Jax turns 11 months old!

Happy 11 months sweet sweet baby Jax!!!  You will always be our baby, even though that 'baby"  title will diminish a wee bit in just a matter of weeks when you turn the big ONE years old!!!  You are an incredible son, and daddy, Taji, and I love you to pieces!  Taji even wanted to help you hold your 11 month sign up this time!

Big bro sneaking into the photo shoot!

Time sure is flying, but we are living each day and each of Jax's developmental stages to the fullest!  I can't get over the cuteness factor in how much Jax likes to keep up with his older brother, and copies him constantly!  Jax can also be the trouble initiator too..... and Taji will just follow along and act like him for the fun of it!  Such as in shaking our baby gate (its practically hanging by one side now since Jax has shook it, pulled on it,  and even hangs on it!).....

He's adventurous..... loves to open drawers, cabinets, and make lots of messes!  

For some reason, he LOVES the fridge.  He quickly races over to it when anyone opens it so he can stand there and stare at all the food.   He tries to pull things off the shelves, and gets super excited when he recognizes his yogurt and other foods.

 I couldn't resist throwing in a baby bum shot!!!!  Jax's bottom is the cutest, I just want to kiss it and squeeze it all day long!!!!  I think baby bottoms are so incredibly cute!!!

 This is at the YMCA gymnastics class..... both Jax and Taj love to jump on the trampolines and into the foam pit!  They love it sooo much that we had to talk Santa into bringing an indoor bounce house trampoline for them.  Good thing we have space for that sucker in our game room.... its a perfect rainy day indoor winter activity! Oh, and that lady in the center of the photo is my friend Brianna and her son Benny.

Jax is now running behind his truck, loves to walk the perimeter of the room, and we even taught Taj how to take him "out for a walk"  with it downstairs..... that video coming soon!

Jax has mastered not only climbing all 4 flights of stairs in our house, but he can crawl backwards now down the stairs... all four flights of stairs!  And we have PLATFORM stairs.... yes, the open kind.  A little freaky for mommies, but there isn't a challenge that Jax can pass up!

 This was Jax sitting in the big patient chair at the eye doctor's office!  Under NY state law, there is a new program that allows all infants 6-12 months to get a free vision evaluation.  Since I had such horrific vision issues growing up, and diagnosed at a young age, I really wanted Jax to get checked out so we were on the safe side.  He had his eyes dilated and passed all the eye tests!  Relieved that his eyesight is on track!

 More stair climbing photos... this was taken at the Ashville Library where we like to play, check out books, and attend our weekly Musikgarten class.

 Jax saw snow for the first time this past month, and he really loved playing in it!  I'm glad he doesn't mind the cold, although he doesn't necessarily like being bundled up!

 A few favorite pics of Jax's cuddle time with his monkey lovie.  He loves giving his monkey (and now Taj's stuffed animal "dog")  sweet nose kisses.  He will lay on his belly and bury his head into his lovie.  He will also sit and hug and rock his lovie while making cute squeaky noises!  I love how cuddly Jax is!

In developmental Jax news, he blows kisses, gives high fives, makes silly faces, cracks up and starts laughing to get Taj's attention.... he also gives open mouth kisses when you ask him to give you a kiss and lean in!!! He does the hand sign for "all done", says "haaa" for hi, waves hi and bye, puts his hand up when greeting others,  and frequently yells out "ball", "car", "cracker", "cookie", and "ta ta" (this is how he refers to his monkey lovie)..... all these must be his favorites!  I swear there have even been times where Jax sounds like he says "yeah", and has copied me saying "let's go" really fast!  I know, not possible, but it sounds SO much like it!  He is our trash compactor.... he will eat everything and anything you give him and stuff it in his mouth, and Poof!  it disappears!! We don't know where he puts all of it, but I can tell you he means business when its time to eat!  He has even started drinking out of the same sippy cups that Taj drinks from, and loves drinking kefir just as much as Taj!  Jax eats practically everything Taj and we eat (the homemade dinners and such), he loves different rice, couscous, quinoa mixed meals.  He also eats quesadillas, pitas, waffles, and grilled cheese sandwiches.    Anything he doesn't like (or when he gets full), he throws on the ground!  And remember when as a newborn, Jax initially had trouble latching during breastfeeding and didn't actually breastfeed until after a month?  Well, who would have thought he would be nursing this long!  I have been nursing him once in the morning, right before his lunch nap, after his nap, then at bedtime, and once more around midnight when he typically wakes in the night.  That's five times a day, and he still eats 3 big meals and snacks throughout the day!  Again, we have no idea where all this is going because he does not look like a big baby!  I have tried offering him cow's milk but he doesn't want it, and like Taj, I have a feeling he's going to get most of his calcium and vitamin D from leafy greens, yogurt, and kefir.  In time for his 12 month bday (and because I have a 2 night girls trip planned in the Big Apple next month), I am beginning to wean him from nursing.  I am slowly cutting back on the feedings and Brad is putting the boys to bed solo once a week.