10 Months Old

This happy girl is 10 months old today!  She's gotten in 2 more top teeth, for a grand total of 6, and having those break through seems to have solved her diaper rash issues.  She is happily eating all table food, which is definitely helping her put on weight.  I haven't actually weighed her since we were at Dan and Melinda's (and I never did get in for a 9 month well-baby appointment.  Oops.), but I am confidant she is gaining, because she seems a lot chunkier.  She nurses happily first thing in the morning--and then sometimes one more time during the day, but usually not.  She's not angry about it; she just smiles, turns away, and flat-out refuses to nurse.  So technically she is still somewhat nursing, but who knows how long I can keep up with once a day feedings.  That is bittersweet for me, since I've been nursing for so very long, but it looks like the end is in sight for my nursing days.  Weird to think about!  She's still taking a bottle with no problems.  I need to get out the sippy cups again.  I tried her on one earlier, and she could not get the hang of it, LOL.  She just sort of chewed on it, which is exactly what her oldest brother did as a baby.  I bought at least 5 kinds of sippy cups, trying to find a spout where Nathan would figure out that he needed to suck on it, not chew it!  He took forever to get the hang of straws too.  Ah well, look how far he's come.  I have hope for Verity as well!

Verity is also walking, albeit unsteadily.  She took her first steps in a row on the Monday Nathan and I left for his orientation, and I was so happy to be able to see them! She had taken one or 2 before, as reported by various kids, but never confirmed by me.  She can now make it all the way across a room with those wide, wobbling steps of the new toddlers.  If she does crawl, she looks like Mowgli doing the Elephant March, with her rear in the air and her knees of the ground.  Occasionally she'll put her knees down, but she doesn't prefer it.  She's one of my earlier walkers.  Caleb was also walking before he was 10 months.  I've been thinking about this.  Verity and Caleb's birthdays are separated by only about 6 weeks, and both of them were ready to start standing and taking steps in the late spring--when babies stop wearing socks and shoes, footed sleepers, etc. all the time, and start going barefoot.  I think that helps my babies anyhow start walking earlier.  Verity is always looking for more things to get into, and she has become really speedy at going up the stairs.  I need to spend some dedicated time working with her on turning around to go downstairs.