11 months...

Warning! Most of these pics were taken either 1. on my phone, 2. at Christmas, or 3. both. :)

Okay so I know this post is severely belated, however I still need to write it!

11 months was a huge turning point for Leo! The day before he turned 11 months (Christmas Day) he totally took off walking; up until this point he had taken series of steps by himself before, however on Christmas Day he just walking all over the place! He started standing up all by himself, not pulling up or holding on to anything, and just walking everywhere...and just like that my baby was gone!

He talks all the time- mostly just babbles and gobbles, but he can say "mama", "dada", "ko-kah" (for Koshka), "no no", and a bunch of other "words". One thing is clear, he totally thinks he is talking and mimics our intonation and sounds nonstop.

Leo loves to vacuum...I mean LOVES it! He likes when it gets close enough to blow his hair and he now throws a little fit when I won't let him help...I guess that is a good thing?

Recently he has figured out how to stack big blocks and push the ball down the tube/chute thing on his play table. When he does new little tricks like this he claps for himself which is pretty cute.

He is such a lover and gives hugs and kisses freely...at least to me and Nick. He is such a good boy and happy almost all the time. He loves to smile to strangers at the store or at church and waves on command now...most of the time.

Leo's 4 front teeth (2 on top and 2 on bottom) are getting pretty big which makes his smile look so much more like a little boy than a baby. He has 2 other top teeth that just broke through. And he has started doing this forced smile where he scrunches up his nose and shows his teeth...it is priceless.

He loves Koshka and she tolerates him well, especially considering how loco she is. He likes to chase her. Leo is a total boy- he loves anything with wheels and tools and gears and such. Twisting caps off and on bottles is a favorite and he has even gotten to the point where he wants to put the cap on his sippy cup by himself...he usually takes it on and off many times and claps when he gets it on just right.

He is still nuts about his baths- he loves the water! He isn't phased in the least when we pour water over his head to rinse! He rarely sits in the bath though because standing and playing with the faucet is his favorite. Recently kicking up a huge splash is a ton of fun too.

Leo loves to play with his cousins; he does his best to keep up with Belle and Livi! We are lucky to have at least some of our cousins close by! He is getting more bold with the other kids at church too...taking their toys and running them over. It is so interesting to see him interact with other kids.

We can't believe that soon he will be one year old! We love him so much and can't imagine our life without him...what did we do before him??? (Other than sleep and whatever we want of course...) :) Love you buddy!