Eleven

31 days...

Only 31 days until I no longer have a baby at home.

31 days until you are officially classified as a toddler.  Although, with your speed and mobility, I fear I can't classify you as a baby right now anyway. My, my, my!

So, Jackson, what's new?

You are walking everywhere now.  Very rarely do you crawl.  We have even seen you attempt to run.  Like your sisters, you love to be chased.  You will go as fast as your little legs will carry you and then squeal with joy when we catch you.  You also love to climb.  You will climb stairs when you are around them.  We have also had to peel you off of the second rung of the ladder to the loft bed.  It seems that you are all boy!

Since you are walking non-stop, you've slimmed down a bit.  You've definitely grown taller.  You're finally in your 9 month jammies, but it appears to me that you've lost a little bit of your baby pudge.  Your tummy seems slimmer; your thighs seem slimmer. I'm curious to see your measurements when we go to your one year well check.

Even though you seem to be slimming down, you love to eat and continue to be very adventurous.  Tonight you enjoyed chicken broccoli rice casserole.  You also enjoy chili, pizza, bananas, yogurt, black beans, and of course, crackers.  You prefer to eat standing next to my chair.  We prefer you to sit in your high chair, but you have decided that high chairs are not for you.  You demonstrated this by wriggling out of the straps and climbing onto the tray.  You are quite the little Houdini!

Now that you're in your own room, you seem to enjoy being in your own space.  You love to play with your toys.  After you nurse, you will just roll off my lap and head for your toys.  You love the trucks.  In fact, when you decided it was play time last night at 4 am, I finally ended up just putting a truck in your crib with you.  After you played for a bit, you went right back to sleep.  I think the truck may need to live in your crib from now on.

Oddly enough, you seem to have strawberry blonde hair. You are definitely a blondie, but often when I look at your hair, it really seems to have a red tint to it.  If you didn't look almost exactly like your P-pa as a baby, I might begin to question your parentage.  You have a lovely and infectious smile.  And, generally, you have a sweet disposition.  For the most part, you are only irritable when tired or hungry.

We love you very much, little man!  We are so thankful you are part of our family!