MR. TANNERS: One more month...

Tanner is now 10 months old. And here's my recap of the past month. Yes, it's a pathetic mom's attempt to remember every little detail. YES, I am obsessed with Tanner. But I can't help myself.

Sick as a dog.

One long month of drudgery. Ear infection in both ears. Strep throat. Yeast Infection. High Fever followed by a rash all over his body - most likely Roselo. Hence, many long, sleepness nights, OD on children's Tylenol, and 3 trips to the doctor followed by many more phone calls. But he FINALLY is all better. However, what took me 8 months to get Tanner to sleep through the night was quickly unwound in just a few days of illness...so we're starting all over...and hoping it goes MUCH quicker the second time around.

And while Anthony and I have had our own fair share of sickness, one look at this bright eyed, open face smile can do wonders for the soul. There's no other feeling quite like it.

Tanner staying up late with Dad. Really, he just wanted to watch the Mavs beat the Spurs in the playoffs.

On top of the world.

Now that Tanner has mastered crawling, he's on to the next stage - standing. He's constantly pulling himself onto anything and everything. And the simplest task brings an exquisite joy. The victory is over and Tanner has conquered. The look on his face afterwards is as if he climbed Mt Everest.

Couches. Crib.

Bookshelfs. Windows. Chairs. Bathtub.

(ps - tanner acts as if he's a captain at sea commanding a ship)

And humans.

Unfortunately, he's still learning - allbeit the hard way -that not everything works so well. Like the fireplace screen is for decoration purposes only and cannot support a 22 lb Tanner. He got the message when it came tumbling down on him. Needless to say, we apparently need to start childproofing.

And lately, he'll let go and stand for 10-15 secs, then grab back on. Or when he's near me, he'll let himself fall so I catch him. And then laughs hysterically and thinks its so much fun. But when day he'll do it when I'm no there - and it won't be so funny.

New tricks.

After just one or two tries, Tanner learned how to raise his arms when I ask "how big are you" and respond "so big". He also claps his hands together. Anytime he's excited, happy, or just wants to be cute.

He also will do it when you sing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands" or "Do as I'm doing."

Grooves to the music. He dances along with the peep - bopping music. This video doesn't do justice...but it's a glimpse.

And waves. But that's old news. Anthony has also been teaching him to raise one hand up in the air - like superman when he flies - and say "power to the people." Don't ask questions.

Sleepovers.

Avery has spent the night which Chelsea was doing her 3rd shift clinicals for school. At first, Avery hadn't warmed up to Tanner. On the other hand, Tanner was quite obessive over her and was insistent on her attention. He would follow her around and Avery would complain "I don't want him to come get me" or "he's hurting me" anytime Tanner layed a finger on her.

It really was quite amusing...but Tanner found a way into her heart. By the end of the day, she was telling me, "I don't want Tanner to take a nap" and loved making him smile and giggle - and she's really good at it. She also helped feed him, change him, bath him, etc. She kept asking - who sleeps with Tanner - and was very concerned that he sleeps in the crib by himself all night long. The best part, when we were gettin ready for church, she entertained him while I got ready. And while we were getting our church bag together, she made sure she got toys and snacks together too. Whatever she did, Tanner had to do also.

I always thought juggling two kids would be completely overwhelming...but I'm starting to see the light at the other end of the tunnel.

Food. Food. And more Food.

Tanner loves food. I think he get's it from me. For dinner, I'm constantly surprised at how much food he can back in. For example, one night we went out to eat. Beforehand, I nursed him and fed him a serving of veggies. While we are at the restaurant, he ate a few slices of bread and kept insisting on more and more pasta. The kid can pack it in. Especially if it involves feeding himself. His attention spans dwindles when I'm feeding him with a spoon, but if he can feed himself, he has no limit.

As another side note, I had packed some baby puffs in the bag especially for him, but the seemed to miraclously disappear on the way to the restaurant. Avery seemed to find my secret stash, but of course had no comment. Have you ever tasted one of those puffs - they're weird and gross. But the girl is obsessed with them.

He eats like a king. I make homemade baby food from fresh fruit and veggies. His favorite - besides yogurt - has expanded to pancakes, black beans, cottage cheese, canteloupe, pineapple, mangos, strawberries, and pasta. And he still eats his veggies - sweet potatoes, brocoli, green beans, zucchini. So far, the only thing I found that he doesn't like so much - baby nutrigrain bars. He just had a bite, made a weird face, and didn't want anything to do with it afterwards.

What I love most.

I always thought that once he started crawling, I'd have to complete with the world for his attention. But it's quite the opposite. He still can't get enough of me and makes it clear that I'm the center of his world. For example, one morning Anthony got up early to let me sleep in a little longer. When I awoke, they were playing together in the family room. As soon as the little man saw me, he started "sprinting" towards me. It wasn't easy - Anthony was blocking him. But he climbed over him and flipped himself over - and then just kept right on crawling until he got to me.