Journey to the Knot: 15 Month Newsletter

Dear Banner,
Today, you turned 15 months old! This month flew by - we were very busy! You were in two weddings this month. The first was at NaNa & Uncle Paul's wedding, which was at our house. You refused to walk down the hallway and into the living room before the bride, because you wanted your Zaide. He helped you follow cousins Miles and Colby, and then you sat nicely through the ceremony, sharing (and then being stingy with) your snack cup with Bryce. You were also in Aunt Kira & Uncle Erick's wedding. You got to wear a tux, and although I was really worried about how you would do walking down the aisle because you are so busy and into everything, you did very well. Right before we walked down the aisle, I peeked outside the ballroom and into the hallway to quietly thank Aunt Gayle & NaNa for helping with you all day and night. I think you thought I was leaving, because as I turned back to come in the ballroom, your lip was pouting out like I've never seen. I went to Daddy, who was holding you, and I gently held you and rocked you to help you calm down before your tearing eyes turned into full force cries, which luckily did not occur. As the string quartet played their music, you got very quiet at one particular song. I think you could feel the serenity, beauty, and seriousness of the important event that was taking place, and you got kind of teary again - kind of like Aunt Kira & I did as we gave each other a hug and kiss before Grandma gave her away. Again, I was worried that you would start crying when you saw the number of people staring at you - it would have scared me at your age (and it still does!). But, I put you down right before Uncle Brock and I walked down the aisle to greet Uncle Erick under the chuppah. You took Caden's hand and Ralphy's hand, and you looked awesome! Zaide waited for you at the front of the room, and he helped take you out once you made your way towards the chuppah. You did great! I am so proud of you, and I'm so proud to be your mommy.

So, what else have you been up to?

You have at least 2 new teeth - your upper molars. I felt like the worst mommy a couple weeks ago when I had been wondering why you were "biting" all the time - but the two lower side teeth still weren't showing at all. I was looking in the wrong place for the past several months!! I thought you'd get the two teeth next to your bottom, middle teeth - but I was wrong. You have 6 teeth on top and only 2 on bottom now. Although, I think I'm seeing the very faint signs that those side teeth I've been waiting on for so long are finally coming through. You're not very cooperative when it comes to checking, so I don't bother. I figure they'll come in their own time, and there's really nothing I can do to help or hurry them along. Other than biting and drooling some, you show no other signs of teething when your teeth are stirring under those gums. I appreciate this a lot - as you are not cranky at all when you are getting teeth, but I worry because I don't know how uncomfortable you may be until after the fact. You seem so happy-go-lucky so much of the time, and you rarely "complain" when you are hurting. Your pain tolerance seems pretty high. In fact, you have another bad bug bite on your right hand right now, and it's really swollen and puffy. You never scratch it or show signs that it bothers you. But, I still worry about it. It bothers me just looking at it - because I get like that too after a bite, especially when it's on my hands or feet, and I feel your pain!

You started gymnastics class this month. You've had 2 lessons and have gone to open gym twice, too. When I registered you, Ms. Becky, your teacher, told me that it's not uncommon for the kids in the baby class to cry the whole time and want to be held. Ha! I told her I had no question you would be just fine but that I was more worried about you not wanting to stay with the group and wanting to roam all over the place to explore. And.... I was right. You loved the equipment and wanted to touch everything - including (and mostly) the stereo system. Even when Ms. Becky blew bubbles that didn't even pop when they hit the mat, you had no interest - you were too busy wanting to turn knobs on or stare at the stereo. You've recently developed an obsession with speakers, and you are seemingly trying to figure out how they work. How does the sound come out of there? (You even stare at the speakers at the grocery store - you'll hear where the music is coming from and stare at it while I go up and down the aisles). Anyway, at gymnastics, so far, your favorite is probably the trampoline and the pit, and you have no interest in the beam. You like to do forward rolls (with help of course); you go around putting your head down on the ground in a tripod stance, and wait for someone to help you turn over. You've always liked this!

Gymnastics is good for you because you are so active. In my opinion, you've always been physically advanced - strong from day one! It's no wonder my baby who could hold his head up within the first week of life is loving running and climbing. Furthermore, your motor planning is impeccable. I'm always so impressed with the placement and balance of your body. These days, you run in place, climb all over the couches and fireplace, and enjoy swimming. You are getting way harder to keep up with! Mommy was just diagnosed with arthritis, and even though the doctors are trying hard to figure out what medications and treatments will help, I'm so overwhelmed with how physically active you are. You have mastered getting on our couches and chairs on your own. You have NOT mastered how to get down - although from time to time, you can do it on your own quite eloquently. I love watching you figure out how to maneuver yourself down, but you scare me so much of the time. I hear this is all typical of "boy behavior," but sheesh! You wear me out! You rarely stay in one place for longer than a few minutes, unless I'm actively involved in playing with you or if we're reading a book - or you're really tired. At play group and at birthday parties, it's exhausting because you are much more curious about exploring and walking/running around than of staying in once place where all the toys are.

Toys are old news! You want pots, pans, spatulas, containers, paper bags, boxes, skillets, and anything out of the refrigerator or under our bathroom sinks. You have figured out how to open the childproof drawers and cabinets (making the money we spent on babyproofing completely a waste!), so Daddy is slowly but surely installing magnetic locks that require a special key. You're just too precious to us and too smart for your own good, so we have to have a better game plan for you! Most of the cabinets, I don't mind that you get into - although it creates SUCH as mess - and quite an obstacle course when I'm cooking in the kitchen. By the end of each day, there's usually 2-3 pieces of cookware on the floor, 4-6 utensils (turners, spatulas, spoons), a colander, and 3-4 "Snapware" containers with a mixed assortment of lids all over the kitchen floor. More than anything, I'm terrified of slipping on them and making my knee issues even worse, but I love watching you bring blocks, balls, stacking cups, etc and putting them in your pot to stir them as I make dinner. One day, I'm sure you'll be quite a helper in the kitchen, and I can't wait to cook with you!

Your vocabulary is still rapidly increasing. You repeat most anything we ask you to - even if it doesn't sound exactly like what we said. You can say "boy" clear as day, and it's the cutest "boy" I've ever heard! Yesterday, you wanted more bread, and when I said, "roll," you tried to repeat it, but instead all you could get out was "roy." You now know the sounds for sheep, duck, lion/tiger, monkey, cow, and sometimes snake. You can identify lots of animals including elephant, horse, duck, monkey, dog. We've been practicing counting a lot; I guide your finger to count things on a page - mostly with counting books, but even at night with your "Goodnight Shema" book - you like to count the stars on the last page. You are really into identifying people in a picture. You can point to Kiki, Grandma, Papa, Dada, Mama, NaNa, Aunt Gayle, Uncle Brock, Big Boss, Mara, and sometimes other people. You especially like to find Daddy and Mommy in pictures.

You are going to bed around 8:00 each night (we start your bedtime routine with a bath around 7:35). You wake up around 7:30-8:00 most days, with a few exceptions every now and then - either earlier or later. You have two bottles still - a morning and a night time bottle, and you have another serving of milk during the day - but in a sippy cup. Soon, we'll wean you off the morning bottle, but I still want you to have a enough calcium without fighting you on it yet. We'll see Dr. B next week, so he may have some suggestions - or he'll yell at me a bit! :)

You are such a sweet little boy. You share things with others, you say "Hi!" with a bright smile on your face when someone walks into the room/house, you hug and kiss people more often than before, and you've gotten a bit shy this month when around a new person/situation. Daddy and I love when you just "lay keppe" (lay your head down) on our shoulders. You did this a lot during the rehearsal for Uncle Erick & Aunt Kira's wedding. You smile at others, wave "hello" and "bye-bye," and can be very social and loud after you've warmed up to someone. You're making more funny faces, and we are so enjoying your very funny sense of humor.

Here are some pictures from this month, my sweet angel. I love you so much and look forward to what this month will bring! I love you, Banner!
Love,
Mommy