11 months!

To think that I am one month away from wishing my baby boy a happy 1st birthday is still boggling my mind. I am hoping by next month he is moving and shaking a bit more! He still is very content sitting and standing, not quite confident enough to move those little feet and cruise around just yet.

We just returned from visiting my family out in California. I got to meet my sister's daughter Elizabeth for the first time and she is very close to walking! She is 2.5 months older than Kieran and just seems so much bigger! What a difference a few months can make! Kieran had a blast playing with her and her toys, but didn't quite take notes on her crawling and cruising abilities. Caleb had a blast with Aunt Lindsay, Grampy Bob and Gran and wished he could have stayed longer. Its almost as if he loses interest in me when we visit other people. He instantly became Gran's shadow, then became best pals with Grampy and soon to follow Aunt Lindsay. He got to play Uncle Dave's Wii, have squirt gun fights with Aunt Lindsay, swim in a friends' pool with Grampy and visit the zoo where he wanted to ride with train with Aunt Lindsay, not momma. Its new territory and new faces to have fun with. We also got to visit Chuck E Cheese to have a college reunion with the Buetzow's and Miller's. He instantly became friends with Jared Buetzow who he referred to as the "orange guy" because of his shirt color. He is not the best with names! Jared showed him the ropes at Chuck E Cheese. How to deposit your tickets for a print out which he proceeded to do every time he had a ticket. It was quite hilarious! Despite some crummy, cold weather, we had a lovely trip. I got to enjoy some In n Out, visit Ikea and catch up with old friends, one being my roommate from college who is getting married in November and I hadn't seen since living in San Diego 8 years ago!

The only frustration on the trip is flying with Kieran. I know its hard for him to nap in a confined space on a plane. My heart breaks for the little guy who is over tired and just doesn't know what to do with himself except scream and cry. I am glad no one else seemed to mind, but it can wear me out! I also traveled with everything, no checked luggage because I am cheap! You should have seen my caboose, it had people talking and offering me all kinds of help. I was amazed at how helpful people were to me, even a mother of 2 traveling alone as well offered to help me off the plane like she didn't have her hands full already!

It was so much fun to spend time with my family and meet baby Elizabeth. I hope she doesn't grow up too much more before I visit again at Thanksgiving! I am proud of myself for traveling alone and maintaining my patience. I can do this!