The Broyles Baby Book: Daniel's Tenth Month

Aaron

Aaron learned how to write his name this month! I wanted him to sign thank-you cards for his birthday gifts, and I thought it would take an afternoon at least for him to figure it out. But he picked it up within minutes and signed his name beautifully on all his cards. This kid is a fast learner!
Aaron is learning to take on more and more responsibility as the head of the Broyles clan. He can brush his own teeth, put on his coat, put on his shoes (sometimes), and even buckle his carseat (sometimes). He has actually offered to watch Daniel for me while I tend to other things (not that I necessarily take him up on it). I'm so proud of how responsible he has become.
It's really fun to have conversations and even to be able to joke around with Aaron as he gets older. He's starting to understand more complicated emotions and situations. For example, when I get exasperated with him for moving at a snail's pace when we're heading out the door, he lets out an exaggerated groan and throws his head back, and then looks at me out of the corner of his eye. When I realize he is actually mocking me, I can't help but chuckle. He's got my number for sure!

Jill

Jill's world is filled with wonder and excitement. Everything is magic, and anything is possible. She's Rapunzel trapped in a tower. She's Ariel being transformed from a mermaid into a human. She's Elsa covering the world in a blanket of snow. She's Gru shrinking the moon and hiding it in her pocket. Through her eyes, I remember what it was like to believe that I might be able to float through the air with an umbrella or wave a magic wand to make the sun come out. I hope she never loses her dinosaur (if you don't get that, watch Stepbrothers).
She suddenly and unexpectedly embraced nursery at church. She used to threaten us in the car that she would cry if we tried to leave her. And then, without warning, one Sunday she pranced into the nursery room with a big smile and chirped, "Bye Mommy!" Well ok then!
Her willingness to tolerate nursery is actually perfectly timed because I just filled out her application to start preschool next year. Another baby about to start school! Sniff sniff.
Other things we are working on right now include potty training and eliminating thumb sucking. Right now, both are non-urgent. But in the next few months, we'll be kicking them into higher gear. Wish us luck!

Daniel

I think we officially have a first word. Although we hear a lot of babbling from Danny these days, he seems pretty deliberate when he says "Mama." It's always when I'm around, and usually when he's reaching for me. Hooray!
Now that he is crawling around, nothing is safe. This kid gets into everything. His ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. He can find the smallest speck on the floor and put it in his mouth. He reaches up onto tables and shelves to sweep down whatever is on top. The other day, I turned my back for a second and he's figured out how to crawl into the bathroom closet and play with the plunger. Ewwww.
He's been biting a lot lately. Thankfully, he doesn't do it so much when he's nursing. (The one or two times when he did, I howled so loud I think I scared him out of it.) But if he's fussy or frustrated or even over-excited, he'll lean forward and chomp down on whatever is closest. Often it's my shoulder or even my face. Not cool.
We're in the separation anxiety stage, big time. If he looks around and realizes he doesn't know anyone (i.e., in church nursery), he freaks.
I think we have finally turned a corner on sleep. Finally!!! We're getting around 11.5 hours of sleep a night pretty consistently. Sometimes he still throws me for a loop by waking up at 5am. But those instances are getting fewer and fewer.

1/11: Kylo Ren is a bit less intimidating when he's holding his blankie

1/12: Danny's first kiss -- sweet Colette from across the hall

1/13: Mommy and Jill's special tradition -- hot chocolate and cake pops after tumbling class!

1/14: Celebrating my birthday in the best way possible

1/16: She's got quite a fashion sense

1/16: Sweet little monkey

1/16: Everyone having fun?

1/16: The only kind of traffic jam I love!

1/16: Total pro at writing his name

1/18: Domino peek-a-boo at the Children's Museum

1/24: She got flour just about everywhere but in the bowl

1/27: Having fun in her tumbling class

1/29: Ice bubbles

1/29: It's a balmy 35 degrees. Let's get outside!

1/29: No shortage of volunteers to push him on the swing

1/30: Psst, c'mere I have a secret to tell you: I'm hungry again!

2/1: Sick. Again.

2/1: Letting out his inner Picasso

2/1: I love a man who knows his way around the kitchen

2/2: Admiring his new "space age" gel-based NASA-approved ant farm

2/3: Aaron and his preschool buddies sitting in school chapel like the angels they are (notice how he has surrounded himself with all the pretty ladies...)

2/5: Danny likes to trap me in the rocking chair by gripping the seat back on either side of my head. He is so strong that I really am trapped.

2/5: The (rug)rat race

2/5: My little ducks all in a row

2/5: Stuck indoors

2/5: Boys will be boys

2/5: One of Jill's favorite things to do is to run and fling herself dramatically into my arms (usually pretending to be a long-lost princess). Helps when I'm looking though...