Axel just turned 11 months old yesterday. I don't know of any better way to sum up this age other than I feel like I got caught with my head in the sand. How many times has this happened? I can hardly count. And yes, yes, I was warned. Many of you told us that once we finally understood our baby and got him on a good schedule and everything was nice and calm, he would change on us. So the big change now is that our sweet little perfect baby has now learned the importance of the whine and tantrum. I thought that was reserved for 2 year olds?!?! To paint the correct picture, he does not whine and throw tantrums all day long, but they are starting. I can see the wheels turning in that head of his, and I can almost imagine his thoughts: "Okay, if I crawl up to Daddy's feet and whine and cry and throw my arms and legs that shows him that I want to be picked up, he'll for sure pick me up. And if mommy takes away the electrical plug that I so badly want to shove in my mouth, all I have to do is cry like someone is hurting me and she'll unplug it and give it to me". So have the battles begun in our house. 
I think my first clear realization that we need to start being firm with boundaries and discipline was when Axel was taking a bath a couple of days ago. Johan and I were both there, and he was playing with the telephone shower head that detaches and you can hold in your hand. I let him play with it, and turned the water on. He loved it and was spraying himself with it, drinking the water, etc. Then I said "Okay, bathtime is done" and took it away, and you would have thought that I had poured hot coals on him. For a split second I considered giving it back to him to quiet the tantrum but then I realized that from this point on, our "No" has to mean "No". So he didn't get it back and instead bath time was for sure over. And he eventually got over it. The changing table is another battleground. He'll be happy and laughing, playing, then once you pick him up and put him on the changing table, all hell breaks loose. How dare we interrupt his fun to change his diaper and his clothes?!?I was talking to my friend Brittney about this yesterday. She said that she also thought this stage was really hard. Not only because the baby is establishing their opinions and independence, but because they can't talk and tell you what they want. It was nice, though, to hear that I didn't just have a maniac child and that other babies have gone through this stage as well. I think the worst thing as a mom is to tell someone that my 11 month old is throwing tantrums and they look at me like "Really? Mine never did that". That's why I always admit everything to Brittney, because I know she'll always make me feel like I'm not alone, whether it's true or not.
Last Sunday, my friend, Jessica, and I went to a swap meet where parents sold all sorts of baby/child items. It was a mom's paradise. Every baby item you could imagine at discount prices. I can confidently say we scored at that event. I came home with a large wagon with a canopy and fat wheels, perfect for the beach, a Kelty baby hiking backpack, a Radio Flyer tricycle, a baby bicycle seat, and some really nice wooden blocks and toys. Jessica found a really nice carseat with base, and also a baby hiking backpack. We were joking that this is our life now....getting excited about buying discounted baby items.
Lately, Axel has been hating being in the stroller. He will sit in it for about 15 minutes when the whining starts. I usually have to bring a ton of snacks and toys. But I have realized that while he doesn't like walking in the stroller, he loves running with the stroller. I went jogging with him the other day, and he didn't make a peep the whole time! So this basically means that we will be losing a lot of weight if we want a peaceful walk. That afternoon after the swap meet, Johan and I tried out the backpack with Axel. We walked all the way down to a nursery to buy some potted herbs, and not a peep! Axel was so happy. It must be the freedom of being up so high and having a 360 degree view.
Those little things really make our lives so much more peaceful. Just having a quiet baby for a half hour really does lower your insanity levels.
On the positive side, Axel is a total love bug. After he's done with his crazy army crawling rants around the house, he will come up to you and lay his head on you and smile.
Another change has been bedtimes. He used to go to bed without a fight. It used to be bath, pajamas, nurse, sleep. Then we cut out the nursing because he didn't want it anymore, so it was just bath, pajamas, sleep. But lately, he'll cry and cry and cry when we put him in his crib. So I figured I can listen to him cry, or I can change up the bedtime routine. So I figured I'd add on another couple of minutes by reading a book, then I'll hold him face down in my arms and sing to him for a minute or so, then lay him in bed. Maybe he just wanted more time to calm down before bed? I don't know. Part of me doesn't want to cater too much to his demands, but the other part of me does want a peaceful baby. So I think from now on, this will all be an ongoing process of learning and deciding these boundaries. But I will admit that the extra bed time routines have been worth it to have a happy baby that quietly drifts off to sleep.
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