Brock - 13 Months, Overview

It's hard to believe that our little Brock-man is already 13 months old!  We are still reeling from hitting the one year mark, can't believe we have already surpassed it.  During his first year, I chronicled everything he did through a written journal.  While I loved it, I hated not being able to add pictures and video to it. Thus, the reason for this blog.  So glad to be able to keep track of all that he is doing and share it with family and friends!

13 Months at a glance...

Brock loves avocado!

Food - this month we made the complete switch from purees to all finger foods.  I picked up the book Baby-Led Weaning and have used many of it's principals in how I feed Brock.

We are amazed at how wonderfully Brock is doing with eating!  I was a picky eater up until yesterday a few years ago and I am bound and determined for my children to not go down that path.  I have worked really hard when it comes to his eating and it has required a lot of patience and commitment.  Brock has been eating a variety of fruits and veggies since he began solids at 5 months, but here are a few new things we've added in since he turned one.

Cheerios - used to do Puffs, but now have switched
Raisins
Chicken
Turkey
Strawberries
Avocado
Black Beans
Edamame - he gobbles them up!
Ham
Pineapple

We began Brock on whole milk after his one year appointment, but unfortunately he had some trouble with it.  The doctor has us on soy milk for now.  So far, it has been going great and we have a happy baby once again!

Movement - Brock is on the move!

Over the past month, Brock has gone from scooting to crawling.  Crawling has not come easily for him,  which I've heard is true of many babies.  He has had trouble getting his knees bent into position.  Thanks to my dear friend, Nicki, who's a professional occupational therapist, she has been helping us train Brock's body how to crawl.  It is still a work in progress, but he is right on the cusp of having the crawl down pat!

Playing with Lucy

Aside from that, we are knee deep in the "cruising" phase.  Brock loves to stand up and move from toy to toy, couch to table, and especially Mommy to Daddy.  He love to hold our hands and walk places, and he is just about able to stand up on his own without falling.  He continues to work on being able to sit up from laying down and pulling up without help.  He is quite a hard worker :)

Brock has never been one to jump right into things head first, he has always preferred to take his time and do things at his own pace.  Like his mama, once he figures something out, he can take off with it.  Britt and I had always heard that once children start rolling over and sitting - "its on" - and it hasn't quite been that way for us.  I think we both expected things to move quicker than they have in the movement department.  We are not disappointed at all in how it is playing out, but definitely have a new mindset on the whole process.

Words - this kid love to talk!  His favorite words are DaDa and ball (also his favorite toy).  He also loves to say MaMa, NaNa, and Uh-oh.  He also knows the sounds that many animals make, particularly: duck, lion, monkey, and rooster.


Hardest part this month: hates the changing table again. Ugh.

Favorite of this month: watching how excited he gets when his daddy comes home from work!