Happy 10 Months, Jonah Baby!

My Jonah Baby has just turned 10 months old (yesterday).  The tiny little person who came to us as what seemed like an adorable blank slate, is now an exploding personality.  The personality is his own, and is most definitely NOT Jackson's.  Some of this was apparent from day one when we brought home a sweet content baby who turned into Mr. Hyde when he became either hungry or tired, and who could roll over at birth.  Jonah still wants what he wants when he wants it.  (Diaper changes are NOT what he wants).  Jonah is also fearless.

Just before Christmas, Jonah started pulling up on things.  He had been a belly crawler, so at first he could just pull up to stand on his knees.  Once he built up his strength on his knees, he started using them to get around and then started pulling up to feet.  Now he is usually standing up and most often uses this new ability to turn the TV on and off or to find and collect small objects in his mouth.  He's not quite ready to let go, but he is cruising a bit and will bend down to get things.  Every time he performs a new feat of strength, he laughs and glows with pride.

This last week, he's been saying "Muh-Ma" in EARNEST.  Sometimes when he says it, he looks at me with recognition and adoration.  But most of the time he says it because he wants something:  to be picked up, to not have his diaper changed, for his parents to come back in the room with him, to get out of a crib.  I think he's been listening to Jackson, who calls out "Mommeee" whenever he wants something or needs a problem solved.  Jonah is indiscriminate with his Muh-Ma's, and lets out a string if them when either parent leaves.

Jonah is also a good eater, unlike Jackson (who is a good drinker and subsists on a diet of chocolate milk, juice, and peanut butter).  Jonah likes vegetables--broccoli and cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans.  He's not a fan of fruit yet, the tartness makes his toes curl, but he likes fruit mixed with other things like baby cereal or blended into a smoothie.  Tonight, he ate 1/4 cup of baby cereal and plums, then ate more sweet potato and salmon than I did.      

Jackson and Jonah are good brothers together already.   Jonah likes to chase Jackson around and Jackson likes to say, "Ahh, Jonah.  Jonah is so cute."  Then he will spend hours trying to make him laugh.  If  Jonah laughs at something once, Jackson will keep doing it in the hopes of keeping him laughing, long past the point where Jonah gets bored of the gag.

I love to just watch Jonah move.  He glides along the floor at amazing speeds with his commando crawl.  Now with his standard crawl, he shimmies around so smoothly.  He likes to pick up objects with his left hand and use his little right pointer finger to touch things.  He likes to wiggle his finger against his lips making raspberry noises, and likes to have his people do it back.  He likes to shake his head back and forth with his people, and he likes to dance.  (At our weekly family dinners, we turn on the music and dance in the kitchen together after dinner.  This is a tradition I hope sticks as the boys grow.  Jackson made up a new dance move this week where he swings his hips around, so I pulled out some Elvis for him.) 

Jonah still has his little baby mohawk, but the rest of his hair is catching up, so its not so noticable unless there's a breeze.  And his hair is red, dark red, auburn I guess.  It's beautiful.  His eyes are a deep hazelly blue, and his skin is extra fair like his dad's.