Weight: 18.2 pounds
Length: I suck at measuring this, because according to my measurements, you lost like half an inch in length. I'm waiting until your 12 month pediatrician appointment to see how long are you!
Head: Not even going to attempt to try to measure this. You wouldn't even let me put in piggy tails today!
Clothing size: 12 months all the way. Can you slow down, please? My wallet cannot keep up.
Eye color: Same. Brown, but sometimes looking light brown and sometimes dark.
Hair: The cutest little piggy tails you ever did see! Sooo long and still curly at the ends! I know I keep saying your hair is going to lighten up, and I know most people don't see it, but I know it is!
Nicknames: I'm not sure anymore. Most of the words out of my mouth now are "no, don't touch that!" or "be careful!" or "sit down!"
EAT
You loved turkey on Thanksgiving!
Someone decided that she does not want to eat baby food anymore, mostly because she (YOU) does not want to be fed. Someone thinks they are old enough to feed themselves. So breakfast is mostly cheerios cereal, sometimes egg yolk (hard boiled), and a bottle. Snacks are teething wafers, organic puffs, and the like. Maybe some wheat bread. Lunch is fruit and veggies and I sneak in some cottage cheese when I can (which you do not like). Thankfully, you still eat your baby food for dinner because you like the taste and texture of the stage three foods with chicken, turkey, or beef. Sippy cups throughout the day, bottle again at bedtime. You are a messy, messy eater and love to get food in your hair and even more so, drop it so that the doggy can eat it. Miranda has taken to camping out under your high chair because she knows you'll give her food eventually (both accidentally and on purpose).
SLEEP
Your last night in your nursery before we moved
More or less the same. You do not like it when I put you down in your crib anymore, so I have to wait until you are really passed out to even attempt it. But you still sleep 11-12 hours at night, which is great. However, you rarely nap well - I maybe get 30 minutes a day out of you for naps, unless we are in the car in which case you will gladly fall asleep until we pull into the driveway. When you're at Grandma's, though, you sleep 2-3 hours. What's the deal, Jordan? No naps for mommy?
LIKES
Running around the coffee table. Seriously, for half an hour at a time. Talk, walk, run around the table. You stop for nothing, unless it's to pick something up that is on the table (and hold it over your head like the prized possession that it is).
Rolling the ball to doggy. Miranda lets her ball go for no one, except you. You roll it to her, she grabs it, you take it back, roll it, and the cycle continues. You love that dog so much - if we are getting in the car and I tell you we are going to see doggy at home, you happily get in.
"Unpacking." We're living like scavengers since I refuse to unpack/repack when we move again next month. So, there are boxes, both open and unopen, everywhere in your uncle's house. You have taken into tossing everything out of the open ones and have even tried climbing into them. You'll be a great help in the next house when we unpack, except when you subsequently fall into a box and I spend an hour looking for you.
Climbing stairs. Like a pro.
Talking on the phone. I always take calls on speaker phone now so I can have my hands free to grab you before you wander off somewhere you are not supposed to be. When you hear the phone ring, You get a huge smile on your face and babble your little head off.
People watching. Tried and true, this has not changed for you in months. You still love just sitting and watching people - maybe someday you will be a sociologist.
Hearing yourself laugh. Your laugh sounds much like duck noises now, and when I mimic you, you just laugh even more.
Playing with books. Pop-ups and lift the flip books are your favorite.
DISLIKES
Getting clean. Like getting your face wiped is a crime. Still. Will you ever grow out of this?
Getting out of the bath. You've come to love water (thank you) and when I get you out of the bath now, you hold onto the tub for dear life and scream at me. Sorry kiddo, but eventually we all have to face the real (dry) world.
Getting dressed. I'd just like to point out that this has been going on for some time now, and I would love for it to change, please.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Walking/running holding furniture. More like running (in my best Forrest Gump voice). There is an oval coffee table at Uncle P's house that your aunt, your mom and dad, and now Uncle P has inherited from your grandparents. You are in love with it and constantly make left turns around it (much to your NASCAR loving grandpa's delight), stopping occasionally to pat the table, pick something up off the floor or off the table, or reach for doggy.
Standing alone momentarily. But only when you forget you are standing. You'll be running around the coffee table, and you'll grab the remote control and hold it up over your head with both hands and voila - standing alone. Then you put the remote back on the table and keep walking/running.
Rolling ball. To the doggy mostly, and sometimes to mommy. You're not a pro, and it doesn't go far, but you definitely will roll a ball back and forth for awhile!
Waving. To mommy. To daddy. To uncle. To doggy. To strangers. But never when I ask you to, hahahahaha. I actually caught your first wave on camera. You woke up one morning and you just started moving your hand like you were going to. So I sat you in your high chair for breakfast, turned on my camera on my phone, and waved to you - and you waved right back! You looked at your hand in awe while you did it, and now you can't stop waving!
Sharing. More notably your wubby with mommy and cheerios with doggy. Just pop your wubby in mommy's mouth or throw the dog some cereal, like it's no big deal.
"da." You are big on mama and baba, and now you've finally made the "da" sound - sometimes talking about doggy, sometimes daddy. Sometimes it's just "da" and sometimes "dada" and there was even a day I will swear you said "daddy" like three times.
DEAR JORDAN
Dear Jordan piggy tails,
As we near your first birthday, I feel like I need to give you some sort of advice. Maybe not even advice - more like insight. Some sort of meaningful, deep words that you will carry with you your whole life. Well, I'm not that great at that stuff. I can tell you that I'm 30, almost 31 now, and I've been through the worst of life and the best of it. I can tell you that there are things that I would love for you to learn from me - things I only learned through retrospect and mistakes. Whatever you do with this - whether you just read it, or take it to heart, or pass it down to your own children - I hope you know that I want the very best for you, and I wish with all my heart that you lead a happy, fulfilling life.
People can be mean. They tease, hurt, cheat, and lie. Everyone encounters this at some point in their lives. Stay away from the people who make these traits a habit, and forgive the people who do it occasionally. No one is perfect. But if you ever feel that you cannot be friends with this person, or love this person anymore, make your peace and move on. Revenge is not necessary, but if you want it - the best revenge is living a better life without them.
People can be good. Keep them close and treat them well. Check in on them. Don't just call them if you need something. See them in person. Technology will only keep you so close. Good friends and family are a rare find.
You will care too much about what other people think. The thing is, caring about what other people think can be a good thing. It's what makes us shower in the morning, and put on clothes, etc. But at some point, it tends to overtake our lives. Competition and jealousy will never lead you to happiness. Be content with what you have, and grateful for it. So many have less. Someone will always have more, no matter what you have.
Be yourself. You can't make everyone happy. The people you want to surround yourself with will be the people you can speak your mind around, be comfortable with, and eat bbq ribs with without worrying how you look while doing it.
Set an example. You children are more likely to model your behavior and not your words.
You will get embarrassed. A lot. Shake it off, laugh at yourself, and move on. We've all been there. It will make for a great story later, I promise.
You will hurt other people. Apologize. Profusely. And mean it. Then change for the better.
You will think that the grass is greener on the other side. It's not. And people think the same about your situation and your life. Embrace what you have, and make the life you were given the best it can be.
That is it for now. I mean, you're 10 months old. I'm sure I'll have more mommy wisdom for you someday, but for now - it's bedtime for this mama.
Love you more every day,
Mom
MONTHLY PHOTO DUMP
First haircut - by mommy, with regular pair of scissors, out of desperation to get the hair out of your eyes
You actually really liked meeting Santa!
First Thanksgiving
The only pictures I got with you on Thanksgiving - after you were passed out from turkey and playing
Visiting daddy at the FD on Thanksgiving
YOU LOVE GYMBOREE!
Out for brunch to celebrate closing on our old house
You screamed and refused to nap until you got this water bottle to hold
... and then you were so happy to wake up to your water bottle!
Love looking at makeup - much to mommy's joy and daddy's concern
Christmas card photo shoot
Waving!
You tried to escape from this basket like ten million times, and the JOY letters had to be put next to you so that you wouldn't grab them in front of you!
Christmas photo shoot with your cousins - you were so photogenic that day, most of the pictures kept were of you!
Brother bears
THAT FACE. XOXOXO.
