Almost 11 ...

Abram is just a few days shy of being 11 months old...and this seems like maybe last week?! 

I really have got to pull out the child's baby book and get crackin'!  
Anyhow!  Abram is growing growing growing...he and his brother can share britches (although what is a little long on Abram is a little short on Braddock).  He has sunny, red hair and is developing a very determined personality along with it :) 
He is a social critter, and is in a stage where he is happy, as long as he is right next to someone familiar, especially Braddock. He loves to try to hug on and hold hands with his brother anytime the moment presents itself.  He is also hitting into the beginnings of the separation anxiety stage...anytime I walk out of the room to run grab something, he takes off crawling after me (it's like he woke up one morning with this speed-crawling thing down pat!) and makes this deep "ehhh!" sound of protest (I can almost hear him saying, "hang on a second!  I'm coming, too!").
When he smiles he smiles with his entire being...nose crinkles, eyes squint, cheekbones rise, body bounces, feet swing, arms fly...it is one of the sweetest sights, and it is impossible not to reciprocate. 

He is cruising all over, and when he's not thinking about it, will let go and stand alone for a few seconds.  In fact, he is getting so brave in his adventuring that his forehead resembles and triceratops (three good sized goose eggs across the top of his forehead...one from falling off of his new favorite perch--

one from falling and knocking his head on the side of his bed during "naptime," and the other from losing balance cruising in the bathroom and hitting face first (those tile floors are so mean).  I have buffered a bunch of falls...actually catching him once with my foot from the above perch while I had Braddock in one arm and a carton of eggs in the other...if you know my lack of grace, trust me I was surprised too... but missed some big crashes, too :(

 He loves picking out books, but is too busy most days to read them for very long (he likes to be on the move keeping up with brother).

The next couple that I tried to get of him actually looking through the book were a blur :)

He is absolutely enthralled with opposing concepts like up and down (Braddock and I pick up balls in the tub and roll them down the ramp and say "UP!  and DOWN!" and he laughs and laughs, and then tries to imitate), in and out (he's getting this one down pat and Braddock gets excited that Abram is helping put away...until it's all away, and Abram wants to dump it out and do it all over again :), open and close (this is for sure a big favorite, he'll sit and open and close any door he can find!:

He's playing a good bit with his sounds and pitch these days, and is babbling up a storm.  He'll look at Braddock and try to strike up a conversation... Braddock will look at him and smile and say, "aww, he's talkin' atchya!"  He is also definitely a little songbird--anytime "Rockin' Robin" comes on (or another familiar song) he bounces up and down, shakes his head from side to side, and grins his Abram grin. 

He loves food...not just the taste, but the whole experience of it all.  He for sure eats whatever is in front of him, but also loves to squish it in his hands, sniff it, rub it in his hair...reach his hand down and tease Nestle (Nestle will run over and go to lick him, but Abram will pull his hand back just in time and laugh hysterically.  Eventually Nestle will sneak a lick and that makes Abram smile, too)

He usually wakes up a bit before Braddock and he will snuggle in bed with me and practice "beeping" my nose or blowing raspberries on my cheek.  Maybe I'm crazy, but I am actually dreading the day that he sleeps in...not for the extra rest, but because I know that upon waking he'll decide to go and play instead.  Those days are coming much too quickly...