Calvin at 10 Months (and lots of changes)

This month has been really crazy and full of all kinds of growth and changes. Calvin has learned a lot of new skills in a very short time.

I have to use my iPhone pictures because I didn't take any fun pictures with my other camera. We just recently got family photos done professionally, though, so I'll post those when they come. I'm really excited to see them!

Calvin has come so far in the last month. At nine months, he was just army crawling. Now, he's hands-and-knees crawling and standing and cruising. He pulls himself up everywhere. I used to put him in the bathtub in our master bathroom with a couple toys to play with so I could finish getting ready, but once he started standing up, he would accidentally turn the faucet on and drench himself. The first time he did it, he let out the biggest scared cry ever. I knew he wasn't hurt and it was just the shock, and I couldn't help laughing. It was really cute. 

Once he started standing, it didn't take him long to start cruising. He only goes from left to right, though. I think he's showing a preference for being right-handed. :) He also started standing in his crib, which turns out to be a really annoying milestone. He could get up but couldn't get down. His sleep was totally off because of this, and I often saw this on our monitor at odd intervals during the day and night:

I wasn't sure whether to go in and put him down or let him figure it out since I didn't want to create a bad habit. I usually ended up going in and putting him down with no eye contact or interaction so he wouldn't think it was playtime. He would cry of course, but after 4 or so visits to put him down, he would go to sleep. During the day, we practiced sitting over and over again so he would learn how to get back down. After a few days, he was able to get back down on his own and it hasn't been a problem since. Well, as much of a problem. 

The whole family got sick a couple of weeks ago - stomach flu. For several days, we all felt queasy and it wasn't fun. Calvin was throwing up his entire bottle every feeding and refused solid foods entirely. This sickness sparked a big change in him. Even after he got better, he started refusing bottles and hardly ate anything. His sleep was still rough and something was just off. I felt instinctively that he just needed a change in our routine, so we are working towards one big nap instead of two. I just feel like he's ready for it, even though he's still so young. We will see how it goes - it'll probably be a month or two of transition. He now also takes three bottles each day instead of four. His diet has increased in variety and he will eat pretty much everything we eat, although I try to squeeze in as many fruits and vegetables as I can. Still no teeth... should I be worried?

He's just a cutie pie and we love him. He's getting so fun to play with and is more interactive every day. He gives kisses, claps his hands (or fists, more like), says "mama" when he sees me, says "ummm" when he eats something he likes, and will occasionally say "dada". We sometimes watch Baby Einsteins or Blue's Clues together. He gets bored with his toys very quickly and seems to need a lot of stimulation to stay happy. I have to be careful to rotate his toys so he doesn't get as bored so quickly. He likes to be on-the-go and always wants to crawl somewhere. He is starting to throw little tantrums and I'm getting a small taste of what having a toddler is all about. :) We read books together and I can't wait until he understands them. I love love love to read and am hoping my kids do as well so I have someone with whom to share that love. TJ is a lost cause when it comes to reading. :) 

Here are some more pictures of this kiddo. We were lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa Nicholes come to stay with us a few weeks back, along with Sean and Jamie and her little family. What fun! 

Easton loves playing with Calvin. :) He did "bucket sleds" with him and it was so adorable.

At the pool with Grandma and Grandpa.

Go get that ball! :)

Forts with dad.

Calvin will pull up to you if you're eating something in case you feel like sharing your food with him. He reminds me of Lucky from 101 Dalmations. :) 

We gotta find another pawprint, that's the second clue! We put it in our notebook, now what do we do? Blue's clueeees, Blue's clues - Blue's clues!

Oh hey buddy, thanks for helping me with the laundry! :)