Life Within the Cuckoo's Nest: Milestones: 10 Months Old

How can I say no to that face?!

My dearest Austin, today you are 10 months old and I am struggling to not lock you up in your room and keep you there for the rest of the day. Keep in mind, it is only 9:00 am! You are teething again (right now you have 4) and have been soooooo grumpy in the mornings (and up all night) this past week! I have been trying to keep up with the Tylenol/Motrin and numbing gel for your mouth but you are still hurting and that leads to extreme clinginess, lots of whining, and you have started throwing your first temper tantrums! You literally yell at me in your own little alien language and all I can do is laugh at you because it sounds so funny :).

This is how Mom keeps her sanity while you are taking a nap.

Two days ago you attempted to walk for the first time! Your Daddy was sitting on the floor and you were standing/holding onto the couch across from him when suddenly you decided to let go and take a step towards him! We both got so excited and spent the rest of the night trying to get you to do it again and again and again. We were all laughing so hard, including you! Every time you took a few steps and fell into our arms you would giggle and give loves. I'm sure you will be walking any day now.

You've experienced daycare for the first time this past month at the gym while Mom gets a workout in. You have done really well and seem to only cry when another baby gets too close to you. I guess that is a sign that I need to get you around other kids more often....

You like to bite and it hurts! We have been trying to tell you no and be stern with you because the child that bites doesn't get invited to play-dates, and usually gets kicked out of daycare. You only go to the gym daycare a couple hours a week, but that is one luxury I am not willing to part with! So you better play your cards well son or you are going to have one grumpy Mama....

You are constantly talking and screaming all day long. The screaming is out of happiness and it is really cute, except when we are in the car and you are threatening to burst our eardrums. I can't say enough about how cute your voice is when you do your super fast alien talk. I wish I could capture it on video but you always stop before I get the chance.

You like it when we sit on the floor and read to you. You like to listen and then grab the book and mimic us. It makes me so excited to see you learn that way! If we whisper, you whisper. If we speak strong and commandingly, you do the same! Dad has fun with this by getting you to whisper "Dada, Dada, Dada" and it literally sounds like you are chanting. You then go around the house chanting and your dad tells me he can't wait to have more little worshipers ;).

You love to go outside for walks and play in the pool. It is time to give you your first haircut but you are incapable of sitting still so I am putting it off for as long as possible because I can just imagine what the haircut is going to end up looking like. So for now we are enjoying your fuzzy hair that stands up all over the place and everywhere we go people feel the need to pet you like a bunny :).

You are getting heavier but won't sit still on the scale long enough to find out the actual number. You fit somewhere in between 9month-12month clothes so I figure you are just the right size. You are a picky eater and don't like to try new things but are also getting tired of the cheerios and yogurt you are constantly eating so I'm not sure what to do about that.

You are a huge fan of your Dad and follow him around the house everywhere. Yesterday he went upstairs and I wasn't paying close attention. Before we knew it you were up the stairs too, holding out your arms for him to pick you up! If you know he is in the house you constantly say Dada and are always looking around for him, and don't get me started on how cute it is when he walks in the door and you go racing across the floor as fast as you can crawl to hug him!