Monkey on the loose

Eli is 11 months old (yesterday) and I can't help but feel some sadness in that my baby is almost a year old. That went too quickly at times but mostly it is a celebration. He didn't exactly act like a newborn for very long. Despite being previously attached to me (being over 2 weeks late and then getting stuck coming out), once he was out he didn't seem to need me like Maetia did. I suppose it helped that he was 11 lbs and not all curled up and tiny. He smiled (not gas!) at me at 2 weeks old and reach for objects soon after that. He weaned himself from nursing by six months even though I wasn't ready. I really think that he would be walking already if it wasn't for his issue with one leg being a bit longer than the other. Last week we found him at the top of the stairs in a matter of seconds and we don't have a railing so it is a bit terrifying for me to even think about him going up. He just smiled like it was no big deal. He has very quick movements and is really rough. We are trying to teach him to be gentle with the cat and dog, never mind his sister! He likes to make us laugh and loves the reactions we give him. He absolutely adores Maetia and follows her everywhere. One afternoon while he was upset about being put to bed, he jumped so much in his playpen that he moved it over about 3 feet and then shook the high (full) table beside it. When I went in to check on him he was asleep and surrounded by my homemade soap and smelled like clove oil and oranges for days. There has been more than once that I found him playing in the toilet or in Maetia's potty before they were emptied. Disgusting, yes. But it did put a push on Maetia to use the big toilet and on us to keep the lid down. Since he is a good climber, he will empty out my cupboards and then climb inside or up onto the computer desk, shrieking with glee the whole time. We love you Eli, thanks for keeping us on our toes.