. . . Liam lately (11 months)

Where has the time gone? In less than one month my "baby" will be a year old. I can hardly believe it! This time last year I was eagerly counting down the days to Liam's arrival, thinking, "it could be any time now!"And now here he is, an almost-walking, kinda-talking little being!

Picture taking has now become a constant battle trying to keep him in his chair

I still don't have "official" stats, as Liam's doctor's appointment isn't until closer to his first birthday, but over the last couple weeks I swear he's gotten taller! He is now in all 12 month clothes, with some 18 month shirts thrown in there because he has such a long torso and big belly (ha!), and has moved into size 80 European clothes. He wears size 19-20 shoes (in European sizes, not sure what that is in American size, maybe 2?). He is wearing size 4+ diapers, but I'm thinking of going bigger because they feel really snug around his legs. You can tell by these pictures that I finally couldn't snap his onesie this month. Last month was tough, but this time it was impossible!

he's constantly scrunching up his nose lately!

His blonde hair is getting long, especially on the sides where it comes over his ears. He still has his beautiful blue eyes, and this month we discovered he will probably end up with my skin! For those of you who don't know Keith, he's a little on the pale side -- he can tan, but it's usually after a burn. : )  I was blessed with my dad's Cuban skin, so as long as I wear some sun protection I will get a nice tan during the summer months. After spending 11 days in Mallorca, Liam now has brown arms from the elbow down, and little brown legs and feet! His cheeks are brown too! No matter how much or how often we applied sunscreen to him, the boy did not want to be in the shade, so it was inevitable he would get a little sun. We're just glad he tanned and never burned!

Liam is still on the same eating schedule, and we continue to introduce him to more "whole foods" -- his first reaction whenever he puts something in his mouth is to immediately take it out to look at, make a face, and then decide if he wants to try more. Keith says he's just like his mama -- his first instinct is "No, I don't like this," but then after a while he decides he does, haha. :)  Liam still breastfeeds three times day and gets a breast milk bottle before bed. I can tell my breastfeeding days may come to a close soon because he only feeds for a couple minutes during the day. I'm proud of us for going as long as we have (my goal has always been a year), but I'll admit I will be sad when it's over. We will probably wean the daytime feedings first and continue his morning feeding as long as we can.

he always has those two fingers in his mouth

Liam now has six teeth (four on top, two on bottom), and we thought for sure there were more coming this month, but nothing has popped up yet. Liam had his first trip to the dentist after chipping a small piece off enamel on his top tooth, but it was so minor, not sharp, and didn't hit a nerve, so the dentist agreed nothing needed to be done. He did get his first little baby toothbrush and we've been brushing his teeth in the evenings. He really likes to have his teeth brushed and sits there quietly and really still until I'm done. :)

Liam's sleep schedule has been great lately -- he goes down completely awake for both naps and bedtime and puts himself to sleep. YAY! We've been letting him sleep-in in preparation for our trip to Georgia this month, so right now he normally wakes up between 9 and 10 am, takes a nap around 12:30 or 1:00, another nap around 4:00, and goes down for the night around 9 pm. Sometimes he can convince Keith or I to take a nap with him, proving to us there's nothing better than baby snuggles and falling asleep. LOVE.

As far as Liam's development goes, I feel like he has really grown up this last month! He took his first steps in Spain while we were on holiday, and although he doesn't attempt to walk alone often, he LOVES to hold onto our fingers and walk around. He's pretty good with one finger and crazy fast if he can get a hold of both hands! Luckily a friend of mine here gave Liam a little plastic shopping cart, so he has been pushing that thing all over the house, giving my back a break! He also climbs the stairs like a champ, not even stopping on each step -- just left knee, right foot, left knee, right foot, all the way up! He hasn't learned to go down yet though, so we have to be careful. Liam's coordination has also gotten so much better lately -- he plays with his toys so well and can fit small balls into a perfectly sized hole, roll a ball with us (momentarily, until distracted by something else), and his clapping is improving! When he gets excited, he waves his hands together and more often than not they will make contact with each other. : )  Liam also waves hello and goodbye (if he's not being shy), but we're still working on blowing kisses. He is kissing his dad and I more lately, putting his open mouth right on our face and keeping his eyes wide open as he goes in! SO cute. He also has gotten a little bit of shy bug whenever he's around someone new at first -- he buries his head in my neck and smiles shyly up at them before popping his head up to take them in again.

I really feel like one area that Liam has come far in is his vocabulary and communication. Right now he signs "all done," and is starting to sign "more" when he wants more of something. He will say Dada, Mama, no (while shaking his head down--haha!), dah (dog), duh (done), and buh (bird). He understands many more signs -- "milk", "bath", "bird", "dog", and "eat" to name a few. And he knows the meaning of these words, plus things like feet (he will find his feet if you ask), toes, belly, window, ball, etc. He even follows some commands like "Give it to Mommy," (he's been doing this one a while), "Put on your socks/shoes" (it is adorable to watch him try to "put on" socks and shoes whenever he finds them -- he basically places them on top of his feet, I guess hoping they will somehow make it on there!), and "Push the button" for a toy he has that he has learned how to turn on. He also understands "no," but definitely has selective hearing with this word!

I can't believe my baby boy is growing up so fast and will soon be a year old. I feel like he is so strong and smart and sweet, and I thank God for him each day. I am blessed beyond measure that I was chosen to be Liam's mom. I love you sweet boy,

~Mom