Count down to 1!

We are in the counting down phase of Jaden's first year!  Can't believe we are one month away from his 1st birthday!  It's surreal.  That's really just the only way of saying it... absolutely surreal.

I can barely call the boy a baby.  Seriously.... there's only a few "baby" things he's still holding onto.  Namely:

• jarred food
• crawling

Yep, that's it!  I thought I would have more of a list, but yeah... that really is it!  No bottles, no swaddles, no binkies.... nothing!  (Unless we can count the crib, high chair, and diapers?)  Oh, it's just so sad!  He is also completely weaned.  It's just crazy!  Can you tell I'm in denial???

Well anyway, enough about the mother in disbelief.  So, Jaden is 11 months old today!  Exciting, isn't it?  It is for me, at least.  So here is an update on all the new (and/or improved) happenings of J-man:

• Standing and pulling up on anything and everything

• Walking along furniture and with walker

• Still loves and adores books!  It's so cute to see him turning the pages, squealing and pointing at things that delight him.  (This is one reason why we are starting storytime at the library in a couple weeks.)

• Jaden is exploring (and occasionally damaging) pretty much non-stop... plants, books, mommy's decorations, stereo, laptop, cupboards, cords, you name it!  (This is why we have "boundaries" right?  Which he is really beginning to understand, but still tests us constantly.  He's so stinkin' cute though, it's hard to keep the game face!:) 

:this is how Jaden "explored" his crib once he discovered the fun of standing:

:and this is how he felt when the exploration opportunity was taken away:

• Jaden is a total fix-it man.  He takes things apart just to put back together again. (like lids, caps, wheels on truck, toy people in their cars, etc.)
• He likes to put things where they belong (books in their basket, toys in the toy box, stacking rings on stand, smaller cups in the bigger cups, etc.)
• He has been making the cutest talking noises ever!  It sounds like he's just joining the conversation, and rambling off about something!  I love it.  He also likes to be heard, and will squeal until he has your attention!
• Climbs onto whatever possible (mommy, daddy, toys)
• Crawls through, around, under, and even over just about anything (table, chairs, etc.) 

 He was so determined to get past this temporary barricade while I was making dinner.  He was balancing on his tummy with his feet in the air - poor guy!

• His favorite activity has to be playing tag.  He'll chase us around and around, and then speed-crawl away if we chase him!
• Climbs up stairs.
• Loves to go in whatever room and shut the door behind him (even when pitch black inside).
• Loves to greet us in the morning and after naps with lots of smiles and bouncing up and down on his mattress.  Melts my heart every time.

Jaden has always loved getting his teeth brushed and now tries to brush his own teeth (if I let him).

:his cute tippy toes:

 

:this boy would cart his sippy cup around all day if he could:

:when the toys are just too "same old, same old" we whip out the kitchen stuff and build pillow towers:

:he loves to pull everything out of his toy box and climb up to look out the window:

:some good old fashioned mommy time:

Jaden likes to stick toys in my mouth.  Maybe because he likes doing it himself so much?

:and some time with papa:

This is Jaden helping Cody lower his crib mattress to the lowest setting! tear:(

A few weeks ago, I packed up some clothes Jaden had grown out of and ended up organizing everything from birth - 12 months in size.  I came across his outfit he wore when he came home from the hospital and couldn't believe how little it was!  So I took a few pictures of some clothes he currently wheres in comparison to the newborn stuff as a keepsake.  Now I understand why that baby brand is called "just one year."  I can't believe the difference!:)

p.s.  Jaden doesn't where those big flip flops (those are Cody's).  I just thought it would be cute to get that picture since Cody has the same picture of his baby shoes next to his Dad's shoes.