Angelo is 10 months old today!

Angelo (Angeloey, Ango-Banjo, Ang) is a full participatory member of the family. Here’s a little update on what he’s been up to on his 10 month birthday:

He’s adorable (as you can see). He seems to be happy most of the time. Some of his favorite activities these days are:

1) Standing. He likes to stand-holding on the couch, your hands, a chair, anything.

2.) Roling. He moves around the room using the scoot and roll method. I leave the room and return to find him pinned under furniture.

3.) Playing. This guy has an unbelievable attention span and can focus on an activity longer than I can. He loves books-but he likes to flip the pages himself. A book can occupy him for 30 minutes.

4.) Eating. He LOVES to eat-vegetables, fruit, anything. He will sit in his highchair and consume in one sitting more healthy food than Abraham eats in a week. He has not met a food he does not like.

5.) Communicating. Angelo is like a proto-type of a baby. He cries, you give him what he wants, he smiles. He never cries more than is necessary. He wakes up in the night by calling out and stopping and waiting. Then when Aaron or I walk in the room, he laughs and kicks his feet as if to say, “thanks, this is what I was asking for.”

6.) Screaming. He’s also starting to realize that volume is important in our family. So, he’s adopted the scream as a way to get attention (usually requested from Abraham and almost aways in the car).

Angelo: AHHH HA HA : (continues until Abraham looks at him)

Abraham: Ha Ha. Hi Ang. Look at brother!

Angelo: Laughs

Abraham: AHHHH HA HAHAHHHAAH. Laughs

Angelo: HAHAHA. Laughs more.

He actually tried using this method to get some man’s attention on the train yesterday. He would quietly yell and try and swat at the man to wave, the man wouldn’t look, he would try it again. Finally the man looked at him and Angelo gave him a huge smile. He then did the same thing to the woman on the on other side of us. You have to be careful who you sit next to on the train.

In addition to this form of verbal communication, Angelo is making real attempts to make different sounds. He says things like ma ma -when he wants something or me. And da da-sometimes to Aaron but not necessarily. The past few mornings, as soon as he opens his eyes, he’s been working on a word that sounds sort of Russian or Eastern European and then throws in a couple of yodels ( a noise made by moving the tongue in and out of the mouth).

7.) Cat watching. Angelo is the only member of the family that really loves Orangey and Blackie these days. His whole face lights up with he sees them. And they are so desperate for attention, they let him pet him and pull their tails.

8.) Clapping and waving.