14 months old, sweet boy! It's hard to believe we are heading in deep to this second year of yours! Now, we are in the stages of watching you develop cognitively and linguistically like never before. Gone are the days of awaiting a physical milestone - rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking... We've checked all those off the list, and now we are awaiting more and more words! This part is so fun - waiting to see when something "clicks" and you figure out how to say it! Oh, and I can't wait to hear every word! I can't wait to hear you and Banner talking to each other. (Right now, he likes to copy your gibberish and both of you get a kick out of these "conversations.") I hate that my little baby is growing up so fast, but I love getting to know you better as you use your voice more and can follow along with what we're saying now. I love knowing that more words are around the corner - and with each day passing, the chances increase that I'll hear that sweet voice say something new!
Here's what you're up to these days:
-Climbing and running! You love to climb up on the fireplace. And, you love to climb up on chairs or stools. You haven't mastered getting down yet. So, inevitably, if I'm cooking dinner or helping Banner with something for example, I may hear an "Ehhhh, ehh!" from the den, and I know that's my cue to come rescue you down from the fireplace. I'm a nervous wreck that you'll hurt yourself, but you are too fast for me and get up there too quickly! You also like to get on our mini-trampoline and bounce by yourself.
-Down to 2 bottles a day (first thing in the morning and right before bed)! We dropped another bottle this month as part of my weaning plan. My goal is to have no more bottles sometime when you are 15 months old. So, we will work on the morning bottle next. You do NOT like milk in a cup, so these next couple bottles will be tricky. You still need the milk/calcium, and you are getting your daily minimum from these two 8 oz bottles now, but if I drop one, I am worried you won't get your ounces in. Every time I offer you a sippy cup of milk, you take one sip and hand it back to me with a disgusted look on your face. I know you're expecting water in a sippy. This transition won't be easy, but luckily, I know that Banner went through the same phase and loves his milk now. So, I'm hoping you are similar to your big bro on this one.
-You still LOVE to dance. That little bounce is becoming more of a twist, and you are bouncing faster and faster to music you really like! Too funny and oh so cute! I want to bottle this up. You also really like "Ring Around the Rosy;" you like to turn in a circle even all by yourself.
-You're still taking Prevacid every morning. Your laryngomalacia is improving maybe slightly. I'm still hearing your noisy breathing as you try to go to sleep, but you've been less congested this month. I'm hoping to continue to see this improve!
-You are trying to mimic our faces. My favorite is the "fish face" as you pucker your lips together. Sometimes you can only master an "o" mouth and bounce your chin up and down.
-We brush your teeth that took forever to make an appearance! You seem to enjoy brushing your teeth - but mostly, you like sucking on the bristles. You have 4 teeth now - two top, two bottom! I think your upper side teeth will be next as your gums look a little swollen there.
-You can throw quite a hissy fit when something is taken from you that you want. Distraction is still the key to helping you overcome these rages.
-You have officially dropped your morning nap. Most parents would probably be mourning this transition, but I welcome it - and I kind of forced it on you. You probably would appreciate a 10:00 nap, but that just doesn't work for our schedule since Mommy works 3 days a week (subbing as a counselor right now). Two of those mornings, I take you to Grandma's house right when you would want to sleep, and then you end up going down better in the afternoon if you haven't napped yet. So, it works for us now. . . although, I still hate that you can't really put yourself to sleep well. I'd love to see you self-soothe better. Getting you to sleep is the ONLY complaint I have about my daily (and nightly) routine with you. You are such a joy when you are awake, but man, getting you to sleep is a chore! Hopefully, this new schedule of just taking one nap a day will help all of us!
-Your separation anxiety is SO much better! Now that I leave you at Grandma's house several days a week so I can work, you finally understand and trust that Mommy (and Daddy) will be back later. You have even let us leave you at the gym daycare with Banner so Daddy and I can work out. BIG step for you! Of course, as soon as we return, you run to us with a big grin and a big hug!
-You love using a spoon to eat. You're definitely not competent with it, but I'm very impressed with your efforts! You also keep the bowl or plate on the table - which is so nice - considering your brother took MONTHS if not YEARS to learn this. . . unless you just haven't thought about throwing yours yet? Oy.
-You love green beans, bananas, grapes, yogurt smoothies, cheese, and Mum-Mums. You also love chocolate, ice cream, cookies - you know, all the stuff your mommy does, too!
-Your favorite song is "Best Day of My Life," and you "sing" along to it on all the "Oooohh, oooohoooh" and "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh" parts - as well as the "li-i-i-i-i-ife." I LOVE it! Daddy and I both lit up when that's what the loud band sang at the end of the Race for the Cure. You started singing with the band, and I'm pretty sure I had tears in my eyes already as we celebrated Grandma and the other survivors, but your singing brought more!
-You spend a lot of time with Levi because Grandma keeps both of you when you're at her house. I love that you are getting some special time with him, and I love how sweetly you treat him. You help Grandma go to his crib when he wakes from a nap. You pat his head (usually gently, although a few times you've been a little too rough or have had a toy in your hand that hurts him). You give each other kisses, and you seem to play well together.
-Your receptive language is amazing. You seem to really understand what we are saying and follow directions well. You can tell us where your ears are, you raise your arms when we say "Hands up!," you walk to the fridge when we say it's time to eat or get your bottle, you walk away from us when we say it's time to change your diaper (hehe... you hate having your diaper changed!), you look for your cup when we ask where your water is, you say "MaMa" when I ask if you want to go see Grandma, etc.
-And, your expressive language is improving daily! You try to copy what we ask you to say, but on your own, you can say "mo" for more (and you sign it with your hands as well), "bah" for ball, "up," "eat," "out," "hi," "gucky" for yucky, "nana" for banana, "nigh nigh" for night night, and you've attempted cracker ("cackah") and waffle ("wawel"). I think you call Banner "baba" but not entirely sure still. You like to say "no-no" when you do something you know you shouldn't. In a sense, I think you are asking me to say it to you. You'll climb up on Grandma & Papa's coffee table and say, "No-no. No-no," and point to me. It's both frustrating and completely adorable.
-This month, you Raced for a Cure with our Saving Second Base team, had your second Halloween (and dressed as a circus elephant), watched Banner and his class lead Havdalah, Torah, and Shabbat services at his school, went to Everett's birthday party, got a boo-boo on your eye after falling into the coffee table at Grandma's house, cheered for Miles at his football game, and went to Mara and Caden's volleyball games.
~
Quinn, last weekend, Daddy and I lost you. We were at the library checking out books on a late Saturday afternoon. The library was about to close, and we just had a few minutes to pick a few books while Banner and you were playing at the Lego table. It was very quiet, and there were no other people in the children's area, until one lady and her little girl came in for a few minutes. There was a specific book that Daddy and I were looking for; he was in the "Thanksgiving" section, and I was looking under the author's last name. I had just peeked on you and Banner to make sure you were okay, and not 30 seconds later, I peeked again. You were gone. I looked around, asking Banner where you were. He didn't know. The lady and her little girl were gone, too. I thought I heard you around the corner playing with the blocks, so I peeked in the little nook, thinking I'd for sure find you there. But no. I asked Daddy if he had you. He said no. We immediately and frantically started trying to find you. I told Daddy to go to the front door - and he bolted toward the library exit.
It's amazing how many things go through your head in 2-3 minutes: did that lady take you?, were you walking around the parking lot by now?, surely you are just around the corner, maybe you made your way into the story time room?, why does Banner not know where you are?, I JUST saw you!, how dumb was I to turn my back for any length of time?!, how is it that QUINN is gone, and not BANNER (my runner, my "I'll do whatever I damn well please" kid, my "I don't care where Mommy and Daddy are" kid)?, OH MY GOD, we need an Amber alert!, if he's taken - he will NEVER remember us! . . . this is it, this is how it happens, this is the moment where everything goes wrong.
And, then, with an eye still on Banner, I turned toward the back of the library, just outside the children's area... and there you were. Toddling down the "Early Readers" section then picking out a Batman book. . . which I found somewhat humorous as my nerves began to settle. I swooped you up, thanking God that you were just right there in no harm. I hugged you and kissed you, and then I headed to the exit to see where Daddy was. I caught Daddy's eye as he walked back in while he started mouthing to me, "Do you have him?!?!" His eyes were wide and scared, but he then saw that I was carrying you. As he approached us, I said, "That's the longest we've gone without knowing where one of our children was." I was shaky and trying to calm my racing heart. Later that night, I had a hard time focusing, a hard time relaxing. I couldn't stop thinking about how scary that moment was and how different my life would have been without you in it.
Sweet boy, I love you so much. Thinking of you not being here is a thought I'd rather not entertain for too long at all. You bring so much joy and sweetness to our family. I love how affectionate and thoughtful you are. You are coming into your own these past few months - exploring and investigating. You're gaining confidence to be your true self - letting loose as soon as you feel better acclimated to a certain place or person. You have a love for your family - for each of us - that is heart-warming. I love watching you and Banner become friends; he's learning to tolerate you taking his things and he often gives you hugs and kisses spontaneously now. And, recently, I've seen you doing the same to him. You love to give kisses and are so cuddly and affectionate. You certainly know how to show your love to everyone!
I hope you know how loved you are, my Love!
Happy 14 Months!
Love,
Mommy
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