Almost 10 months!!!

Well tomorrow he will officially be 10 months! Wow! It's almost time to start thinking about his first birthday! It is the weirdest thing, and anyone who is a mom will understand this. It seems like just yesterday he was born, so little and helpless and brand new! On the other hand, I can't imagine my life before him or without him! It's like he's always been there, always been in our lives. So it was just yesterday BUT it also has been forever (in a good way lol). Crazy how that works! He amazes me everyday with the things he does! Of course I think, man I need to make sure to document this, it is soooo cute! And then I sit here behind my keyboard and I don't remember everything he is doing lol

Koleton gets such JOY from walking! He still needs our help, but when he is up on his feet cruising around the house the smile on his face is priceless!  Brad and I have started having him walk to the other... you know, like you do when teaching them to walk? "Go get Mama! Go get Daddy!" He LOVES it! He reaches for our hands before he will step. He's not too sure about being able to balance himself on his own yet. This could be because apparently he has a big head! lol When we went in for his 9 month check up, his height and weight were in the 25th percentile, but his head was in the 50+ percentile! lol More room for those brains I suppose! ;) I know he'll get it and he will be walking and running before I know it! And again, I'm not rushing him to grow up too soon because I know it all goes by TOO fast! He will walk when he's ready to walk :)

EVERYTHING Koleton can get his little hands on is a car lol I know I blogged about it before, but I wasn't kidding lol EVERYTHING!!! We got him some fake play food and put it in a plastic tub... the tub is his car. His racetrack for his cars is a car lol His little ride on toy that transforms into a walking toy is a car! haha He just finds whatever he can get his little hand on and pushes it around crawling behind it :) He has a hard time steering the big "cars" though lol He just fusses for a second to get my attention, then looks at me like "ok, Mama, I'm stuck... a little help here?" haha Little Stinker!!!

Speaking of fussing for a second...our child is PRO faker!!! We have "rules" for him now that he is mobile... like he can't go into Daddy's "man cave" or our bedroom because there are too many things he can get hurt on. Or he can't stand up in the bathtub because we don't want him to slip.  Or don't play in the dog or cat's water dish lol Simple rules really, but leave it to our stubborn son to push his limits.  He knows the rules... we are consistent enough in telling him no that he knows.  If he gets "caught" playing in the water he looks at you like "uh oh, BUSTED!" lol He gets this cute little grin on his face.  If he is crawling somewhere he isn't supposed to go, either he will stop, grin and turn around OR he will start "running" and try to escape lol  If he does the latter... that's when the no's get more serious. He'll get a much louder and "I mean business" "Koleton! No going in mommy's room!". That's when the lip comes out, the tears start forming and the "crying" begins! The lip is the greatest!!! It quivers and everything! haha As soon as I distract him with something else, the "crying" stops.

Bedtime has also become a GREAT opportunity for Koleton to practice his crocodile tears! We have his bedtime routine down, same as it has been for months.  The same rules apply... either I rock him to sleep, or he goes to sleep on his own in his bed.. but it's not play time.  Lately, he hasn't been wanting me to rock him to sleep, so I go put him in his bed, kisses and goodnights and I love yous. It's not a punishment for him to go to his crib, it's just bedtime.  He lays there for a few minutes (if that) then stands up, spits his pacifier out of his bed onto the floor (I watched him from the crack in his door lol) and stands there and talks hoping I'll come get him I suppose. I generally leave him for a few minutes and then the "crying" starts. This is the ULTIMATE fake crying. It can sound real... until he gets to the end of his "cry" and just starts talking lol As soon as I open the door, he is laughing and jumping and ready for me to "save" him haha Most times he doesn't even fake tears! It's just the crying sound! lol This is the next of my battles.... Maybe we'll keep him up an extra half hour before his bath. Maybe he will have to cry it out. Maybe I'll just have to keep rocking him until he is asleep. It's all trial and error, but I know it will remedy itself soon :) Afterall... this is the kid who pretty much sleep trained himself! I'm hoping this is just a phase that he grows out of and will start going to sleep on his own again soon!!! :)