It feels like I was just writing the 10 month update. Time sure flies and I am sure that after Hayden crosses the one year mark, it will only pick up to an even more hurried pace.

I said this last time, but this is really a fun time in our house. Hayden is acquiring quite the personality. As he develops emotionally (which takes the forefront at this stage), we are seeing glimpses into his sense of humor and sensitivity. He teases us and finds it very funny. He gets a smirk on his face and knows exactly what he is doing when you ask him to feed you a Cheerio and he grasps one in his tiny hand, holds it to your mouth, and then snatches it away stuffing it into his when you get within mouth-shot. This is a fun game that Grandpa ("Poppy") Mason enjoyed playing over and over again during his recent visit.

Some milestones that Hayden has reached so far are:

• pulling himself up on everything (he doesn't limit himself to the ottoman or mom and dad anymore...he tries to pull up on everything (his toy chest, stand-up piano, coffee table, chairs, you name it, he's tried).
• cruising around whatever he has pulled himself up on...he can encircle the coffee table very well now...especially with the proper motivation.
• doing the army crawl (while on his stomach with legs out behind him, he uses his arms and legs to pull himself forward as if he were going through a barbed-wire obstacle course).
• doing "The Boot Scoot": while sitting, Hayden covers some serious ground by using his arms and legs to pull forward...unfortunately, this move looks very similar to a dog dragging its butt on the carpet. Oh well...
• sprouting a 4th tooth! This one is on the bottom right side (still no top middle teeth yet).
• detaching himself from mom's hip: he lights up when dad comes into the room and he and Grandpa Mason bonded instantly and were inseparable during his entire visit. It is so nice to see him feeling more and more comfortable with other people...he still has his moments, but there is a notable difference and relaxation in the separation anxiety department.

Some things that Hayden likes to do at the ripe old age of 11 months are:

• bird watching...he is obsessed with birds and ducks. His tone of voice changes when he sees one, and he starts repeating "bir, or du" accordingly. If you ask him, "Where are the birds?", he will turn and look outside to find them.
• spin records on his turn table.
• brush his teeth with his small Star Wars toothbrush.
• pull all the wipes out of the box.
• give hugs to his favorite stuffed animals (namely; Poor Bear and Grover given to him for his first Christmas by Nana and Poppy Mason, and a Yellow Lab puppy given to him by Grandma Sandy in NY).
• eating otter pops with dad
• being the referee between Grandpa Mason and Grandpa Mallory. It is tough work being torn between two Grandpas! (In the photo, Grandpa Mason is blocking Grandpa Mallory's view of Hayden)
• Grandpa Mason's whiskers.

Some things that Hayden doesn't enjoy at this stage are:

• having his face wiped off after eating.
• having a "toy" taken away (usually it is something he isn't supposed to have, like mom's cell phone or dirt - he tried to eat a piece of bark out of one of our potted plants...I dove in with a swift finger and scooped it out..he didn't like me after that).
• getting his diaper changed...that has become a wrestling match these days.

Hayden is still a very good eater. He will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him. He loves finger food. Some favorites that he likes to feed himself are: pieces of meat from our dinner, fish, rice, fruit (especially blueberries, cantaloupe, and honeydew), green beans, peas, carrots, corn, cheese, and of course Cheerios! He loves bananas and oatmeal for breakfast (with Cheerios to finish it off). He typically has a veggie and a protein source for lunch, then fruit for a snack, and then veggie and protein for dinner with fruit for dessert. He still breastfeeds before every meal and snack and then once right before bed (totaling 5 times a day - they are quick feeds since he is basically using them for hydration and not calories - but they are still necessary as they are his only form of liquid besides the little bit that he gets from in his food). I keep getting reprimanded for cutting his food too small...so I will work on that. He still gags/chokes pretty easily, so it will be a slow transition for me I am sure.

He is quite the character...he is still saying the saying the same "words" as last month, with the addition of "bir, du, and do" for his three favorite animals. Besides birds and ducks, he is also very into dogs and he enjoys it when Nate the neighborhood dog comes around for a visit. He also likes to make silly faces that make us laugh.

We are off to NY on August 3rd returning on August 13th (Hayden's first birthday!). We are going to have a terrific time there at the reunion with my birthmother Sandy's family. It is going to be quite the event and we will surely have a lot of news to report about our first airplane ride together as a family! Should be....interesting. Nana and Poppy also live in the same town, so we will be spending Hayden's first birthday with them. We are really looking forward to the trip and can't wait to introduce Hayden to even more members of his extended family. Plus, he misses is Grandpa Mason and must get to those whiskers soon! -- mam