Ivan’s got Uncle Time right where he wants him.

In other Ivan news, the walking has begun.
In the past two weeks Ivan’s gone from just a few steps at a time to walking in stretches.
In just the last couple days he’s started walking over ten steps in a row.
Today even from one room into the next.
He walks with a lurch and some stiffness, but he’s pretty steady now.
Grandparents and his aunt and uncle have been taking him on longer walks by holding his hand and letting him practice his new skills.
His method for going down stairs is currently a barely controlled slide.
He cannot yet be on stairs without an adult spotting him.

He’s more like a toddler everyday.

Today I also learned he likes black olives.

Ivan has discovered his belly button in a big way.
He calls it his bee-bo just like the tiny hippo in Boynton’s Belly Button Book.
He likes to point at my (or really anyone’s) midriff and say “bee-bo” in hopes this person will lift his or her shirt enough to show off a belly button.
He also likes finding noses.

This Sunday Ezri and Eric went out to the park. Ivan and I were home playing. He pulled out his baby photo book. He pointed to each photo of Ezri and each photo of Eric in the book and then pointed at the door. I don’t know if he was asking to go find them or wishing they’d come back, but clearly he missed his dad and sister. He is communicating more all the time.

Ezri has been making ghost crafts which we’ve hung in the house for Halloween. Ivan really likes looking at the “boos” Ezri has made. He will point at them and say boo for as long as an adult will stay interested.

His favorite book is a Maisy lift-the-flap book called Where’s Maisy? I think I’ve been through it hundreds of times now and he will still go through a pile of books until he finds it holding it up smiling and saying “Muh-Muh” which is his noise of wanting. Ezri is willing to “read” it to him sometimes which is a nice break for me.

Windy fall days are great for discovering the magic of pinwheels.
So shiny! So spinny!

Ezri and I made muffins and we shared with Ivan.

Ivan decided they were paper licking good.

He ate it right down to the crumbs.

Then he began turning around in his highchair to show me where the rest of the muffins were on the counter behind him.

The cat who oddly likes banana bread was impressed with the crumbs dropped by Ivan.

He’s got 12 teeth to keep clean.

Ivan likes to hand things to people.
He most particularly likes to feed people.
After he has eaten as many cheerios as he would like, Ivan will enthusiastically begin handing them up towards my mouth with a hopeful smile.

Mama, want a stick?

Mama, need a tissue?

Milestones:

Two days ago Ivan took 4 unassisted steps.  Walking is not yet his go to way to get around, but he has taken steps a few times. He continues to dance by shaking his bottom back and forth to music.

He has 10 teeth for real and another 2 getting close to popping.  These are the four front top & bottom and the first 2 upper molars.  He skipped his canines, but they are coming.  Bottom molars seem on their way too.