Alexander at 11 months

Clichés are the only words I can think of to describe how it feels to admit my sweet baby boy is eleven months old. Pick your favourite one. I'll go with, "I can't believe my baby is eleven months old!" and "Time has just flown by!"

Yet here he is, eleven months old...

Galloping through the grass, full speed ahead

At eleven months old, Alexander...

• can crawl really fast. It looks almost like galloping. 
• pulls up on anything and everything.
• will cruise along furniture and push chairs and wheeled toys across the floor.
• doesn't particularly like to "practice" walking when I hold his hands and will let his legs turn to jelly so that he doesn't have to.
• loves bath time so much that he cries when it's over (very different from even a few months ago).
• has mastered going up the stairs and is getting comfortable going down the stairs backwards.
• considers the swing at the park (his once-favourite past time) rather boring and would rather crawl around eating wood chips and climbing up and down stairs and slides.
• is probably the world's messiest eater. 
• enjoys pulling books off the shelves, emptying toy boxes, getting into dresser drawers and kitchen cabinets.
• hates it when people exit the room/house without him (going to the bathroom without him is an unpardonable sin).
• hates it when he's on the other side of a closed door.
• hates when I carry laundry baskets instead of him.
• is back to only waking up once or twice a night (hopefully typing that won't jinx anything because waking up once or twice is divine compared to what he'd been up to in recent months).
• loves driving cars around on the floor.
• loves batting balls around on the floor.
• enjoys story time for about three pages before he wants to get down and crawl around.
• likes touch-and-feel books and books with flaps.
• likes taking sips of water from every water bottle possible (he loves water bottles).
• can reach the footrest of his stroller (with his feet (I'm not sure why I felt the need to clarify that)).
• definitely says "Mama!"
• has seven teeth.
• has enough fluffy blond hair that he often has bedhead.
• likes to help turn off lights.
• loves doggies.
• still likes to be swaddled for bedtime and nap time.
• will scavenge for snacks under the kitchen table or in piles as we're sweeping up.
• mimics everything he sees (he once crawled over to the oven to grab a towel so he could "help" mop the floor when the kids and I were mopping on our hands and knees with rags, and the other day I was trying to communicate that I wanted him to come over to me so I patted the grass as I asked him to "Come over here!" and instead of coming he patted the grass and grunted at me).
• understands the word, "No!"
• gives "loves" and kisses and hugs. He will often kiss pictures in books or pictures on our phones. He will crawl up to people, hug their legs, and then crawl away. He's super cute.
• loves other babies so, so much (too much, probably).
• will instinctively clap his hands when he hears other people clapping (so during soccer games or while we were watching Singing in the Rain; it's not that he knows why he's clapping...he just can't help himself).
• loves brushing his teeth (at least when he gets a little taste of toothpaste).
• likes to honk people's noses (he will continue to squeeze until you say "Beep!" so you'd better just say beep quickly to get it over with).
• waves at people.
• grunts, "Huh!" to get your attention.
• fake coughs.
• thinks it's hilarious when we make animal noises for him.
• kicks his legs when he gets really excited.
• thinks Grandma is the cream of the crop.
• will (attempt to) push other children off my lap.
• can high five.
• likes riding the little roller coaster downstairs.
• loves to kick things with his feet, especially while nursing. He's actually really good at aiming and will kick things off the couch (or, alternatively, grab them with his feet). 
• finds the dishwasher fascinating and if we leave it open will always try to climb inside.
• likes to use a plate at the table, especially if it's translucent (we have those little plastic plates from IKEA and he will hold them up to his face and look through them, giggling at his world now tinged blue/yellow/pink/whatever).
• is starting to be interested in drawing (he wanted aper and crayons during sacrament meeting last Sunday).
• bounces to music, will wave his arm to "conduct," and will even sing sometimes.
• thinks it's funny to sneakily bite my shirt sleeves (I don't think it's funny when he gets my skin instead of my shirt (not that I find it humorous when he bites my clothes anyway, but, you know...it's even less funny when he gets my skin—he's left bruises!)).
• is super curious about everything...

He's a bit of a climber so don't leave stools out

 We sure love this boy!