Bryson: Eleven Months

Weight: 24.5 pounds.

Height: You haven't been measured since your 9-month appointment, at which you were 29 3/4 inches.  I would just about bet you're over 31 now.  Your 12-month jeans are a good inch too short.

Eating Habits:  You're down to 2 small bottles a day, once when you wake up and one right before bed.  You're getting the majority of your calories from real food and are a master at feeding yourself.  You are also getting diluted juice, which you LOVE.

Favorite Foods: You're definitely your Mama's boy because you LOVE spaghetti.  I make it with whole wheat elbow noodles because they're easier to hold than regular spaghetti and you absolutely go to town on it!

You eat bananas like they're going out of style.  Each morning, you have a whole banana and a waffle.  You always go for the banana first.  You have figured out how to peel them, but if you hold the whole banana, you shove it in your mouth and take a huge bite.  I'm talking a bite so big that you look like a squirrel with a mouth full of nuts- cheeks fully extended and banana hanging out of your mouth.  You think it's hilarious too because you always crack up.

Chicken, ribs, cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese also top the list.

Least Favorite Foods: The only thing you refuse to eat is peaches.  I just don't get how you don't love them.  You're also not a big fan of most green things, but will occasionally tolerate a few small pieces of broccoli or green beans.

Notice the spaghetti face? :)

Milestones:
You, sir, are a tooth-making machine.  You have SEVEN now.  So far, teething has basically been a breeze.  You're a tough little cookie and don't cry when they're coming in.  On every tooth except one, you've gone to sleep and woken up with a new tooth. Daddy says nature is just taking care of you because you need all those teeth for all the meat you eat!

It probably seems like an odd place to put this, but as a boy, the first time you touch a frog is definitely a milestone.

We went to Aunt Sandy and Uncle David's house for Maw Maw Hill's 93rd birthday party and there was a big tree frog on the side of the house. I picked it up and held it in front of you so you could see it.  I kept it enclosed in my hand with just its head peeking out so it wouldn't jump on your face, but you wanted it!  You immediately reached for it.  When its head popped out, you did your excited dance, then started poking at its eyes.  I didn't want you to hurt it, so I let it go quickly.  We'll play with frogs again when you're big enough to touch and not to gouge eyes.  Ha.

You are a crawling master now.  You army crawled for about a month, then lifted yourself to your knees and hands.  I have to tell you how this happened because it's too funny not to share.  You LOVE to have some naked time after your bath each night, so I give you about 5 minutes to let the lotion absorb in your skin.  You usually stay in your room and pull all the books off the shelf, but one night, you decided to venture next door to your play room.  I tried to stop you, but you were persistent.  I knew the ceramic tile would be cold on your tummy, etc., but I thought it might make you give up the belly crawling, so I let you do it.  The floor wasn't that cold on your belly, but as soon as your weewee touched, you shot up like a rocket and haven't army crawled since.  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.


Favorite Things: You love to sit at the front door and watch what's going on outside.  When we open the door, you take off with a shot and join Jenna on watch.  This is the only time when you are truly still and don't need a toy.  We live on the main road of the neighborhood and are in an intersection, so you see a lot of cars, puppies, kitties and people.

I have a full-length mirror in our bedroom that I sit in front of to get ready.  You make your way to it often and carry on conversations with the boy in there for minutes at a time.  He must be absolutely hilarious because you crack up mid-sentence.

If you pass a mirror, you always have to look at yourself, and you usually smile.  I guess if I was that adorable, I'd smile at my reflection too. :)









Since you've been crawling, you've discovered a whole new world.  Our house has some super fun things in it, one of which is the dryer.  If it's on and you're passing by the laundry room, you sit in the hall in a trance.  I started turning the drum light on and now you have to make your way into the laundry room to watch it spin.  I love to watch your wide-eyed curiosity as you discover these new things.  You're so intrigued by so much and learn so much from your exploration.



We took you to the outdoor pool at the gym and you absolutely loved it.  You have been in the pool before, but this time, it was PACKED and there were tons of fun people to watch... and splash.  You got splashed a time or two and didn't miss a beat.  The pool is a walk-in, so it starts at about 1/2 an inch deep and gets deeper the further you walk.  We sat you down at about the 6-inch mark and you immediately start slapping the water and even tried to lay back and kick your feet.  You totally ignored your water toys and just wanted to splash.  Everyone had to get out for a 30 minutes, so Daddy and I found some loungers and in a minute or two, you were sound asleep on my chest.  You didn't move a muscle when Daddy lifted you off of me or on the walk to the Jeep.  When I put you in your carseat, you immediately slumped over, sound asleep.  The pool wore you out!

For the longest time, you didn't move in your sleep, but now you're all over the place! Each morning, I like to peek in on you and see how you're sleeping.  Sometimes it's on your side with your hands under your cheek; on other days, you're sprawled out on your book with your hands are behind your head.  My favorite, which happens most often, is when you're on your belly, hands tucked under you and booty straight in the air!










In your exploring around the house, you have discovered door stoppers.  You slap them and the springs make a noise you love!  With the way our house  is designed, the sound echoes all over, so when you get going and hit it fast, it sounds like a machine gun is going off in the hall.

Not-So-Favorite Things: At times, you don't like being put down.  If we start bending to put you in your walker, you lift your legs so they're parallel to the floor and won't go in the walker.  If we're intending to sit you on the floor, you stiffen your legs so they won't bend and we can't get you to sit down.  Seriously, kid?  You're a stinker!

You have developed a serious attitude when you don't like something.  You do this weird scream/screech/squawk noise and throw your hands in the air to tell us you're displeased.  You really only do this if you're hungry or sleepy and aren't entertained by what we give you or you are being put down against your will.  Otherwise, you're pretty content.

Other Bryson News:
May 11, 2013 was our first Mother's Day together.  I have been blessed to be surrounded by incredible role models in your grandmothers and great grandmothers, so this day is full of celebration.  We went to Cullman to see Grandmama Heald, and as usual, you were the life of the party.  Fortunately, it was a nice day, so we got to play outside for awhile.  Granddaddy Heald, Aunt Christa and Daddy were playing washers, and you were so curious as to what they were doing, so you spent a lot of time belly crawling in the grass.  You eventually fell asleep on my shoulder, which is one of my favorite times of the day.  I love Bryson snuggles.

You may have your Grandmama Heald wrapped around your little finger.  You took a nap after just about everyone had left, and when you woke up, were still a little grumpy, so Grandmama held you.  You played with her necklace and laid on her shoulder, very contentedly.














On May 18, we went to Holly Pond for Maw Maw Hill's birthday party.  We currently have 5 generations living on my dad's side, which is incredible!  Maw Maw Hill is an amazing woman and I'm so glad you've been able to spend some time with her.  She just loves you to pieces.  As soon as she sees you, she holds her arms up so I'll hand you over and she smothers you in kisses. I know your great great grandfather, Papa, loves you too, and is watching you from his perch in Heaven.

While we were at Aunt Sandy and Uncle David's for the party, Grammy T took you to see the cows.  They weren't very enthused to see you, but you were amazed by them.  You stared with wide eyes for a long time, then looked at me to see if I was seeing them too!

Bryson Reed, I've said this so many times, but I love you so much.  There isn't a day that goes by that Daddy and I don't tell you that and we try very hard to make sure you know it by our actions as well.  At this point, it's hard to remember life without you, and almost inconceivable that life was happy without you in it because you fill us with so much joy now.  You are the greatest thing that either of us have ever done and are so incredibly proud of you.  You amaze us day in and day out and we feel so blessed that God chose us to be your parents.  We love you, Stinkbug, more today than yesterday and less than tomorrow!

- Mommy