10 Months Old and on the Move

Suddenly D is 10 months old and crawling, pulling up to stand, and trying to climb up everyone and everything! Her version of crawling is my favorite. It started out as the "worm" and has graduated to a very efficient army crawl with intermittent planks. You do you, girl. She is loving the flexibility of getting from her tummy to a sitting position, from sitting to kneeling, and then all the way up to her feet. She seems to surprise herself sometimes! To assist and promote all these new gross motor skills, I've been setting up spaces inside and out for her get that energy out. She's now a pro at pulling up at the bar/mirror my husband built, and slowly figuring out how to pull up at her rolling wagon too. Slightly terrifying, stairs are her newest favorite, but I encourage her to climb cushions on the floor instead! ;)

With all this movement, she is often less interested in her shelves. To keep things exciting, I have been rotating the toys on her shelves more frequently (at least once a week). This doesn't necessarily mean buying new toys, but rather bringing back old toys or switching something from upstairs to downstairs. I've also set up more spaces in the house for her to play, because she is often following me from room to room! One of her favorites right now is two bottom drawers in the kitchen that are filled with tupperware, kitchen utensils (whisk!), and cups for her to pull out and play with while I cook! Beyond the kitchen, here are her latest favorites! See my last post for more toy ideas.

Ball Hammering - she is just getting the hang of this one, but makes such cute noises when a ball drops through the hole! She is equally happy to use her hands or a drum stick to hit the balls.

Musical Chicken - I found this one at a local children's store and think it's just beautiful! D is a huge fan too. I have been so impressed how quickly she got the hang of using each part of it to make music! 

Rings on Post - We have this one, but for now am using simple wooden rings (see below) because they are easier for her to take off and put back on. For now, she is just taking the rings off. 

Caterpillar Pull Toy - D loves all animals, especially ones with wheels! This one is more fun as she has started crawling around with it. 

Family Friends Photo Book - I got this idea from a Montessori classroom and it's so sweet. She loves seeing the faces of her family, and I love that she is getting familiar with extended family who live out of town.

Rolling Ball Cylinder - Another one that is much more exciting when she can chase after it on the hardwood floor! 

Wooden Drum - D loves to make music and this one is great because the drum is double sided! 

Radio Flyer Wagon - She is still a little unsure about pulling up to stand on something that moves, but for now she enjoys pulling up to kneel and unloading sensory balls out of the wagon