12-1=11

I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that Luke is *11* months old already. He's becoming such the little man and it's going by so quickly.

Luke has continued to improve his walking skills over the course of the last week. He can make it from our kitchen table to the couch completely independent of any assistance. It's amazing that he'll go to the chairs, stand himself up, and walk away from the chairs as if it's no big deal. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there with my mouth hanging open, trying to calculate how much precious time I have left until he's running like a madman through our house. Speaking of kitchen chairs, he's figured out how to get through the chairs which has posed another new obstacle for me as I learn the various ways I get to chase him around the house. But how can you get upset at this?

The way that he gets excited at the most normal, everyday things is precious to me. I still have to remind myself that he's still seeing things for the very first time, not the millionth like myself. He starts to breath all heavy, almost panting like a dog, while breaking into this huge grin where you can see his tiny dimple in his chubby cheek. He likes to stand on his toes so he can get a better look at things; he's already starting to sport some Waltemeyer calf muscles.

We've started feeding Luke more solid foods, but it's been a difficult road as he *still* only has those bottom two teeth. Thus far, Luke likes potatoes, ravioli, cheese, pears, yogurt, and best of all, Mickey-shaped chicken nuggets. He doesn't like to be fed the baby food anymore, but we have to to get a good amount of calories in to make sure he stays healthy. Pop learned the hard way this weekend that Luke doesn't take well with being told how to eat his food or what food to eat; he laughs when you tell him no. Doesn't matter how firm you are when you tell him, too. (Told you so, Dad.)

Luke continues to be a happy, healthy, thriving kid who is becoming continuously more difficult to photograph for his monthly chair picture. After attempting to nose dive from the chair, he made a break for it and never looked back. With the exception of the chair part, I'd say that last sentence pretty much sums up our last eleven months. The best eleven months.