happy 11 month birthday to me

things i like:

• standing up, unsupported
• clapping (i can even multi-task — clap while standing!)
• signing “i’m #1!” (daddy thinks i’m pointing)
• waving
• “redecorating” the house (bringing mama’s knee-high boots up the stairs, sliding mama’s iphone across the floor into the kitchen, taking gung-gung’s exercise gear from his room to the living room)
• rowing (rocking back and forth) on mama while we sing “row row row your boat”
• drinking out of a straw
• working out at the gym (i did assisted pull-ups at the little gym this week!)
• watching koda play with his friends
• tugging on koda’s ears and turning them inside out
• feeding myself finger foods (and smearing them all over my face, and rubbing them in my hair, and feeding them to koda…)
• ramming my ride-on cars into people’s shins
• riding on my ride-on cars (finally learned how to ride on them instead of walking behind them)
• playing with the pop-up sink drains in the bathtub and sinks
• dancing (i’m really just standing in place and bouncing, but auntie jill says that it counts, since that’s how most grown-up men dance )

things i don’t like:

• staying still (i have to be moving around ALL the time.  and as i get faster and faster, it makes it hard and harder for anyone to photograph me!)
• when mommy tells me “NO” in her i’m-not-playing voice
• walking (i take 1-2 steps, then faceplant)

happy 10 month birthday to me

things i like:

• saying “mama” (sorry, no “dada”)
• wiggling my finger/hand across my lips to make funny noises.  buhwuhwuhwuhwuh.
• giving high 5′s
• blowing kisses (i can’t do this by myself yet, but it cracks me up every time)
• hanging upside down
• shoes (i like to put everything in my mouth, but shoes look especially tasty — especially mommy’s fuzzy slippers)
• taking the most direct route to my destination (even if that means climbing over koda or crawling under my exersaucer)
• sliding (not crawling — sliding) down the stairs on my tummy
• navigating the obstacle course that i have made for myself (army crawl through my exersaucer fort, exit at my bookshelf, pull books off the shelf to slide across the floor, climb onto my swing and take myself for a ride!)
• hanging out with my awesome aunties and uncles.  my stranger anxiety phase seems to have passed.  hooray!

things i don’t like:

• high-pitched whirring noises (hair dryer, blender, vacuum cleaner) — i think i have dog hearing
• heat (mommy says i am my father’s son.  duh, mommy.)
• walking (crawling is still much faster.  mommy and daddy can’t believe that i’m not walking by myself yet.)

happy 9 month birthday to me

things i like:

• magic puffs (they are magic because they always put me in a good mood — no matter how unhappy i am)
• beef stew (daddy got mad because mommy has never made beef stew for him)
• froyo!  (mommy shares her froyo with me and i looove it!  but don’t tell anyone because i’m not supposed to be eating that stuff yet)
• “diving” and swimming (stay tuned for the video!)
• watching things spin (especially my clothes in the dryer)
• crawling backwards down the stairs
• opening and closing things (doors, drawers, containers, anything)
• buttons on other people’s clothing (i play with them for a little while, then eventually try to eat them)
• being tickled
• making “brrrrrt” noises with my lips (like blowing raspberries but without sticking out my tongue)
• watching mommy dance

things i don’t like:

• walking (i always fall down — and crawling is much faster, anyway)
• loud machines (vacuum cleaner and electric food mill are scary, but koda’s barking doesn’t bother me)
• people who stick needles in me and take my blood
• going to sleep when there’s a party going on

happy 8 month birthday to me

things i like:

• climbing the stairs
• crawling around everywhere
• holding objects in my hand and sliding them along the ground as i crawl around
• standing up (still need to hold on to something for support)
• banging on everything
• having my tummy tickled
• chicken!  (i haven’t tried steak yet)
• biting and chewing real food like a big boy
• babbling (“ba ba ba”)
• shrieking in a high-pitched tone (mommy calls it my pterodactyl screech, daddy says it’s my normal talking voice)
• kiddie foam pit
• jumpy house

things i don’t like:

• strangers holding me (however, i have a very good memory and am perfectly happy with people that i’ve met before, even if i haven’t seen them in a very long time)
• when mommy or daddy leaves me (separation anxiety has definitely set in)
• sippy cups (still don’t get it)
• kiddie ball pit

happy 7 month birthday to me

things i like:

• pulling/climbing into a standing position (when there are no hand holds, i am getting good at the friction hold and forehead press techniques!)
• traversing the walls of my playpen, crib, and anything that i can hang on to
• crawling all around… fast!
• swimming
• mangoes (mommy laughs so hard when i am eating mangoes because i open my mouth as wide as a pteranodon does when it yawns! i learned that from my “snoozers” book.)
• brushing my 7 teeth
• touching/feeling new textures (smooth mirror, cold hard floor tiles, textured walls)
• books that have flaps to lift and pieces to move (even when i read regular books, i feel around for flaps, just in case)
• flipping around in the air

things i don’t like:

• sitting/laying still (my changing tables are now completely useless)
• sippy cups (they’re not chew toys, they’re not bottles… what ARE these things???)

happy 6 month birthday to me

things i like:

• CARROTS!  (i celebrated my 1/2 birthday with carrots.  i hear that you get to eat cake for your whole birthday, but i can’t imagine anything more delicious than carrots!)
• feeding myself with a spoon
• standing (sitting up was sooo last month)
• climbing out of my changing table (i have to make diaper-changing more challenging for mommy and daddy because they’re getting so good at it)
• music (it almost always puts me in a good mood)
• rolling around (i like to visit all four corners of my crib throughout the night)
• raising myself up on all fours and lunging forward
• helium balloons

things i don’t like:

• my boring new ‘do (i miss my ubercool faux hawk)
• sitting/laying still (boooring…  *yawn*)
• zoo animals (not that i dislike them, i’m really just not interested in them)
• brainy baby videos (not nearly as interesting as the DVDs that daddy watches)

happy 5 month birthday to me

things i like:

• rolling over (although i can roll both ways, i mostly roll from back to tummy so that i can practice crawling in place)
• baby aerobics
• sucking on my toes
• flying like superkyden and doing backflips (with mommy spotting me)
• sitting up (mommy and daddy make fun of me because i look like an orangutan, stabilizing myself with my fists on the floor)
• grabbing food out of mommy’s hand while she’s trying to eat
• interactive toys that make noise and/or flash lights when i pull/spin/press/tap them
• my exersaucers (that’s right, plural!)
• twilight turtle (product review forthcoming)

things i don’t like:

• sleeping by myself
• not having mommy in my field of vision

happy 4 month birthday to me

things i like:

• pulling the nursing cover open when i’m eating so that mommy can flash everyone
• mirror time (still one of my favorite things)
• grabbing, pinching, and pulling everything within arm’s reach (including my own hair, daddy’s neck, mommy’s underarm flab, and koda’s ears)
• putting everything that i can get my little hands on into my mouth
• crawling in place (although i get frustrated after a few minutes when i realize that i’m not moving anywhere )
• my baby swing (wheeeee!)
• my cheater chair

things i don’t like:

• loud noises (i used to be oblivious, but now they startle me!)
• wearing pants (i kick and kick and kick so that mommy and daddy have a difficult time getting me dressed)

happy 3 month birthday to me

things i like:

• mirror time (mommy and i look in the mirror.  when i turn my head and look away, mommy turns around so i see my reflection in the mirror again.  no matter which way i look, i’m always there.  it’s magic!)
• my tasty fingers and thumbs
• my fauxhawk
• sitting up (with assistance)
• funny people who make me laugh

things i don’t like:

• the de-boogerizer (more commonly known as a nasal aspirator bulb)

happy 2 month birthday to me

things i like:

• tummy time
• bathtime
• lying on the changing table (i know a clean diaper is just seconds away)
• clawing at my eyes and face (mommy HATES it when i do this!)
• my mobile (now that i can track objects with my eyes!)

things i don’t like:

• lying on my back
• books (i complain whenever mommy and daddy read to me)
• manicures (i clench my fists so mommy can’t trim my nails)
• ergo carrier (i don’t like being put into it, but i’m ok once i’m in it)