Added new pictures to 10 – 11 Months.

* Two days ago, Tristan unraveled his very first roll of toilet paper. I tried my best to completely ignore the activity (no giggles, no attention, no cleanup) in hopes that it will extinguish faster that way. I know it builds motor skills but it will suck if we have to keep toilet paper on lockdown. 🙂

* We went to the pool today and Tristan had a lot of fun splashing and kicking until he got chilly, and then he just snuggled me while I walked around. Afterward, he sat quietly with me and played with my keys while I chatted. For about half an hour. He doesn’t sit still indoors, but when he’s outside he’s just mesmerized by this weird environment, perhaps.

* He’s still walking up a storm in his room and doing it occasionally everywhere else. I’m sure the fact that I’m a bit of a nervous wreck when I see his head getting close to concrete doesn’t help things. He feels confident on cement.. I wish he’d stay on the grass. The stresses of being a parent of a newbie walker!

Tristan’s still taking random steps by himself – mostly one or two before landing on his butt but occasionally he will have a good stretch. He got in at least ten steps this morning at the park before we actually stopped him because he was barreling toward the concrete very quickly. This whole intrepid Virgo baby learning to walk with his hands held at all times thing has had weird consequences – he actually walks very well, so when he takes off he still does not try to just stand first, he’s already across the room.

We all went up to the Valley Fair mall on Sunday to let Tristan practice his walking in a play area with air conditioning, and he was interested in walking around the mall in general while holding our hands. He brought us into Build a Bear and into some children’s clothing store. It’s sort of amusing seeing this determination in choosing a store, as he’s actually more interested in the racks holding things up than he is in the things being held up for sale in stores. Also, whenever he sees an imperfection in a flooring surface (which happens often in a mall!) he is compelled to stop and examine it. Given his age, this is all still very adorable to me. Plus, how often do you see a baby walking around? Most babies in stores are in strollers, so just like the carrier, the little baby walking is novel and cute to passers-by.

12 pictures added to 10 – 11 Months.

Today was a very good day with baby. He was in good spirits and was very cooperative.

* Tristan has learned how to clap. He’s just short of being able to do it on command, but he thinks to do it when rock music is on.

* He splashes on command! We had a lot of fun at the pool today; he is quite the power splasher. It was that sort of day that was so hot that it was difficult to even be outside without swimming. Then we took our usual after-swim shower, which is always much fun.

* He didn’t practice his unsupported walking a whole lot today. Maybe a step here and there. He didn’t even want to work on walking with me when we went outside late in the afternoon. That being said, he is getting way bolder while holding only one hand and he is learning to pull things rather than just push them while standing/walking.

* It really does seem like he understands a lot more of what I’m saying in general.

6 new videos added to 10 – 11 Months.

Tristan is finally taking steps without our help! They are few and far between, as he seems to need to get up the courage or be really sleepy, but yesterday evening he took a few steps outside (on brick! I was so scared!) and then a few times while we were playing before bedtime he took a few steps in his room. He managed about five steps for his longest stretch! I need to go through all of the video and see if we got any walking recorded – most of the time he tried, he had finished his two steps and was back on his butt by the time the camera made it on and ready.

I am scared but very excited! The same kid who is terrified to let go of my hands on grass and carpet is perfectly willing to throw his entire body in frustration, clipping his head on whatever may be nearby. He has a little bit of a weird sense of safety, I think. But I feel that Tristan learning to walk will be very good for us all. He’s very, very cranky as he gets closer to getting it, our backs hurt very much from holding his hands to walk, and I think the world will open up for us a bit more. I know he’s fairly young to be walking but he does make down (as opposed to up) for it in his own ways: he only self-feeds if the food is very big, like the Gerber wagon wheels, I can’t get him to point or wave or make any other specific gesture yet, and he’s taken to throwing almost full-blown tantrums if I dare to hand him a sippy cup with milk in it. That last sentence is mostly for the benefit of those of us who like to remember that all babies and people in general have their mix of talents and shortcomings. 😉

* Tristan has tooth #7 – it cut a few days ago. We think he’s working on #8, as well as about four more, as he has been SO cranky lately (and has had his hand jammed in his mouth, and has been drooling a waterfall). Such a level of crankiness is the sort of that turns me into a complete zombie, so it’s been difficult around here lately.

* In most cases, Tristan reliably eats a jar of whatever baby food per meal, even the stage 3s. That being said, with the teething crankiness, he didn’t eat much this feeding. We have been trying various sippy cups, and he took a particular one a few times but completely went apeshit over being served said cup the most recent feeding (resulting in him refusing food as well). We distracted him for a while and then passed him a bottle. I think that part of this is the teething and part of it is discovering he has an opinion. You know, being a punkass kid.

* No major changes in the walking situation – he still won’t try much of anything without hands or furniture to hold. He has attempted a few steps here and there and he can stand up if placed in that position, but in both cases he still flips out when he realizes he’s alone. Probably also related to the teething, really.

Of course, kids don’t do this while the video camera is going – Tristan very distinctly just said “giggle.” 🙂

Tristan has officially been out longer than he was in. I’ve officially lost all of the baby weight and 17 lbs on top (umm, below) that. Yay baby! 😀

As a summary and/or some new details –

* Tristan has spent the past week or so insisting that we walk around almost constantly. He’s pretty good at it and can even run if he wants to, but he does get lazy holding my hands. He’s a little insecure – I think he is afraid of falling.. when he was starting the pulling up he fell flat down a couple of times. He’s tried standing on his own reluctantly a couple of times and experimentally a couple of times – he can stay up for a fairly reliable 3 seconds but he panics and there goes baby on his butt. He also can walk holding onto one adult hand, but he is uneasy doing this unless there’s something to hold on to. He’s able to push his walker shopping cart around without out help, but doesn’t understand the mechanics of going anywhere but straight yet. He has taken about three unassisted steps, but again, panicked and fell. When he gets over the panicking, he will be walking. He’s a Virgo, so I expect him to want to be more proficient. But the fact that he refuses to be satisfied with getting around on his hands and knees shows that he’s interested in getting better at walking. That being said, he’s only 10 months old so it’s all good! Also, that shopping cart thing was way cheaper at Babies R Us.

* Tristan has said “mama” to me in an appropriate context once, has said “ki” a few times (when we exit his room, there’s usually someone feline there), and has said “stat” once – referring to the thermostat we wave hi to whenever we go upstairs. He’s started saying “dada” but not discriminately yet.

* We’ve semi-successfully cut Tristan’s formula consumption a bit and increased his food consumption so that he’ll reliably eat about a jar of stage 2 food in a sitting. We feed 2 and 3, but a lot of the fruit combos and freaky dishes only come in 2. Look out, because “actual food” is coming next. I think we’ve gotten real chicken and real strawberry into him, but only in microquantities.

And some milestone stuff ganked from the internets:

At 10 months, 90% of babies can…
stand holding on to someone or something [yes]
pull up to a standing position from sitting [yes]
object if you try to take a toy away [he can, but only does sometimes]
say “mama” or “dada” indiscriminately [yes, and we think he’s holding out on discriminately]
play peekaboo [yes but better with other people :D]
exchange back and forth gestures [I have only seen this sort of thing once or twice]

75% of babies can…
get into sitting position from stomach [yes]
play patty-cake or wave bye-bye [no, and we think he’s holding out on us there too]
pick up tiny object with thumb and finger [yes, and put it into his mouth unless it’s food]
walk holding on to furniture [yep]
understand “no” [I have only seen evidence of this once]

50% of babies can…
stand alone momentarily [very momentarily but yes]
point to something to get needs met [no]
say “mama” or “dada” discriminately [just once, the little punk :D]

25% of babies can…
indicate wants in ways other than crying [yes, but very few of them and most of them involve being picked up, put down, bounced, or walked in a particular direction]
play ball (roll ball to you) [he can roll it but not to us, that I have seen]
drink from a cup [yes, but he’s sort of stubborn on learning technique. He’s also VERY interested in drinking from a soda-type bottle (with plain carbonated water in it :P).]
pick up a tiny object neatly [not sure, actually.. what constitutes neatly?]
stand alone well [no]
use immature jargoning [once or twice he’s busted out with it – for those who have never heard of this term, it means when baby starts speaking in what sounds like a foreign language, using all kinds of made-up words]
say one word other than “mama” or “dada” [yes – technically TWO, but he’s only repeated the one]
respond to a one-step command with gestures [yes, but only one – “baby up” or “up” and he holds his arms out to be picked up]
walk well [hahaha not unless you count ‘while mommy and daddy are getting some sore asses and backs holding your hands’ :D]