Mr. and Mrs. Casey: Eleven Months

Happy Eleven Months! The countdown has officially begun...31 days until Carter is one! Time continues to fly by. Carter has become a quick little learner. She started with giving open mouth, wet sloppy kisses on the cheek to clapping, and now she is wanting to walk. She hasn't taken any unassisted steps yet, but she enjoys walking around the kitchen holding on to the cabinets. And when she is not walking, she is speed crawling. She especially likes to crawl over out foam kitchen floor mats. I don't know what it is about our kitchen but she is constantly going back and forth from the kitchen to the den. When she gets hungry and wants a bottle or food, she will crawl and sit in the kitchen and whine until you come pick her up and feed her. But if she just wants a snack, she knows where they are kept so she will sit in front of the pantry door, point with her little finger, and say "ehhh, ehhh." Needless to say, she knows how to get your attention when she wants something.

Papa has started calling her "grubby junior" because she loves to eat anything and everything. "Grubby" was Aunt Squeaky's nickname on the tennis team and he thinks it is funny that no one can eat in front of her without Carter begging for a bite of their food. Her favorite big people food is probably scrambled eggs. She loves them, especially if they have cheese on them. She has yet to have a vegetable or fruit that she doesn't care for. In fact, she even likes different combinations of veggies cooked together. Grammy calls those "casseroles."

If you tell Carter to put her pacifier in her mouth she will search for it (if it is attached) and stick it in her mouth. This is super handy when we are driving and she gets fussy in the car. Otherwise, she enjoys riding and looking out the window. Sometimes she will take a nap in the car but as soon as you turn the engine off she wakes up.

Nothing is safe unless it is sturdy and baby proof. Carter likes to pull herself up on just able anything. Including tables, chairs, and windowsills.

She continues to love to play peek-a-boo and is starting to pick up on patty cake. She has got the clapping part down (not the exact beat) but it makes her so happy that she can do it along with us.

She had not discovered curtains until we started taking pictures then she couldn't get enough of them. She loved peek-a-boo with daddy while I took pictures.

Carter will only walk with you holding her hands and with her little push walker. She seems to prefer you to hold her hands but she will occasionally reach for the walker to walk with instead of playing with the front of it. She looks so big standing upright!

Carter bug's hair is getting longer and has started to curl into ringlets at the nape of her neck.

"Daddy come play with me again, please!"

We spend a lot of time in the den playing in the floor. We go from the activity tables, to playing with the shaped blocks, to Carter bringing us every book in her basket to read. The girl is now fascinated by books; especially the ones with peek-a-boo tabs. She can turn the page and has no problem shutting the book mid sentence if she changes her mind and wants to read another book. She definitely knows what she likes!

Her little feet are still so cute. She giggles when we tickle them! She is still in a size 3 shoe.

These pictures were taken at Gibson Pond.

Carter's teeth are taking their time coming in. Which mommy is completely fine with because just maybe you will look like a baby for a little bit longer without them! I have noticed that her lateral incisors (the ones next to the front two on top) are beginning to look a little puffy. Still no signs of your front top two teeth but she hasn't drooled much this month!

She still hates to have her clothes and diaper changed. Now she will hold her foot up for you to put the sock or pants leg on. Putting her shirt on has become a little easier if you play peek-a-boo with the head opening before putting it over her head.

Carter usually wakes up around 7:30, takes three 1 hour naps (9:30, 12:30, 3:30) and is usually ready for bed around 6:30. She will still head bang every now and then but not nearly as much as she used to. The pack-n-play still resides in her room and we are forced to use it from time to time but as long as she has Lamby, she is fine.