James, at 11 months:

• is becoming SO affectionate. I just die every time he squeezes my neck with his 8-inch fluffy arms. Then I die again when he plants a big 'ol wet one right on my chin, cheek, forehead, or wherever he happens to land.
• says ma-ma! It started as a sort of sucking-on-his-bottom-lip-followed-by-an-AH! sound but now it's definitely, without a doubt, genuine, pure, Mama. I'm his Mama.
• holds the record for standing by himself for 22 seconds.
• still plays with his favorite drum sticks.
• knows what 'no' means. He used to giggle at me, I guess because our voices would get so low and different, but now he's actually crawled to me and cried/pouted when he's gotten an big 'no-no'. It's pretty incredible that it actually works! For now...
• is showing us that he's pretty sensitive (like me I think). He gets very quiet and contemplative in big crowds and isn't too fond of dogs (especially if it's energetic. This is okay, though; Jim and I are not really animal people).
• although he's not crazy about big crowds, he loves the attention of a small group of people. He has this incredibly cheesy smile where he tilts his chin up, squints his eyes, and grins with his 5.5 pearly whites. It's awesome.
• eats just about everything we eat as long as it can be cut into bits. He's still a great eater.
• loves to offer you whatever he's eating or drinking - slobber and all.
• is my treasure.

Walking with his 'Nonna' at the beach on Memorial Day

And then there was one.

I know every baby is different, but when did your little one drop their morning nap? And how could you tell? My trusty Healthy Sleep Habits book says it's around 10-12 months (right on target, it seems).

James used to consistently take two 1.5 hour naps. Now his morning naps are gradually getting down to just a .5 hr - 1 hr. His afternoon naps are still 1.5 hours and sometimes longer...

He's definitely still getting sleepy in the mornings, but I'm just curious how it looked for you guys.

This is a big deal.

I know this is sad, but on James' 11-month-birthday while we were at our friend's lake house, Jim was finally able to give him a bottle. It's been a long battle, but I think it's safe to say that we're officially the victors. Or James finally surrendered... either way, I'll take it.

He seems happy about the new change :)

A perfect morning by the lake. And below, for some fun comparison, is when he was about 2 months old.

Thank you, Cat (and the Ellenburg family) for the sweet, beautiful memories! We love you.

Oy veh! Part 2

Even after my disclaimer in the previous post, warding off the P90Xers who were just itching to make fun of my feeble exercise routine, I still suffered attack. I know! Those meanies! I could hear the howls of laughter echoing down Interstate 385. You know who you are. And, yes ... I love you too.

But laugh no more, oh ye of little faith in my arms and legs of noodle --- I'm doin' YOGA!

(This was actually recommended by said P90Xers. So, really, I have to give them credit.)

Although now, on Yoga day 2, every poor, pitiful muscle in my body is quivering and yelling at me, "What in the WORLD are you thinking, lady???!!"

"Well, jelly muscles, I'm thinking that you've had your fun. All you do is sit there and it's high time you did some work around here. You're barely scraping by, these days!"

So we started with a 60 minute video on Netflix called Yoga for Health: Gastrointestinal Issues. I mean, c'mon. That's got my name all over it. There wasn't a level specified, but I'm pretty sure it's for beginners.

I love it. I didn't think it was possible, because it's so slow and calm and relaxed, but I've been in a complete sweat at the end of it. The Bow. SERIOUSLY??

And, hey - Sweat! That's new!

My back is still feeling great and my hamstrings are finally starting to loosen up. Maybe. A little.

So yay for Yoga!

(By the way, I don't need to clarify that I ignore all the om and bhavana stuff, do I? Good. Did you know that 'real' yogis were the like the boogeyman in Indian culture? Psshht... I just like the exercise.)