11 months old

  It seems like every month goes by faster than the one before- is it because it's summer now, or is the world just spinning faster? Axel is weeks away from being ONE... HOW did this happen?!?! He is fully mobile with his wacky crawl (VIDEO). He continues to pull up and stand without holding onto anything (VIDEO). Sometimes he even manages to just push himself to standing from sitting on the floor- walking is very close! He'll hold my hands and take steps, but will plop to sitting once I let go and try to coax a step out of him.

  Axel has about 101 faces- such an expressive face! So much personality- people remark over him everywhere we go. He has his standard blank face, his "cute baby" grin with the head cocked to the side, his "I might cry" grimace, his little pout face, his full-on cry face, his stern scowl (typically when meeting someone for the first time), his ridiculous "O!" face, his sunny scrunchy smile face, his belly laugh face... on and on the list could go-- each face adorable in their own right.

  Axel is a strong willed little booger. He is ever more intolerant of being told "No." Even without a gentle hand smack for repeat offenses (pulling on electric cords, picking up shoes, and myriad host of other things he's been told "No." about before) he will cry like he's been beaten and told he can never have any fun again. World-crushing weeping and screeching. I'll have to get a video... for memory's sake. He knows he shouldn't do these things. He will crawl over to a shoe, sit next to it, look at me and pick it up (I swear with a smirk on his face!) and usually he won't put it down until I come take it from him and smack his hand... sometimes he'll pick it up again and I'll have to remove him from the area and hide the shoe.  Defiant booger. He has plenty of toys, but these forbidden objects are too enticing.

  Axel continues to be a good eater. Lately he's been eating like a starving man, cannot get food into his mouth fast enough or in large enough quantities. The only thing he doesn't seem to like is kiwi, and neither of us like it, so that's no loss. He loves savory and sweet- he'll scarf down cottage cheese, raspberries, raw peppers, tiny chunks of chicken/meat, green beans, okra, squash, peaches, berries... he eats it all with abandon. Perhaps it's a growth spurt, he seems taller, and he is an inch taller than last month! Maybe it's just the way he carries himself that makes him seem bigger.

  In the weeks ahead I'll be weaning him off breastmilk/nursing for the most part and transition him to cows milk. So far this isn't easy, he really seems to derive a lot of comfort from nursing, so we may have to start letting him have a paci at what would have been nursing times. Tricky business :) He has transition to mostly table/finger food and enjoys feeding himself. He also continues to be a good sleeper/napper, so that makes everyone happy :)

  Axel remains toothless and word-free- though obviously he understands words. He happily plays on his own, but loves to crawl on Kellen and be read to and sing songs, be tickled, etc. We hang out in the pool in the backyard periodically and he enjoys splashing and watching the trees and birds. He still starts quite easily. Just today Kellen sneezed loudly in the kitchen and Axel nearly jumped out of his skin and cried.

Axel's Stats:

Height: 32 inches

Weight: 24 lbs