11 months!

So I'm a couple days late, but I still am determined to post monthly updates until Carson's a year old! At 11 months old, Carson is cruising all over the place. And of course, he's getting into more things than I thought possible! He loves walking around the couch and coffee table and drumming with his hands as he goes. (Unfortunately, he also loves drumming on the T.V., despite how many times I avert his attention!) He loves pulling books off shelves, throwing food off his highchair tray, and playing with anything electronic. Basically, he's all boy. :)

He still eats pretty much anything. Although some days, he's love me to spoon feed him a huge bowl of baby food. Other days, I'll try to feed him and he'll knock the spoon out of my hands - and food will cover the adjacent wall (and sometimes me, as well!). Lately, he's been into "helping" me; he'll grab the spoonful of food from me, stuff it into his mouth, and proceed to chew on the spoon for a good few minutes. When he's ready for more food, he'll hold the spoon out for me to refill it with food. It's kind of completely adorable. :)

Carson still loves bath time, and he loves to have the water running. It entertains him for SO long!

Carson still nurses (or has a bottle) when he's going down for a nap or to bed. But as of this past week, I've actually cut out nursing him when wakes up. He's been doing pretty well with it! I've just been substituting nursing with a snack/meal in his high chair. ... The developing problem, though, is Carson has started to figure out that if he fakes being tired and I go to put him down for a nap, he gets to nurse! But then, as soon as he's gotten enough, he gets a huge grin on his face and starts ... well ... giggling. Then, no surprise - he doesn't sleep at all. Darn kid is too smart!

So I'm sitting here, trying to come up with a bunch of other stuff to write about, but I keep getting distracted by just thinking about how much I love my little boy. I keep thinking that a particular age with Carson is the best - that whatever stage he's in is my favorite. But then the next stage comes around, and I'm telling myself that that's my real favorite. Even though there are days where I lose my patience, days where Carson just whines nonstop, or nights like tonight where Carson pooped in the bathtub then again once we hurried him out of the tub, and then again on the floor - well, I still love being a mom with every part of me.

Carson has taught me so much, and I know it sounds cheesy, but I genuinely love him more each and every day. His personality keeps bubbling over, and it just makes me giddy seeing the little person he's becoming. I love him with all my heart, and I'm so grateful I get to be a stay-at-home mommy with him.