The bestest and sweetest pain in the butt

My baby boy's 10 month old today. This means that he has spent as much
time outside the womb as he has inside it. I honestly can't remember
much about the day-to-day during the first few months of his life now
(and boy, am I glad to have this blog). It's hard to believe that this
little guy, who used to make us wonder if he actually knew (or care)
who we were, is now saying "da-da" and "ma-ma" and giving kisses!! I
mean, he couldn't even smile during the first couple of months in his
life, and now he laughs at our (and his own) silliness!! What's more,
just within the last few weeks, he's invented different sounds and
facial expressions to help us understand him. For instance, he makes
what his Daddy calls "the Billy Idol sneer" when he disagrees or
disapproves. He "purrs" when he's comfortable and content. He puts his
head on our shoulder when he's feeling snuggly; he takes my hand and
puts it on his bum when he wants me to pet him to sleep (he takes it
away when he's had enough too).

Are all 10-month olds like this? Bill and I have been talking about
having a second one, just to see if and how s/he is different. And, of
course, because we want Kai to have a little brother/sister. :-)

With all these new found abilities, Kai could also be a stubborn
little pain in the butt who always plays with things he's not supposed
to touch (i,e,. electric sockets on the wall), go to places he
shouldn't be in (i,e,. the kitchen when Mommy's cooking), and puts
things in his mouth, most of which should not be in his mouth (i,e,.
electric cords). Also, ever since Kai discovered how fun the world is,
he's decided that sleep is a complete waste of this valuable time and
he will fight the Sleep Nazie (aka Mommy) until he could not keep his
eyes open anymore (Sounds familiar, Mom and Pop?)

From what we've been told, the fun has just begun. "Just wait til
he's a bit older," many people warned... I mean, TOLD us. Bill and I
are trying to stay one step ahead and anticipate what might be coming
our way. Sadly, so far that just means that we freak each other out
with the many "OMG! What do we do when he...?" scenarios.

Happy 10-month birthday, baby! Keep exploring and experimenting but,
for heaven's sake, sleep when I tell you to sleep.