The Climber

Recently, Elliot has started demonstrating developments and behaviors that have made me a lot less nervous about bringing a new baby home (whenever that happens).  The relief has been very, very great as we've finally found a sippy cup he'll take on his own and empty and finally tossed the bottles, and as he's gained enough mobility to walk from our car to our door when I set him down on his feet as I unload him (Kendra even holds his hand and guides him there if he starts taking off in the wrong direction) and other such things.

Shew!

However, he's also picking up a thing or two that make me nervous at the same time.

Maybe you're wondering what the big deal is with this picture.  He's sitting on a chair, so what?  It's not that he's on the chair, it's that we didn't put him there.  Elliot started demonstrating a few months ago that he is very, very interested in climbing, which is why we also have pictures like this:

And this:

And this:

There was even one Sunday afternoon at the beginning of the summer before any of these pictures were taken when we found him on our bed and we hadn't put him there.

So now hopefully I can keep my wits about me enough to remember that we do not leave things on the table that will lead to certain death (or messy spills) because anything I set there can totally be accessed by Elliot.  I'm not going to bother trying to keep him away from the chairs, though there has been a time or two I've just turned all our chairs on their sides so I don't have to worry about what he can gain access to by climbing to the table.  Though I do draw the line at letting him stand on the table itself.

I'm a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie.  I don't remember Kendra being this...enthusiastically vertical.

Stationary or climbing, though, he's a sweet little guy.