Ten month two-step

Roman is somehow ten months old already, and he so desperately wants to be big like the rest of us that he's already standing his own (oftentimes accompanied by clapping and big toothy grins) and, today, he tried taking a step. His first try he made two wobbly steps before falling into my arms; his second try, one step, and his third try he landed on his bum and decided to crawl for awhile. But he kept trying throughout the day, and I think we may have a toddler on our hands sooner rather than later.

Other things this ten month-old can do:

- drink from a straw (he's been doing that for awhile);
- say mama, dada, baba/nuh (nurse), nuh (hungry) and other words that he thinks should be clear to us but that I'm still trying to figure out;
- hammer;
- turn pages in his book;
- open and close things (cupboards, drawers, and he's really wishing he could open the refrigerator and dishwasher);
- play notes on the piano;
- shriek to let us know he wants to eat what we're eating (none of this baby food nonsense - he's even tried coffee, wine, and lemonade);
- babble in what sounds like actual conversation;
- steal his mama's heart

* that last one he's been doing and will continue to do for, like, forever.

And speaking of heart-stealing, the older two siblings are also growing up way too quickly (where DOES the time go?) and continuing to average a mix of 99.999% joy/energy/imagination/creativity/intelligence that just makes my heart swell, and .001% complete and total jerks, either to each other or to me. In other words, they're pretty awesome and some days I wonder who on earth allowed me to be at the helm of ushering in these munchkins to society?!