaDa and Da (pronounced like Dog without the g). When I say Blue or Book he also makes a "Ba" sound when trying to mimic me. Every now and then we get a MaMa but it is pretty random, only once did he do it as he was crawling in my lap.

How Reed is sleeping: Reed takes a nap in the morning that ranges anywhere from 1 - 2 hours and one in the afternoon that lately has only been about an hour long, but used to be up to 2 hours. He goes to bed around 7:30pm and then it is any one's guess. Sometimes he sleeps through until around 6:00 am. Other times he's up once or twice and just needs a pacifier and his soft sheep and he's down again. Still other times we are up and down for 2-3 hours reassuring him every 15 minutes or so while he cries it out.

Favorite Moment: While we haven't had a ton of big milestones this month, Reed has come along way as far as his dexterity is concerned. He suddenly is able to throw a ball on command, help mom fold clothes by tossing socks into the laundry basket, put toys into a box or a bucket (instead of just dumping them out), and can stack rings back onto his Rock-a-Stack.

Milestones:
06/24/12   First time in the Shower
07/06/12   Reed starts clapping
07/13/12   Reed can purposefully throw a ball
07/14/12   Reed is able to place rings back on a column and put toys into a box
07/15/12   Reed starts to try balancing while standing (1-2 seconds)

Embarrassing Picture: Reed's cowlick is out of control