Berend: 10 Months

Berend, how are you already 10 months? This means only 2 more months until we have a one year old!

Age: 10 months on 15 March 2019
Weight: about 21 lbs 8 oz
Height: about 30 inches
Teeth: 6
Clothing Size: 12 months & 12-18 months
Diaper Size: size 3 in disposable (although we’re just trying to get through the box so we can move up to size 4) and one size in cloth
Milestones: saying “nana,” saying “dada,” saying “papa,” walking assisted by only one hand, sharing toys (handing them to us for a second or two… then taking them back), squatting while holding on, bending over to pick up a toy while holding on, clapping, responding to simple commands (“Give it to Mama, please”), signing “all done” (we think haha), giving kisses (the big open mouth kind!), climbing up and down stairs

Likes: playing with Gerrit, being carried around (he loves to be involved in everything!), putting everything in his mouth, tickles, baths, eating food, shaking noisy toys/instruments, being walked around (although we’re getting away from that), interactive books (touch-and-feel, puppet books, musical books), kicking balls, dropping toys solely so he can pick them back up or maneuver them with his feet, brushing his teeth, peek-a-boo type games, taking his socks off, balloons, blowing raspberries on people or furniture

Dislikes: being away from Mama, car rides, diaper change, clothing changes, getting his face washed

Sleep: Well, we’re down to 2 naps regularly. I thought when we dropped to two naps that his naps would lengthen, but there is never a guarantee there. He has had plenty of days with only two 30-35 minute naps, but he’s had some days with two 1+ hour naps. He’s definitely in a better mood when he takes decent naps. Night sleep is tricky. Sometimes good naps lead to better nights; other times the short nap days mean more solid sleep. We just roll with it.

In general, Berend is up every 1-2 hours at night. We occasionally get a 3-hour stretch, but most nights he’s up quite a bit. I consider it a good night if he nurses and goes back down easily. The nights that I have to keep attempting to lay him down over and over are the ones that frustrate me. On bad nights, I’ll bring him to my bed around 2am. It’s awesome if he stays in his own bed until 4am or so.

Berend gets 12-13 hours of sleep a day for the most part. A 13 hour day usually follows up a day where he only got 11.5 hours or so. He’s up for the day between 7 & 8 most days, and he’s in bed between 7:30 & 8:30 at night. Night wakings are all over the place. I don’t keep track of them as well as I did with Gerrit because there doesn’t seem to be a point. He’ll sleep longer when he’s ready. It seems like, once again, I can’t do much to get him to sleep longer or better.

Eating: I feel like nursing has picked up lately. Normally, Berend is not one for nursing during the day unless it’s right before a nap. But there were definitely a couple of weeks where he nursed almost every time I offered my boob. 9 month growth spurt? Teething? Who knows. In general, he only takes full feedings when getting ready to sleep (naps & bedtime) or when drowsy (during the night).

We’ve definitely gotten to the age where Berend is all over the place when nursing. He likes to stand and nurse, bend down to nurse, and when I try to nurse during the day… he’s popping off every few seconds to see what he’s missing out on.

Food wise? Berend continue to enjoy food! If he’s not in a good mood, a meal almost always cheers him up. I’m still not sure how much he actually eats. A fair amount ends up in his lap and on the floor, but I think he eats a good amount too. He always gets lunch and dinner, and occasionally he gets breakfast. If he doesn’t get a proper breakfast, he usually nibbles on a scone with me while I drink my coffee.

Mommy Update: Still trucking along! Some days are tough, and some days aren’t bad. This past month, Andrew went from his training squadron to his actual squadron. He still flies a couple of times a week (which means 13-14 hour days), but he has some normal days too, which is nice. Any time he goes in late, I take advantage and sleep in. Same for weekends. I’m so thankful Andrew never says a word about me sleeping in late into the mornings. He knows I need it.

My “me time” is still definitely just after the kids go to bed. I’ve been loving my work on my photo albums. I finished my 2011-2012 album, completed my pregnancy journal for Berend, and started work on my 2018 family photo album. It’s definitely not what I prefer with scrapbooking, but I’m surprised by how much I’m loving it!

Memorable Events: Before  we  started  getting  cold  weather  last  fall,  Berend  was  still  in  his  infant  car  seat  in  the  stroller.  But  we  finally  got  some  warm  weather  that  wasn’t  too  windy,  so  we  let  Berend  try  out  the  main  part  of  the  stroller.

I wouldn’t say he loved it, but he did pretty well. He’d still definitely prefer to be carried.

I have been thrilled with Berend’s recent interest in books! Admittedly, he’s not very interested in books that aren’t interactive in some way, but I’ll take what I can get! He loves the “That’s Not My….” books and books with finger puppets.

We’re starting to have a bit of a naughty one here… he loves going after cords and looking right at me while he does it! He also likes to shake the floor lamp and throw clothes out of the laundry basket. Anything to get a reaction… and then he just smiles.

Berend loves brushing his teeth! For some reason, I completely wasn’t thinking when he started getting teeth… he needed to start brushing! This past month, I got him his own little toothbrush and training toothpaste, and he brushes before bedtime every night. For now, I pretty much just let him brush and play around, but I do try to get a few brushes in myself while still keeping it fun for him. 

Berend also started using his walking toy! He still doesn’t love it, but he will push it around for a bit.

Here is Berend’s March photo:

Berend, I cannot believe how big you’re getting! Not just your size… I can see day after day how you are getting closer to becoming a full-fledged toddler and not my baby anymore. I’m not going to lie… it’s hard on me as your mama. I feel like once you’re walking on your own, you’ll just be off and running! I’m so in love with your love for me: the kisses, the snuggles… I wish I could just bottle it up. I love seeing your personality grow and how you fit perfectly into our family. You are just the cutest, and we love you so much, little bear!