Austin Scott: 12-13 Months

This month flew by. Like, I don't know where it went or exactly what we did and I only have a handful of pictures. However, it has been an absolutely beautiful October and even though I failed to document almost any of it - we have been making the most of our little life together.

Stats: Fits into 9 month or 9-12 month clothes better than 12 month and wayyyyy better than 12-18 month things. (Which has made buying him winter clothes super hard because all his new clothes drown him but I can't justify buying 9 month sweaters when I know he'll grow out of them soon. Two teeth. His hair is filling in, although he's still a ways away from needing any sort of haircut. Size 3 diapers. 

Other things from this month to remember: 

-We've spent a lot of time in the car. Driving back and forth from my grandmothers, running errands, visiting other family members. I looked back through my planner as I was prepping to write this post and I realized that every single week there were several things involved riding around in the car. Luckily, this little guy is an amazing car traveler. He almost never cries, he's content to hold things and play with them, and just does really great. He switches back and forth from his infant carseat to his big carseat, mostly because I love having the "extra" seat so we can bring little friends with us sometimes, so whenever we have another child in the car he gets relegated back to the infant seat (and sometimes I think he likes it better and it's easier for me to see him and give him things in the infant seat so on long car rides I'll put him there.) But he's getting too big for it now, and I'm going to have to take out the infant seat and only have the big carseat (and I'm a little sad to be loosing my "extra" carseat). 

-Broke through his second tooth on the bottom and the one on the top is looking like it's going to pop through soon.

- He loves climbing into cupboards. We have a whole bunch more... stuff... in the cupboard than we used to - but he just moves it out of his way (or climbs over it) so he can climb on in. He has no problem getting in, but he does have a hard time getting back out and usually just starts yelling when he's ready for me to help him out.

-Really, really says Mama now. I mean, he did before. But now it's very clear that he says my name when he wants me or when he's addressing me. Or when he's mad at me. 

-David teases me that Austin is a complete mama's boy (mostly because he says my name all. the. time. especially when he's sad). But Austin looooves his Daddy, too. When David gets home from work Austin will light up -a grin breaking over his face- and will run into his arms to give him a hug. 

-He's started playing the cutest game where he'll take turns walking to me and giving me a hug, then turning around and walking to David to give him a hug.

-He isn't really a cuddler, not like some babies are, but he gives the best hugs. He won't stay forever, but he'll give you a huge hug and lay his head on your shoulder and pat your arm and snuggle in nice and tight. It melts me. Then he's off again exploring something new. Those hugs mean the world to me.

-He's little. When he's around other kids his same age he looks tiny, like easily months younger than them. But he's started to look older, even though his body is in the smaller percentile he looks like he's one because of the intelligence in his eyes and the intentionality about his actions. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's been a subtle change I've watched happening. Oh, and the best way to make him look as old as he really is, is to put him next to a smaller baby. Here he is with Audrey Delahunty, my sweet friend Cassie's daughter. Audrey 4 months, Austin 12 months.

-Started signing more and all-done, again. He is a great eater and eats pretty much whatever I feed him but loves bananas and when he sees one he'll yell until I open it for him.

--He's so happy, almost all the time. People comment frequently about how happy and easygoing he is and it's really true. He only gets upset if he's really, really tired and I've pushed him too far. (Even if he's just mostly tired he's pretty happy.) He is a tough little guy and rarely even cries when he bumps his head or falls over, even if it looks like it is bad. I am so grateful to be blessed with such a happy baby.

 ^^^^^ Case in point: pushing him too far when it's already an hour past his bedtime. ^^^ 

-I should clarify. Austin is very happy and doesn't fuss much. But he does yell. A lot. Especially when he's not getting his way. Lots of yelling.

-He is adored everywhere we go. It's hard not to love this boy. 

-Says "uh-oh" if something falls down or if he does something he's not supposed to (like throwing a toy away in the garbage can).

-I can't contain him. At church. At home. Anywhere that he isn't strapped into something is basically a giant battle of him trying to escape and me trying to keep him from making huge messes or climbing on things that he could fall off. (Church especially. #countdowntonursery)

-Messes include: pulling all the wipes out of the package, pulling all the garbage out of the bathroom garbage can, putting all the garbage into the toilet, putting other toys into the toilet, throwing away anything he can into the kitchen garbage can, pulling all the crayons/papers out of their bin and leaving them on the panty floor, pulling all of the socks out of the sock basket. Do you see a theme? Oh, and throwing all of his food off of his highchair tray if I don't remove it quickly enough after he says all-done.

-We have this big cube/box that is about 18 inches square and it plays a different song on each side. Austin loves it and has figured out how to turn the cube or shake it to make the music start. Then he dances by bending his legs or stomping his feet and it's darling. 

-Loves to throw balls and is really good at it. He can throw with both hands and with one hand. He knows when to release the ball to make it actually go far. He loves to play roll the ball back and forth with you (or sometimes throw the ball off the couch to mom who then gives it back, repeat.)

-If I'm sitting at the computer, it's like a signal to both kids to want to climb up on my lap. Austin especially. I'd actually be quite content if he'd just sit on my lap, but he wants to touch the keys and the mouse and the... everything. It makes actually doing anything on the computer with him impossible. 

-Learned how to go down the stairs backwards. 

-I give him 2 naps a day. One at 9:30 and one around 2. However, I think that he actually only sleeps during one of those naps and it switches back and forth which one he actually takes.  He plays quietly in his bed the other nap, and he needs both of them, so it's a good system right now. No nap is ever longer than an hour and a half though. 

-He has the best laugh and laughs the most at Lydia. He loves her. And she loves him. The second half of this video isn't anything special but the first half is SO darling that I had to include it.

Darling-boy. We love you. And really, who could blame us?