The Adventures of Grace, Ella and Sutton: Sutton is 11 Months Old!

Eleven months. Unbelievable. I love this baby so much it hurts, and I don't want him to get any bigger and grow out of the delicious stage he's in now. The floodgates of learning opened for him this month. He's saying more words, babbling more, and learning new things. In addition to mama, dada and ba (Baylor), Sutton regularly says ball, boo (book), dis (this), dat (that) and uh oh. He points to just about everything and asks, "Dis? Dat?" Sutton has nailed the "more" sign and uses it not only when he wants more of something, but also when he wants to eat (guess we need to work again on the "eat" sign).

If Sutton, spots a ball within 100 feet, he yells, "Ball! Ball!" as in "get it for me RIGHT NOW!" He's got a pretty good overhand throw, and he and Travis started playing what I'm sure will be endless games of catch. So fun! He also drops his sippy cups from his high chair over and over again, saying "uh oh" and laughing each time. At least he isn't throwing food--yet. He can also wave and blow kisses, which is too precious. And, he claps his hands on command and when we say, "Yea, Sutton!"

He's also paying more attention to books and asks for them often. He likes to cuddle in my lap and turn the pages for me. His current favorites are Goodnight Moon, Pat the Bunny and anything with animals. He loves animals! We have one picture book that goes through basic things like people, foods, etc., and the animals are at the very end. As soon as he spots the cat, he wiggles with excitement and tries to mimic their sounds.

Another new love this month? Music. As soon as his hears it, he starts waving and clapping his hands. He got mad at me the other day when we were watching a Laurie Berkner video on Nick Jr. and I wouldn't let him touch it. His little temper got the best of him until he stopped, listened and then started clapping again. Once a week, Gabby takes the kids a free music class at the mall, and she says Sutton has so much fun. I'm thinking we need to do Kindermusik this summer.

Sutton has also learned how to turn a light switch on and off. It's fascinating to me that he's so fascinated by it. He also likes to practice his walking and can stand for several seconds on his own. No real steps yet though, and as I've said before, I'm definitely not in a hurry for him to walk.

The boy likes to eat, although he still doesn't like veggies much. We generally share whatever we're having with him. He got two more teeth on the bottom this month, bringing the total count to six! He had his first taste of Dory's baked beans this month. They were a hit. Messy, but he didn't care. It seems Sutton is not as big of a bread fan as his sisters. Maybe he's watching his carbs, although he's still gaining weight steadily. And, because he likes to be held a lot, my arms get quite the workout. My sister recently asked me, "Have you been lifting weights?" My answer, "Yes. If you consider Sutton a weight." I'll take his attention and the ripped arms any day.

Sutton is such a fish. He loves, loves, loves bath time, and I can't wait to get him in the pool this summer.

The first time I set him in the soft new grass, he wasn't sure what to think. But, he quickly warmed up to it and now loves crawling around the backyard.

Sutton and Grace have really bonded this month. She can make him laugh like no one else with her silly faces and fake sneezes. She told me the other day, "It's so fun to have a baby brother!"