14 Month Newsletter

Dear Banner,
Today you are 14 months old. What a fast month this has been! You have become quite the talker this month. That's definitely the biggest change - as I expected. Before I tell you about that, let me fill you in on some other areas:

Physically, you are walking and climbing faster and faster. You like to step up on things (like boxes, step-stools, the fireplace). You love to push things around the house from one room to the other and get frustrated when the threshold of the next room creates an obstacle. You quickly figure out how to maneuver the box/activity table/bin/rocking horse, and you go about sliding the item across the floor. We're working on using a fork and spoon, as well as how to keep the plate/bowl on the table/highchair tray.  You also like to put toys in and out of containers (mostly hiding random toys in a stash inside an empty (currently, Huggies) box. When I can't find something, after looking in the usual places, I will ultimately remember your newest hobby and go retrieve the missing item from your box. Your favorite naughty activities include opening the trash can (once you took Uncle Erick's shoe and happily put it in the trash can), turning the knobs on the stereo, and hitting the TV screen. If we weren't watching, you'd love to get your hands in the toilet water, too. Speaking of...you LOVE the water - splash grounds, sprinklers, pools - makes no difference, you are in heaven! You giggle at the cold water tickling your skin, and this just lights ME up!

Emotionally, you need us (especially Daddy) still at night but only for a minute or two. You are extremely attached to Daddy who is working from home, and you don't understand why he won't come play with you after taking a coffee/bathroom/lunch break. You are very set in your ways about your routine, especially bedtime (making me all the more anxious about not being the one to put you to bed for three nights in a row a few weeks from now for Aunt Kira/Uncle Erick's wedding!). You are also MUCH more testy these days. You want what you want - and you let us know when you are upset! You've whined much more this month than any other preceding month, as I expected would start to happen. I'm trying very hard to just be tolerant and know that your frustration is typical, normal, and inevitable for this point in your development, but it sure stinks watching my content child become pissed off more often! You've also mastered the fake cry/whine. I, though, have mastered the "ignore the fake cry."

Socially, you are doing well playing with your play date friends. You tried to tackle Landry earlier this month, but I think you just wanted to hug him. You and Ella play pretty well together, and you call Brycen "Baby." You still seem to idolize your older cousins, watching their every moves and getting excited when you are around them.

Linguistically, you are really taking off! Your vocabulary consists of the words: Mama, Dada, baby, zoo, dah (dog), mo (more), hah (hot), coco (cold), naNAna (banana), cackah (cracker), baba (bottle), wawa (waffle), bubba (bubble), bah (ball), meh (mail). Most every food is currently "cracker." You point for what you want, you grab our hands and lead us to show us what you need/want, and you are constantly trying so hard to mirror our words or to initiate your own sounds. You are extremely good about watching our mouths and trying to mimic us. Just last night, you turned to me at the dinner table and stared at me with an inquisitive face when I said, "Apple." You watched me say it slowly to you a couple times - deliberately examining my mouth. Then, 30-seconds later, you produced, "ah-pah." Your receptive language, as I mentioned last month, is still awesome! I am pretty sure you even understand when I tell you something like, "You can have a snack after I change your diaper," when you are whining for a snack. I even told you today, "First diaper, then snack." You immediately calm down, as if you just needed to know the sequence of events. . . just needed to know what was coming. You know the sounds for sheep, duck, lion, and cow. You sign "more" for anything you want more of - me to sing, more food, more milk, more tickles, more silly faces. Daddy thinks you may even use the sign as a way of saying, "please," because you sign it so sweetly.

Other stats: you're wearing 12 month and 12-18 month clothing; you're still in size 4 diapers (and 5's at night); you still take two naps a day but can function okay on just one if we have to; you still take your milk in a bottle - an issue I'm just not willing to tackle yet but will soon!; we moved your bedtime back about an hour so you are in your crib around 8:00pm which has helped tremendously in helping all of us have more of a life; you wake up around 7:00-7:30am; still no more teeth yet... haven't had any new ones in about 4 months(!) so any day now those bottom sides will make their way up. You still have 4 on top and 2 on bottom. We weighed you at home the other day (which always leaves room for tons of error!), and you weigh about 24 1/2 pounds. You seem to be getting taller and leaner, too.

I am still working with you on how to roll a ball, use a fork/spoon, drink milk from a sippy cup, and just yesterday, how to hold our hand and stay with us in public! You love to get rowdy in a restaurant - mostly because you are so happy and like to test how your voice sounds in a large room. You like to say, "AHHH!" down a grocery store aisle as well. I'm constantly trying to remind you to stay quiet, but you don't understand that idea so much right now! We're also trying more and more to use a pen/crayon/marker without you eating it... you're starting to get the idea, but you don't quite resist the urge to chew on it... you even took the tip off a dry-erase crayon (yes, crayon) the other day. Luckily, Grandma and I got it out of your mouth, but our art activity came to a quick halt shortly after that. You liked drawing, but you liked eating more!

One of my favorite little things about you right now is your experimentation with silly faces. You like to try to mirror funny faces we make - especially pulling the corners of your mouth downward and back. It's hysterical to watch, and you giggle at our faces, too! Daddy and I are really seeing your sense of humor develop more and more, and you are quite the funny little guy. He has made several comments the past week or so about how you see the humor in things and how you have great "comedic timing." You love when we read a book to you - like your Goodnight Sh'ma - and how I peek up slowly behind the book, hiding bits of my face behind any given side. You crack up and ask for more. 

This month was a bit challenging for me as your stay-at-home mommy because of my knee issues. Getting around has been rough, especially as you've gotten faster and more into EVERYTHING! I need to be quick, and that's been hard on me. I've needed a lot of help from lots of people around us - and we're lucky that so many people love us and can help out - but I've hated not being able to be more available to you. I think that's getting better - way too slowly for my liking, which really frustrates and aggravates me, but the past week since my knee surgery, I've been exceptionally more hands-off than any other time in your life. I've only changed one diaper in the past week, for example! I've only helped with one bath! And, I worried that you would be mad at me, that you'd forget about me... sometimes it has felt that you don't really care and are just glad to have more time with Daddy.  But, that all changed last night. We had more one-on-one time yesterday afternoon and evening, and as I said my goodnights to you, you suddenly and without prompting reached your arms around my neck and rested your head on my shoulder for our first real hug. I sobbed into your tiny neck as I embraced you right back. What an amazing gift that was for me, Baby Boy. . . and Daddy got to see it on his 30th birthday, too!

I hope you know how loved you are. I try so hard to just savor these days of you - of holding your tiny, smooth hand; of catching those unprompted kisses; of giving you light tickles on your neck or down your back and hearing that soft giggle; of having you come bring me a book you want me to read to you and feeling you climb into my lap to hear your story; of holding your small body in my arms and feeling your head against my chest; of seeing those eyes light up with delight when you are so proud of yourself or when something is so silly. I love you, Banner Boone. You are loved. You are love.

Happy 14 Months, Angel Baby!
Love,
Mommy