This post is a tad late but last Tuesday James turned 10 months old. Everyday he’s become more and more like a toddler and less like the small baby I brought home from the hospital. I know I’ve mentioned this but it bears repeating. I was not a fan of the infant stage. In fact I hated it. Lack of sleep does not bring out the best in me, and I’m positive my husband will agree.
But as he gets older and older I’m feeling more nostalgic for those infant days. The days where he slept for 18 hours. Not 18 hours continuously and definitely not at night, but I was able to accomplish so much more because of his numerous cat naps. And the cuddles. At least 2 of his naps were spent on my chest while I knit and some random show was on in the background. And as I miss those days and want to go back to them, I have to remind myself (almost daily) that I hated that stage when I was living it.
I was scared when he was an infant that I wouldn’t like any stage. Because everyone loves a baby. At that age they’re so cute and cuddly and bring back fond memories to mother’s whose children are grown. And if I hated it what hope did I have as he was getting older. But when my friend had her baby in February and I reminisced, it dawned on me that everyone loves the baby stage as long as you’re not the sleep deprived parent. Everyone loves a baby they can cuddle and love and still get a full nights sleep.
Luckily, I’ve been loving each stage that followed the horrible infant stage. He’s not even a year old and I feel like we’ve passed so many. But each new skill he learns makes him more fun and lovable. Everyday he does something that makes him cuter than the last.
James at 10 Months Old
- He loves to eat. Everything! His favourites so far are toast, spaghetti, chicken and yogurt. I’m sure if he could he would only eat those foods.
- James went on his first African Lion Safari adventure. I’d like to say he loved it but I don’t think he realized what was going on. None the less it was a fun day that I will remember.
- He is always on the go. No more cuddling, no more sitting in one place and playing with his toys. He can spend hours crawling from one end of the house to the other.
- He loves playing in the dog food and water bowls. I have fished a few kibbles out of his mouth in the beginning but now he likes to throw it all over the floor. And when you firmly tell him no, he grunts back. It’s like his version of talking back. And he knows he’s not supposed to touch because when he crawls to it, he’ll turn back to see if you’re looking and if you are then he walks away, but if you aren’t then he makes a mess.
- He still loves the water. The pool is his favourite. We haven’t had a chance to get him in the lake at the cottage but there is no doubt in my mind that he’ll love that just as much.
- James also went on his first 4 track ride with Pepere. He acted like he owned it the moment he sat down. His arms went straight to the handle bars like he didn’t need my dad to drive. I’m sure Pepere has already bought him his own.
- His 2 favourite people are Nana and Memere (both grandma’s). His face lights up when he sees them. And he only wants to be held by them. Actually, his Dad should be on this list too. If I say let’s go see Dad, he gets the biggest smile. A slight blow to my mothering ego but I’ll take it because it means that he has plenty of people in his life that love him and that he loves.
This month was also a very difficult month for us, as a family. On July 10th, my Father in Law passed away. It has been such a devastating loss to our family. Words cannot describe how much we love and will miss him.
Ashley
