11 Month Update-One month to go

Holy cow! We have one more month before my babies are O-N-E!!

With each passing month, they just learn more and more things. We are in the stage that makes it incredibly difficult to keep them contained. We have rigged a pretty good system of blocking off our entire living room. But they somehow manage to find the smallest hole to climb through. They are SO fast! They are in the kitchen opening and closing drawers before we know it. The next thing on our list is finally baby proofing the kitchen so it isn't such a big deal that they escape there.

Our disaster of a living room trying to keep them contained

Instead of organizing the last month's events in a logical order, I am just going to do a random list of everything they have learned. My brain is disorganized and I have a total of 30 minutes before their nap is over!

• Max is OBSESSED with cell phones, laptops, tablets, and pretty much any tech device! We gave him an old cell phone of Jeremy's but after a few days, he was over it and wanted the real thing. Jeremy found him hiding out behind the couch with my phone. He cracks me up! He has called my mom, his Nonnie, and I heard her saying Hello over and over again. He also has taken a few selfies. Love this curious little man!

What apps to buy for Mom?

#Selfie

• They both love to blow kisses. It melts my heart. I dropped them off a daycare the other day and I said "Bye Bye" and blew them a kiss. They both started blowing them right back to me. Love!
• At a recent outing to the park, Max started getting scared of the swing. He has enjoyed it before but freaked. Harper loved it though!

• They also have started fighting over toys. It is sometimes funny but other times...good grief! I didn't know the brother/sister arguing would start so young.  Max is a biter. How do you stop this when he doesn't understand that it hurts?! He left a mark on Harper at daycare a couple weeks ago. I know this sounds awful...but at least it was his sister and not another kid. We have been trying to catch him doing it so we can enforce the no biting rule. He now tries to bite her and looks at us and stops. However, there have been other instances where he has got her! Argh!

• They are talking more and more. Hey, Hi, Hello, Bye-Bye-, Night-Night, Bella (our dog's name), Mama, Dada, No (only Harper does this one), and lots of other babbles. 
• They both stand for awhile without holding onto anything. Max has taken two whole steps by himself but nothing more. I really want them to walk before their first birthday so we have been practicing every night before bed!
• They eat all table food now. And they are such good eaters. They are really bottomless pits. Their favorite foods are grilled cheese, watermelon, pancakes, grilled chicken, ravioli, and cooked carrots. They love to eat but also love to make a mess and feed Bella. 

Occasionally, we nap in the highchairs.

• They are pretty good sleepers but always have been. They sleep about 10 hours at night. Max is still on a two nap a day schedule. Harper is down to one nap on most days. 
• They play hard. Sometimes wrestling each other (climbing up each other and then rolling around together. Super cute!). Sometimes racing. Throwing the ball back and forth. They love being outside in the wagon or going on walks/runs in the stroller. 
• They interact with each other all the time. Sometimes we find them holding hands as they eat in their highchairs. They are constantly laughing at each other or with each other. They team up to get into something they aren't supposed to. Usually Harper is the lookout. Ha!
•  Our hair is growing like crazy. Max is need of a haircut. My sister will do that VERY soon. Harper has upgraded to enough hair for a ponytail!

Look, I'm a big girl!

Crazy hair, dude!

• Their weights have kind of leveled off since last month. They weigh about the same. Max is 19 pounds and Harper is 20 pounds. 
• A lot of their weight issues may be attributed to their bout of ear infections. It all started back on April 24. We are still on antibiotics! Seriously. We have an appointment at the children's hospital here in KC to get tubes in their ears. I hate to see them go through any type of surgery but we need this done. Poor babies have ear infections that just won't go away. Once on antibiotics, their entire digestive system is thrown off. We use probiotics but they still have diarrhea. I will be so glad when they can feel better for good!
• Both are still in size 3 diapers. 
• We are almost all the way into 12 month clothing now. Max can occasionally fit into 9 month. They both still wear some 6-9 month too. 
• Harper has always been a super sweet and friendly little girl. She is still just the most loving baby. She loves everyone and melts everyone with her twinkling smile. 
• Max is getting much more used to people. He was always reserved and shy. He is definitely coming out of his shell now. I love that he is showing his fun loving, adventurous nature to everyone now. 
• Both of them now have 4 teeth. Harper finally caught up to Max.
• They are in love with our dog, Bella. They scream, squeal, call her, and just can't keep their hands off of her. Bella, who normally hates that stuff, is being so good with them. 
• Brushing their teeth has become one of their favorite activities. It is a fight to get the toothbrushes away from them. 

• Their first birthday party is coming up on July 13. We are doing it at a local park. The theme is Very Hungry Caterpillars. I have literally done nothing besides send out the invites. I have lots to do to get ready for the big day. 

Getting hugs from Uncle Curt

Cousins meet

Cool Dude.

Fun with friends!

Monthly pictures are becoming increasingly more difficult!

Best we could do!

-Lisa-