We have an almost 1 year old in our house!

It's true people, Sam is 11 months!  It's insane to think how much this little stinker has changed even in just the past few weeks.  I absolutely love hanging out with him all day. He just oozes personality and is still the happiest kid I know.  We get comments all the time on how smiley and giggley, and just generally happy he is.  I'll post pictures next time, but I'll leave you with what is going on with Sambo these days:

• He crawls like a nascar driver - fast and furious.  He even changes direction super fast.  He gets so intent on getting to the object or place that he wants to go, especially if he knows that I will snatch him up before he gets there - like when he's making a break for the stairs or the toilet or the bathtub full of water.
• He pulls himself up on to everything and everyone.  I took him to a Relief Society activity and the little man was making friends with all the ladies.  He would crawl from one person to the next and pull himself up using their legs then he would bounce and laugh at them until they picked him up.
• He is getting REALLY good at feeding himself.  He'll clean up his tray and leave very little food behind.
• He has absolutely destroyed his crib.  It looks like some crazy animal was trying to claw it's way out.  For those of you first time mom's reading my blog - get something to put on your crib railings before your kid gets teeth.  Someone told me you could by rubber protector strips from Ikea for your crib.  We definitley should have done this, but alas his crib is his new chew toy.
• He's down to just nursing at night time, and I can't even tell you how nice it is to not have to worry about finding somewhere quiet to nurse him during the day.  I'm experiencing a whole new sense of freedom.
• He'll stand on his own for about 5 seconds before realizing it - at which point he slowly sits himself on down.  He took two steps to me the other day. We're getting close to walking!
• He talks incessentley - not real talk, at least not talk we can understand.  But he's so animated and I swear he's trying to tell me big ole stories!  He'll say mamamama and dadadada, but I'm sure he's not quite at a point that he's associating it with us. 
• He likes to help around the house.  If I'm vaccuming, he'll chase the vaccum cleaner - he loves it.  If I'm doing dishes, he'll grab his spoons out of the dishwasher and then try to put them back.  If I'm folding laundry, he'll crawl right through the piles of folded clothes or start pulling clothes out of my drawers and throw them on the floor.  Such a helper!

This little boy is my sunshine, really.  His face lights up whenever he sees me or Mike.  He knows his mommy and daddy and loves us just as much as we love him.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be his mother!