Parker: 10 Months

Weight: still 19 lbs

Height: 28"

Diaper Size: 3

Clothes: 9 months (pants); But mostly wears 12 months in tops and pants

Eats: 6 oz every 3-3.5 hours; eats cereal before bedtime; Anything he can pick up!  Prefers not to eat baby food, but can't get enough of table food.  Loves bread, chicken, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, and crackers.  So far there hasn't been anything he doesn't like.

Sleeps: Usually from 8:30-9:00 to 6:30 (almost always 9 hours); loves his tummy

Naps: 1.5-2 hours around 8 or 9am and then again at 2 or 3pm

Favorite Toys: Mommy and Daddy (especially if they play peek-a-boo or chase); empyting drawers; balls; vehicles; car keys (real ones, not fake); squeeky hammer; pushing the ball popper toy; closing the pop-up toy; electrical outlets/cords

Milestones:

* We now have a little dare devil.  No fears!  He can climb up to anything, not just furniture, but walls, windows, toys, etc.  He will climb onto anything he can--like a diaper box or his basket with toys.  He mainly walks around with one hand holding on and the other free, but occasionally in the last few weeks, we might even catch him letting go with both hands.

* The gate on the stairs changed our life this month!  Parker loves to crawl up the staircase, and can now master going all the way up.
* And he definitely keeps up busy! He just loves to explore everything he can...the toilet and toilet paper, all drawers and cabinets (which most now have locks); the baskets in the pantry; newspapers and magazines; or basically anything he can reach.

* Nothing makes him smile more than a game of peek-a-boo.  He can pull the cover off of his head, or mom or dad's.  He peeks around the furniture or behind the curtain.  

* He actually was starting to learn how to just touch Shadow (not often but sometimes) instead of yanking her tail, laying on her, or pulling her fur.

* He's got a few new skills that he can imitate:  Raise his hands when we say "so big"; start laughing when we fake laugh (but we can't manage to get that on video); holds up 1 hand in the air, with his fingers clutched, to wave bye-bye; and our favorite...as soon as he hears any music, he bounces his booty to dance.

* When we say "no" to Parker, he looks at us and starts smiling or laughing.  (And it's hard not to smile)
* This boy loves to eat.  He doesn't really enjoy baby food much anymore and would rather eat with his own hands.  That pincer grasp is nearly perfected because he doesn't let a crumb get past him.  He sometimes has to use his whole hand to get the food in so mealtime can be a little messy--his lap usually has a handful of food that didn't make it to his mouth.

* Speaking of crumbs, Parker makes sure to pick up all the crumbs, fuzzy balls, dirt, etc from the floors.
* It wouldn't be uncommon to find lots of slobber on his shirt from all the rasberries he blows.
* He is starting to notice the t.v. a lot more...especially if there is dogs, clapping, or music (which means an instant dance party).
* He makes all sorts of different sounds now and tries to imitate whatever sounds we make.  If we get louder, so does he...and thinks that's a fun game.
* 2 new teeth appeared this month...not his top 2 teeth, but the fang teeth on top.

* He still hates getting dressed and to make it more challenging, he would much rather stand in the bathtub to play with the duck on the spout than sit to play with his toys.  Relaxation just isn't his thing.

* He might be becoming a mommy's boy already.  He knows that's who to go to when he is hungry, but especially when he is tired.

Highlights from the month (September 29-October 28):

* Matt's Aunt Kara and Uncle Mike traditionally host a chicken fry during Labor Day weekend, but in celebration of their daughter, Stacy and her husband, Micah's return from a year in Afghanastan, it was postponed.  Parker enjoyed some good food, swinging, and getting loved on by family.  But on the way there, we stopped by to watch Cousin Kara and her friends get their pictures taken for Homecoming.  

* We picked a great day to meet our friends Jeff and Brittany with their daughter, Ellie, at Scovill Zoo.  Parker noticed some of the animals, but would rather watch Ellie.

* We joined our neighbors on Sesame Street for Octoberfest.

* Hitting Grand Prairie Drive here in Peoria, we went with our neighbor Christy and her son, Finn for a fun, fall photo shoot.

* We had our first big roadtrip--a 11 hour drive each way!  Matt and his buddy, Heath, went to Talladega, Alabama for a weekend at a NASCAR race.  Parker and I hung out with Sophie, Chloe, and Jude at their home near Birmingham for nearly a week.  We did lots of shopping, eating at my favorite restaurants (Cheesecake Factory; Zaxbys; Wetzels Pretzels; Jason's Deli), went to the pumpkin patch, and just hung out catching up on life.  Parker was in love with the "animal kingdom" at their house--2 cats, a dog, a guinea pig, and a fish.  He also had his first bite of ice cream on this trip.  We always have so much fun when we are with this family and this time was no different.

*  It was a cool, brisk day, but we met my college friend, Julie, and her two cuties at Tanner's Orchard--a place that's been on our fall to-do list.  Parker devoured an apple cider doughnut (their speciality) and loved watching all the kids on the playground.  He especially enjoys Macy's company.

*  Matt's dad's family has gathered for years in October to mark his grandparents birthday (both born on the same day).  We headed to Blue Mound for the day for the chilly weiner roast and hayride. He convinced Aunt Angie that he needed lots of pumpkin muffins.

*  We headed to Bloomington for the first Ervin family picture since any grandkids were born.  

* Our cat, Shadow, went to a local no-kill shelter so she can hopefully find a home with no children.  It was so hard to say good-bye, especially because Parker just adored her.

When I think back on the last month, I think my cheeks might hurt from smiling.  Parker has just exploded with personality.  He knows what makes us smile and repeats those gestures over and over to bring us daily joy.  We used to spend our evenings watching tv and now we find that its much more fun to play peek-a-boo or knock over blocks...or better yet, have a dance party in the family room!  Now we have our moments when Parker shows that he can be stubborn, but we have to admit that's just in his blood.  The days continue to fly by and our little guy is becoming more and more independent.  But we simply can't imagine our lives any other way.