11 Months

Emma Cate and Holden,
You are 11 months old. It feels like time has flown by and I'm excited for our adventures in toddlerhood!

What our life is like:

Our routine has changed a little as you've both grown and are becoming toddlers. The biggest change has been with nursing and eating. Holden especially has started to drink less and less breastmilk and is all about the finger foods! We still wake up around 6:45 and Daddy takes care of the babies while I get ready. I am still pumping in the morning but am getting ready to slow down the pumping soon.

We just switched to 6oz bottles with 1.5 ounces whole milk and 4.5 breastmilk and you each have one for breakfast. Around 8:15 you eat your solids. Usually you have yogurt mixed with fruit, toast or waffles, and an egg. You are hungry babies!  Your solid meals are at 8:15, 12, and 6:00. You are still eating a variety of foods and you both always try it even if you don't like it. Pesto pasta has become a recent favorite. Its funny how you will eat something one day and then act like you both hate it the next. Holden is definitely the eater and can put down some food. He had probably also gained 5lbs this month! Holden, you like to shove a TON of food in your mouth and cheeks and then pretend to choke. Emma Cate, you are much more dainty and it takes you forever to finish meals. You pick up each piece individually and chew.

Holden's developments this month have pretty much stayed the same from last month. You continue to crawl like a mad man, and pull up and cruise around furniture. You have let go of the furniture and stood alone before but not for long.  Emma Cate has taken off this month and had almost caught up to Holden. You crawl like a crazy woman and are a complete wiggle worm. You pull up and cruise and also like to walk behind your push toys. You've gone from seated to standing and just recently learned how to sit back down from a standing position. This took about a week and it was tons of fun when you would stand in your crib at night and wouldn't know how to get down... you would cry for us to come help you. We are glad you mastered that new skill.

Naps are a changing! You still generally take a good morning nap from 9-11 but you are both having a rough time with the afternoon nap. I think we'll start switching your schedule this month or maybe wait a bit and see how the summer goes. I hate to say that it might be time to switch to one long nap around 1pm...

Bed time is at 7pm and most of the time you are ready then but lately you seem to want to stay up later. Hopefully this summer, you'll stay up till 8 and sleep till 8 :) Can you tell Mommy is already planning summer vacation! You both love talking before bed. Its fun to watch you look at each other through the cribs and jabber away.

Holden has been a little cranky this month and I think its because his teeth are finally getting ready to come in. He's woken up in the middle of the night crying twice this month and that's unusual for him. Emma Cate now has 4 teeth and knock on wood, the teething process hasn't been too tough on either of us.

You both continue to play together more. You follow each other around and it is the cutest thing to see two speed crawlers coming towards me. Luckily, we are moving out of the bumps and bruises phase and you are both able to catch yourselves when you fall. You like to sit and look at books, push your walkers, ride on Sheldon the turtle, and explore. We often head down to the basement where are your toys are and we just watch you go from toy to toy. You are both little explorers and watching you crawl, explore, and learn is so much fun.

Emma Cate:
Nicknames:  P (daddy's nickname for you), Emma Tate, Taters (we use this one the most), Cate, Tatie Boo.
Weight: ?
Height: ?
Hair: It keeps growing (especially in the back) and we think you'll have dark hair
Eyes: Blueish grey
Clothes: 9 or 12 month. You are petite and the 12 month smocked dresses are a little long on you
Eating: 6oz bottles 3 times a day and nursing before bed. Eating full meals three times a day.
Likes: her bottle, being tossed in the air, being tickled on the neck, shaking her head no, cuddling at night, playing with elmo, going for walks, being in the baby bjorn, pushing her walker, shaking her egg shakers, any type of music.
Dislikes: mommy walking out of the room, being set down or left alone
Development: You are all over the place! You crawl, pull up, and cruise. You also clap and have started to wave bye bye
Words: hey, dada, ata, heard mama once but I think it was on accident :(
Teeth: You've got 4 teeth! You got your bottom two first and then the upper two. The upper two aren't all the way in yet but are looking really big. We might need braces sooner than later! Ha!

Sleep: You have started sleeping on your tummy and always have your paci in your mouth when we wake you up. We took off one bumper so you could talk to Holden during the night!

Extra: You continue to develop at warp speed. We think we've figured out your personality. You are cautious and timid until you feel like you can do something and then you do it quite well. You do not just jump into things carelessly. You are a quick learner and once you decide to learn a new skill, you do it quickly. Your crawling happening in about 2 weeks. Your first crawl was this hilarious slither across the floor before you learned to crawl all the way. Remind me to show you the video! You are verbal and like to bang your hands on things to make noise. You are the most adorable little girl :)

Holden
Nicknames: Holdy and Holds, Spatcho, Den Dens and Ho Ho. You go by Holden most of the time.
Weight: ?
Height: ? but much taller than EC
Hair: blond. It continues to grow and you a definitely a blond!
Eyes: Bright blue
Clothes: Mostly 12 month but you are starting to outgrow those and are getting into 18 month 
Diapers: Bumgenius 4.0 and freetime and KaWaii at night.
Eating: 6oz bottles 3 times a day and lots of finger foods at meal times. You are a BIG eater and a growing boy! 
Likes: dancing, being naked, standing up, you love exploring. You love your lovie and holding blankets up to your face. You love your tambourine and any toys that make noise. You love to steal toys from your sister. You also love to pluck her hairbows from her head and chew on them. You also love the remote and Mommy's iPhone. Shiny toys are your friends. You also love to crawl to the baby gate and pull up.
Dislikes: being hungry (boy likes his bottle!), being tired (you are a bear when you are tired), being held still. You love to explore!
Development: crazy toddler here we come. You can pull up, cruise, and crawl. We are waiting on the walking to happen. You are working on standing up on your own.
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!
Sleep: You always have blankets by your face. You like to crawl in to the corner and scrunch your head up to the bumpers to sleep. 

Extra: I think you may have settled down a little this month. You are getting used to the new freedom that crawling brings. You are starting to obey boundaries more and you are definitely learning the term no! You are a lazy bottle drinking and like for someone to hold your bottle for you when you drink. You do not like the sippy cup! You are flirty and bat your eyes at everyone. You give such big smiles every morning. You are the cutest little boy!