Alex is 11 months old! I am sure you are happy to hear there’s only one more of these posts after this one! I will keep doing yearly posts, but these monthly ones are coming to an end!
Alex is one silly, happy little boy. He has started making silly faces and sometimes I can get him to dance for me. He has the best laugh when you tickle him, too!
The biggest news this month is that Alex finally got a tooth! Two actually! A couple weeks ago the first one cut through and then about a week or so later, he got the second one (both on the bottom). He puts his fingers in his mouth and seems to be a little confused by the sharp things he finds in there. And I have to remember I can’t let him gnaw on my fingers anymore because those baby teeth are sharp!! (I haven’t been able to get a good picture of the teeth yet.)
He has finally started cruising around the couch and coffee table. Of course, this also comes with more falling over, bumps and bruises. But he is pretty proud of himself and will even stand against something and hold it with only one hand. We have a little walking/riding toy that I have been working with him on. He can take a few steps with it, but doesn’t do it on his own yet. It’s only a matter of time, and I am not encouraging him all that much. I’m in no hurry to have him running around. He’s already a speedy little guy that gets into plenty of trouble now.
He loves being under your feet or wherever you are. He will crawl and then stand up by grabbing your pants. He usually likes to do this while I am making some meal and if I can’t play with him, he just sits and cries at my feet. Usually he can be distracted by a spoon, cup, goldfish or ice toy, thankfully.
His sisters still just dote on him all the time. Dannie won’t call him anything other than “YOU LITTLE BABY” in a very deep voice (which I think she is imitating me) and aggressively pointing at him. Maddie likes to wrestle with him and they can both get him giggling like crazy over the tiniest thing. In general, it’s a good thing babies are durable.
Speaking of durable. Chuck and the girls like to wrestle when Chuck gets home from work and most days, Alex likes to crawl right into the fun. I like that he wants to be a part of it all.
He likes to yell and babble. He hasn’t acquired any new sounds this month really, but he has gotten better at copying the sound you want him to say. He is also copying motions or doing commands more regularly. Maddie likes to ask, at dinner, “Who’s going to eat all their dinner?” and we all raise our hands. Alex will typically join in with us, but he sometimes has a hard time with one hand and prefers two!
I have gotten him to dance a bit when I sing to him. He will shake his head and then giggle at me. I think it’s pretty adorable, but I’m a huge sucker for his happy eyes and little dimple!
Chuck’s dad sent us some pictures from when Chuck and his sister were little. We found a couple in there that look just like Alex. I have always thought Dannie looks a lot like me and Maddie is a pretty good mix of us both. Alex is definitely a mini-Chuck.
He likes being held, but isn’t big on snuggling (unless he is in his carrier or looking at my phone). When we try to read books, he still tries to eat them more than look at the pictures. But I have seen him playing with books a lot more and turning the pages. He also really likes pressing buttons on toys.
He’s a great eater and really eats whatever we are eating. Apple slices are about the only thing that are still a little hard for him without any teeth, but he does pretty well. I just have to make sure I grab it from him before he gets the last huge chunk. 
We have also cut down on his bottles since we only a have a number of weeks left of them. I am looking forward to no more bottles and not being so attached to that with him. When he does get one, he will see it and start crying or saying “mamamamama” and crawling toward me. He does love his bottles. I think he’s going to be sad to give them up.
We have some playdates with my friend Mallory and her kids a couple times a week. Some days we just hang out there while Maddie is at school. Her kids are almost the same ages as Dannie and Alex and all our kids play so well together.
Happy 11 months, little buddy.
