I cannot believe how close we are to one! Rex is growing so fast that I see my baby disappearing before my eyes, transitioning to what will very soon be full toddlerhood! Good thing there’s another baby on the way! This household absolutely just cannot be without a baby! 😉

After being worried that Rex only wants bad-for-you packaged, processed store-bought baby food, he has suddenly grown into a big boy and enjoys all kinds of real food! For example, this weekend he inhaled my homemade Smokey Tomato Lentil Soup with Spinach and Olives! Turns out the boy loves smoked paprika! He also has eaten a ton of home-made oatmeal raisin muffins, some raw corn chowder soup and (finally!) some bananas and avocados! He’s tried some delicious vegan black bean and olive zucchini tacos and also some walnut and lentil tacos and has been a big fan of both! I would say he may be a better eater than Landri right now! This literally happened “overnight” in the last 3-4 days. Thank goodness! I was starting to worry that Rex was going to morph into a large, gigantic puff (baby food snack) as that’s all he’s really wanted up until this point!

So what does he look like these days? Rex is (finally!) getting some teeth! He’s had the bottom middle two for a long time now, but at least two of his top teeth are coming in (Scott thinks all four in front are coming in – I can still only verify half of that). His little mouth already has quite a “bite,” haha! He’s still a little chubbo, with a nice little Buddha belly and a mysteriously hidden neck. He’s got thick thighs and thick arms.

And what are Rex’s latest skills? Well besides eating big boy food now, standing is his other newest skill. The day after he turned 9 months, he stood, unassisted (hands-free) for about 5 seconds. He isn’t a huge fan of this (I think it scares him a little), but he still does it every now and then, usually if coaxed. Yesterday he stood for a good 10 seconds. You could tell by his facial expression that he totally surprised himself by standing on his own for so long – it was priceless. He also can stand up unassisted to hands free standing (if he pulls up on something). He cruises everywhere, although that’s not super new – he’s just gotten really fast at it and makes riskier reaches from furniture to furniture.  Oh!  And he learned how to clap!  He loves to clap!  And random – he likes to pat himself on the head.  It’s very odd.

Rex is a pretty fast crawler (when he wants to be). He crawls on his hands and knees now, unless he’s bare kneed on the tile (which is cold), when he will begin to bear crawl on his hands and feet with his hiney way up high in the air. It’s adorable. However, I cannot wait for him to walk. Crawling is such a pain. They get so nasty and dirty (legs/feet/clothes/hands) when crawling, and they are all over the germy floor. I look forward to being able to walk holding hands with him and Landri. Besides, walking really wears them out when they first learn (yay for good naps, LOL)!

Rex has a new bad habit. He LOVES to jack with Landri’s little potty. It drives me nuts. And speaking of nuts… I think I am going nuts at least half the time! My third pregnancy is going GREAT except that I’m exhausted ALL the time. I assume that’s normal having kids these ages while growing another tiny human. But man, I think my fuse is getting shorter and shorter by the day. When they poop in synch, it is a nightmare, and when they scream in synch, it’s a severe headache. And it seems like many of my days are filled with these kinds of scenarios several times a day! I’m trying to take deep breaths and stay muy tranquila, but as Landri would say, “moly, moly cow!” it’s tough! I know these days will be gone before I know it and I will miss these times, so I’m trying to embrace it… but… I’m not going to lie, it can be a challenge sometimes! Landri has perfected the art of whining, begging, and getting naked. I swear, all day long I listen to her demands (“I NEED MILK!!!!!” “I NEED TO WATCH LITTLE BEAR!!!!” etc), while chasing a bare bottomed little wannabe potty trained toddler (who yes, frequently pees on the floor, in the dog’s bed, on the couch, etc). Rex gets into everything, and eats everything. Last night he emptied out the bathroom trashcan (and probably ate half of it) all over the floor, unrolled the entire roll of toilet paper, and went toilet fishing. Of course this was all while I was dealing with Landri in some other sort of disaster! It’s nonstop parenting and it’s very tiring. I have a feeling that when #3 gets here, it will seriously become a game of pure SURVIVAL. Oh wait, it kind of already is, haha!

Scott Says…

M: How old Rex today?
S: 10 months!

M: What is his best skill?
S: Standing.

M: Tell me your thoughts about onesies.
S: Hate ‘em. Unnecessary.
M: What do you hate about them and why are they unnecessary?
S: Just another step in the whole dressing process. Why can’t I just throw some pants on?
M: So you get mad because you realize AFTER the pants are on, that you were supposed to snap the crotch part UNDER the pants first?
S: Yeah.
M: So it’s too hard to remember to do that first?
S: Sometimes.
M: Why?
S: I just don’t think of it.

M: How would you describe Rex’s diet these days?
S: Expanding.
M: How so?
S: He’s trying new and different things.
M: What is the most exotic thing he’s tried?
S: Deer sausage.
M: Did he like it?
S: Loved it.

M: What is your favorite thing about Rex?
S: His chubby cheeks.

M: Describe his personality.
S: Usually pretty cheery.

M: What’s your prediction for the next 1-3 years with him as a toddler?
S: Mmm…I think he’s going to be pretty outgoing.

M: What do you mean by outgoing?
S: He likes to be around everybody.

M: Number three is due 5 months from yesterday. Thoughts?
S: No, not really.