Noah's latest

Well, I've posted lots of pictures but I haven't said a whole lot about our little guy's latest milestones. He's doing really well. He hasn't even had a cold in the last several weeks (*sigh of relief*). He's not quite toddling yet but he's really close. The other day he took four tiny steps. He hasn't done so many since, but he'll take a step between furniture or to get to Daddy or Mama's hands. He can crawl at top speed and go up and down stairs and has all of sudden decided he likes to climb.

He babbles incessantly and uses every vowel and consonant there is, but only he knows what he's saying. He certainly makes the sounds ma ma and da da, but we're not sure if he knows that's us. He said something that sounded a lot like blue for a while there, when we prompted him, so I suppose I could say that was his first word. But he hasn't done it in a while. He does say "achoo" and "woof", both of which are absolutely adorable. Typical boy. Sound effects before actual speech. And he can show you what a giraffe does. You'd just have to see it, but it involves sticking his tongue out and wiggling it around. Very cute.

He knows he's funny and does things just to make us laugh. And of course we do. He gives hugs and sometimes he gives kisses. They are delicious!! He can wave and point and clap and sometimes tries to copy me when I rub lotion into my hands or do "itsy bitsy spider."

He's still not eating much table food, but he's getting better. He even ate a tiny piece of cheese today, something he'd been refusing. We're hoping he's outgrown that awful gag reflex of his so that maybe he can start trying more foods. He loves cookies and crackers and yogurt. He gets all excited if you pull yogurt out of the fridge.

He loves the water. Bathtime is serious fun. He doesn't mind getting water dumped over his head and I plan to keep doing it. I don't want him to be like I was (and still am to a degree) and hate getting water in his face. Bryan got him a kiddie pool and we're anxious to get that set up. We went to a wading pool recently and boy howdy, Noah loved it! It's pretty deep for a wading pool so I just had to hang on to him from the edge of the pool. He really wanted to be free. He seemed to think he already knew how to swim. I'll know next time and bring swim clothes of my own so I can get in with him. I also got him some swim arms and floaties so he can have a little more independence in the water.

All in all, we're doing really well. He is the most amazing thing that could happen to us. It just keeps getting better and better.