14 month update

Our baby is gone. He has been replaced by a toddler. Here's what our month has been like:

Happy 4th of July!

- The biggest news is that Jonathan learned to walk. First steps were right around 13 months, but it wasn't until about two weeks later that he really started to get the hang of it. Now he's a full-blown walker, able to maneuver around toys, terrain, and parents. He loves walking and gets such an excited look on his face as he's cruising around the room.

- He knows way too many words to count now. He often learns them after I say it one time, and often I don't remember teaching it to him. Yesterday in the car, he was saying "fly fly fly," and Jon and I were trying to figure out what that meant (airplane? butterfly?). Finally, I turned around, and sure enough there was a little fly crawling around on his foot. I underestimated my son.

- He's also making connections about what words go with what. Like he was asking for Daddy (which he does all day long when Jon's at work), and I said "Daddy's in the shower" and he said "Water!" Ha. In the morning when I say, "Do you want to go eat breakfast?" he'll say/shout "Yot!" (yogurt) or "Pate!" (pancake). I have learned not to mention things that I'd rather he not think about ahead of time.

- Speaking of waking up in the morning, "Book" is probably the first thing he says to me when I come into his room, and the last thing he says before he goes to bed.

Reading books before bedtime.
Thomas's ABCs is still a favorite!

- I know most kids learn this really early, but Jonathan has just figured out what "Hi" means, and now he says it to everyone. Usually multiple times to everyone. It is waaaaay cute when he comes around the corner, lighting up with a smile when he sees you, and offers a big "Hhhiiiiiiii!" Not so cute when he is saying it for the 50th time in a row and expecting you to say it back each time. Well, maybe it is still cute.

Feeding the ducks.

- OK I take that first bullet point back: walking was actually his second biggest accomplishment this month. The biggest was that Jonathan finally admits that a cow does indeed say Moo and not Baa. He was holding his ground for a while but has come to terms with reality. Along with Moo has come a whole slew of M words that he was choosing not to use. Ok maybe not a whole slew, but an important one: Mama! Finally! It's still not consistent (he will still call me baba or daddy when he wants to) but at least he is capable of forming the sound.

Dressed as a cow for cow appreciation day. We will do anything for free food.

- I love watching him play because he is in the early stages of sorting. He has some method of where each block goes. He loves walking around with two of the same things (drumsticks, matching blocks, matching animals) and putting them on the coffee table, on the couch, on the fireplace. He crawled all the way across the living room with my shoes yesterday in order to put them in the proper display location on the windowsill.

Not exactly in sorting mode here.

- Ugghh my least favorite thing this month is that along with toddler-hood comes discipline challenges. We are trying still to set boundaries, etc. He is not allowed to touch the TV area, and he really is starting to understand that, but there are days when he will repeatedly go back there like 20 times in a row no matter how many times I pull him away and tell him no. I am not into spanking. Jon is more ok with it, so we are trying to figure out what our plan will be for that. When he doesn't get something he wants he can be quite loud, especially when we are in a public place.

Playing at the library.

- Yesterday Jon and I had enough with the whining and demanding for things, so we started teaching Jonathan to say Please. It was looking dismal at breakfast. He was so confused every time I would say it ("No, I don't want Please, I want yogurt woman. That is why I am saying Yot Yot Yot at the top of my lungs, duh.") At dinner he finally got it. We did have one 5-minute stretch of screaming and crying and no food given to him because he wouldn't say please. But this morning at breakfast he was still saying it. It makes such a difference. Stopping to say please means he is not whining and is making a request, not a command. I never knew how important that would be as a parent. But it really is going to save me from going crazy from the whines!

- Oh and how could I forget? This month Jonathan had a fever for like a week, and finally got a rash, which confirmed the virus I suspected he had. This PA mama didn't like being stumped by the mysterious fever. He then proceeded to have diarrhea for about a week. He is better now.

{I regret not taking a picture of his rash. 

It would have been a great medical mondays topic. Next time.}

- I am wondering whether the first haircut will be upon us soon? The long hair in the front often parts in the middle, creating the Dwight Schrute look. I'm not really sentimental about the haircut, I am just dreading making his hold still with a sharp object in my hand. Nail cutting is enough of a challenge.

See what I mean?

His favorite spot: at the window looking out at the cars.

Jonathan we have had such a fun month with you! You are growing to be such a fun, sweet, happy, smart little boy. Every single day I say to myself or daddy that I think you are so cool and that I love being your mommy. Love love love you my bundle of love!