The Harvey Family: Blake

This week, Blake:

celebrated his first Christmas. We had a few gifts under the tree for him to unwrap and after he got the hang of it, did pretty well with unwrapping his gifts. He really enjoyed the wrapping paper and it took a few tries to realize that he was unwrapping gifts and not just making a mess of paper. He still doesn't totally get it but I'm sure next year will be different. We spent Christmas dinner over with our friends Kara and Chris, and they were so nice to invite us over and even had a ton of stuff that I could eat (non-soy and non-dairy) that was delicious! Blake had fun playing with Kalia's toys and especially liked the tunnel (which is one of his favorite things).
grew enough hair to develop a cowlick. We did a photoshoot for him and it showed up near the end... poor boy. Hopefully as it keeps growing it will sit down more and we'll have to keep it long enough so it won't stick up.
started giving me lots of "kisses". When I look at him in the eyes and our faces are really close, I'll pucker my lips and make a move to kiss him on the cheek and he'll slowly open his mouth, stick out his tongue just a little, and try and suck my nose or chin or whatever is close. It is hilarious and adorable. He seems so sensual about it which is a little creepy, but I'm trying to get him to pucker and not try and french me, lol.
is getting good at word associations. When we're outside, I can just say "airplane" or "bird" and he'll look up at the sky and try to find it. When we're inside, he'll look for the nearest window to try and see it. It's amazing how many planes fly over our house but he'll hear them randomly and stop moving and just listen until it's gone or until I mention it.
had another really clingy week. Daddy has been home on vacation with is really nice and I don't know if it has thrown Blake off or what, but he doesn't want to be left alone at all. Even if I just go into the next room he'll throw a fit and just stand at the edge of his "cage" and whine until I come back. Sometimes I have to get food or run to the bathroom and I'm only gone 30 seconds but that is just too long. He also had a bad week of sleeping. He ended up in our bed more than he slept in his own at night. Part of it we think was a food allergy making his tummy upset but it's hard to know.
got another activity table as one of his Xmas gifts and he loves the page that he can flip and the laptop that he can open and close, but hasn't really started pushing buttons yet so the buttons on the laptop, the telephone numbers, and the piano keys don't get as much use yet. We're hoping they will once he gets better at the buttons, but for now all he wants to play with are things that move. We set up the tables so they're an arms reach apart and he's started reaching for the other while holding onto one. He hasn't taken a step in between the tables yet but he'll reach as far as he can to see if it's possible to span the gap with a giant step and if he thinks it's close enough he'll move from one to the other.
started using his walker. Previously if I tried to get him to use it he would just fuss, so I stopped trying to force it and I just started putting it near him while he was on his tables and he finally decided to move over to it and just started walking with it. He went across half of the living room a couple times but then he just started doing it on his knees mostly. I guess once he gets more comfortable with how fast it goes maybe he'll start standing up again. He certainly flies around the living room these days with his cruising so I expect once he realizes how fast he can go on the walker, he'll start using it more.
turned 10 months and I realized that he's almost a year old. I've been looking forward to this stage for so long, I almost can't believe it's finally here! Each week gets more and more enjoyable with the little munchkin. He is so much happier now that he can move where he wants to (except what we have gated off limits) and he has so much more independent play which is great for all of us.
has been really uncooperative at bedtime. He used to let me read and sing to him, then rock him until he was almost asleep. Now, as soon as we sit down he is rolling and poking at me and trying to get off the chair and throwing the book on the floor etc. Ugh, I hope this is a phase because bedtime is no longer fun.

Week 44 Pics:

During out photoshoot, testing the light. Oh that silly cowlick.

Santa came!

Wrapping paper is so much fun.

Oh look there's a fun gift in here.

In the sea of wrapping paper.

Playing with Kalia's toys at her house for Xmas. She has the same table that Blake got and he loves it!

Kalia: THIS is how you do it. We're going to play in Spanish mode now.

Blake loves tunnels! Now Daddy says we need a new house so we have room for a giant play area like Kalia has.

I couldn't decide which of these I liked better.

Daddy left a laundry basket within my reach, fun!

I had to get a couple pics in his Xmas outfit and Santa hat that Kara let us borrow. Blake didn't want to keep the hat on but we got a couple before he ripped it off.