11 Months

 11 months!!  That means that, in one month, I'll have a one year old!  August is doing so well.  I don't ever see him crawling anymore and now he is even trying to run, which causes some fantastic face-plants.  He just LOVES food and has recently been switched to whole milk which he also loves.  This means that for the next year or so I have to keep an eye on the level of whole milk in our fridge to ensure that wonderful husband of mine isn't sneaking glasses of the "good" milk for his cookies, cereal, chocolate milk etc. etc. etc.

 He didn't like the grass all over his pants.

A couple of weeks ago I tried for a whole day to give Gus formula in nothing but sippy cups.  I knew it was going to be a rough day, but that he would eventually give in because he was hungry.  Not so.  I finally gave in shortly before bedtime and put his formula in a bottle.  I had also resigned myself to the fact that he would just remain with the bottle until he mastered the regular cup.  However, my sneaky little Gus made a grave mistake this week.  John has been wanting to use a sippy cup because they "look cool" so he had a cup full of chocolate milk sitting on the floor and when I wasn't looking Gus came up and drank half a glass worth of chocolate milk.  I smiled at my little man, gave him a kiss on the head and told him it was all over when we got home because the bottles were going away.  You may wonder why I'm so persistent on giving up the bottle and my reason is quite simple.  Gus has discovered that if he turns the bottle upside down and presses the nipple onto a hard service the liquid inside will come flowing out, creating a huge puddle in which to play.  He does this at home, in the car, and at restaurants.  It has now become a game.  I don't like this game and I refuse to play.

Peek-a-boo is his favorite game.

John and Gus still play very well together...for the most part.  John is still genuinely concerned for Gus' safety except when it comes to putting his hands around Gus' neck.  Apparently I used to do this to my brother, which he says he remembers but, I assure you, he does not.  John says he is just tickling Gus, but I haven't quite figured out how you tickle while trying to pick up someone by his neck.   Gus does stand up for himself and has already mastered the art of hitting when needed.  The other day Gus was playing with a plastic microphone and John ripped it right out of his hand.  When John gave it back Gus grabbed it out of his hand and then hit John over the head with it a few times.  Boys.  I think I need a little less testosterone around here.

 EVERYTHING ends up in his mouth!

So, here's to my last month with a little boy under 1.  I feel like I just need to hold him and squeeze him tight because it is going by so fast.