At 12 months you.....

*still have eight teeth
*weigh 21.6 pounds and are 2 feet, 6 inches tall
*are walking like crazy
*can stack blocks
*successfully smashed cake all over your face for your birthday
*have tasted formally forbidden foods: cow's milk, honey, chocolate, etc
*spend most of your day wandering around pulling things off shelves
*like to be chased
*are scared of the vacuum cleaner and the mixer
*still freeze, drop to the ground, and put your face down whenever you first see Grandpa Blanshan
*eventually warm up to Grandpa Blanshan after making him work hard for your attention
*mooch for food
*ask for books all the time
*are growing up way too fast for your mommy and daddy

At 11 months you....

*have eight teeth
*imitate lots of words and sounds
*have walked short distances between people
*are sleeping through the night again, mostly
*love the swings at the park and the warmer weather
*can climb up uncarpeted stairs no problem
*enjoy playing with other kids
*have some mild separation anxiety
*like puppies, as long as they're not in your face
*like to strum the guitar and ukulele
*have all sorts of new dance moves

At 10 months you.....

*scrunch your nose up when you smile
*have started waking up in the night again
*have added tickle, hi, book, and no to your vocabulary
*stand on your own occasionally
*cruise around furniture effortlessly
*crawl up on all fours very quickly
*enjoy all sorts of foods, a few favorites are macaroni and cheese, chicken, bread, cheerios, bananas
*throw your food and/or drink on the floor when you're done
*like to turn the radio off and on, then turn the volume up and down
*can climb up carpeted stairs
*are in constant motion

At 9 months you....

*have six teeth

*enjoy clapping

*can crawl quite quickly, though you still use the army crawl technique

*love feeding yourself chunks of food

*have said momma and daddy for sure, and possibly cookie, yum, and yay

*often greet us after naps standing in your crib

*like to play hide and go seek with your parents

*love music and dancing

*got caught eating dirt from a houseplant

*go for something naughty (i.e. cords, plugs, plants) when your parents leave the room

*pull yourself to standing whenever you have the chance

*hold the phone to your ear

*are acquiring more bumps and bruises from your attempts at independence

*seem to have a new trick every day

At 8 months you...

*have five teeth

*have just starting "dancing" and moving your head to music
*can move yourself into a sitting position
*can pull yourself to standing

*enjoyed your first Christmas and got a pig, a sled, a xylophone, and a dress from Mommy and Daddy

*finally got the idea of jumping in the Johnny Jumparoo instead of just swinging
*pretty much eat anything if it is mashed to your liking

*are more interested in walking with help than you are in crawling

At seven months you...

*have four teeth

*love to eat solids, if it doesn't include green things

*chatter and sing constantly

*can support your standing weight once helped up

*like to knock down your daddy's block towers as fast as he puts them up

*can give high fives

*like animal sounds

*are mobile around the house in your walker, following people to different rooms and seeing what you can reach

*enjoy books and toys

*understand "no", but don't always choose to follow the instruction

Book Review: Heaven is for Real

I just finished Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo, courtesy of BookSneeze.  It is a story about just-shy-of-four-years Colton who was very critically ill and had a crazy experience.  After he had recovered from his illness, he began sharing that he had been to heaven briefly while he was in emergency surgery.  The story is told by his father, and you get to share in the experience through his eyes.  Colton shares things he saw and learned in heaven, meeting his miscarried sister, long dead relatives, getting to know Jesus. 

At first, his parents were understandable skeptical.  But over time, Colton shared too many things to have been "coincidence".  He revealed things in his childlike language that lined right up with what Scripture tells us heaven is going to be like.  He seemed so innocent in his descriptions, and it led credibility to his story.

I can't help but admit I was very skeptical myself when I started reading the book.  I always have to battle the demons of skepticism in myself, and I'm still not quite sure what I think about Colton's story.  But I do know, if this story is true and it is not some guy just trying to make a buck by pulling at people's heartstrings, it is incredible.  What a fearful privilege it would be to look into the eyes of Jesus, to meet those gone before us, or to see Satan and the battle that ensues for the souls of men.

Overall, a really good addicting book.  I loved turning the page to hear in the broken language of a child truths about God, Jesus, and heaven. 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

At six months you....

*are so inquisitive (hence the sideways "I-have-to-see-what-this-is" picture)

*can sit unsupported

*have tried a handful of different solid foods and like them, though you make lots of funny faces

*can inch forward to get things

*have taken your third airplane trip to attend your eighth wedding

*are very amused by other children running around

*talk, sing, and shriek just to hear your own voice

*need infant clothes to come in the "tall" variety, measuring in at 26.6 inches and 16.4 pounds

*have a little bit of sassiness to you

*have complete taken over your mom and dad's world

At 5 months you...

*have two teeth, and are working on more

*are a rolling machine

*are giggly most of the time

*often hum or moan when you're going to sleep

*like throwing your arm over your eyes or putting your bear over your face to go to sleep

*like to play peek-a-boo

*squawk and squeal and talk a lot

*like being thrown up in the air

*have been to seven weddings, and have another one next month
*like to play the piano with your feet

Love You More-The Divine Surprise of Adopting my Daughter

I recently read Love You More-The Divine Surprise of Adopting my Daughter. It chronicled Jennifer Grant's journey in adopting a little girl from Guatemala.  She described the emotions of realizing she was being led to adopt, how her older three children adjusted to the new person, the pain of waiting, and lots of other engaging stories.

Frankly, I loved it.  Couldn't put it down.  Maybe it is because I'm a new mom, and the feelings she expressed regarding her love for her child are so fresh on my mind.  I could completely identify with how she fell in love with this child and wanted to know/feel/hear/see everything about her.  Maybe I loved it because I hope to adopt a child someday, and I find the process intriguing, frustrating, ridiculous, and glorious all at the same time.

Grant delved into some of the misconceptions about adoption, as well as some of the ugliness.  She brought to light how adoption is a way to make big money in some countries, and how finding the right agency that does it's homework is key.  I cannot imagine the terror of finding out your child, the one you have come to love and call your own, was not really without a family in the first place, but was abducted, sold for money, or some other atrocity.

Grant includes a list of resources in the back, that I intend to check out and hope to find useful.  I liked the way she told her story, though I occassionally got confused because it didn't exactly go in chronological order.  Overall, a definite recommendation, particularly for those interested in adopting.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.