15 Months!

It is hard to believe it has already been 15 months since we had our baby boy. He is such a wonderful part of our lives! He amazes me!

I typically don't like this stage of toddlerhood. I feel like the hard stuff starts around 15 months. It's as if these little ones realize that they can make choices, all of a sudden. They want to decide everything and have opinions about everything. However, they still cant communicate very well. I get so frustrated trying to guess at what they want, need and feel so strongly. I look forward to the day that they can really tell me what they want, and almost daily I struggle with loving the stage they are in.

This time, not so much. I am loving where Nater is. We still have communication issues and misunderstandings, but I am more mellow about them (his smile sure does help). Rather than getting frustrated on a daily basis, I  have been astounded by his growth on a daily basis. In just three short months, Nater has learned and changed so much! Here is what he is like today:

Movement: Nater loves to be moving. He hates having to wear shoes when walking, but the ground gets to hot to let him be barefoot. He knows how to take his socks and shoes off and does so often. He hates having to hold a hand when walking. If you try to hold his hand he gets mad and drops his whole body to the ground. Then, he tries to get back up and run off as soon as you've let go of his hand. We bought him a "baby leash" he is the first kid we have ever done this for. Nater loves to climb. He climbs into his high chair by himself. He can climb up and down stairs fairly well. He has mastered getting on and off of chairs/couches on his own. He still struggles with getting into a chair with an object though. It is fun to watch as he brings a book or toy to his chair, sets it down, climbs on the chair and sits on the object. He has explored many possible solutions to this problem and I think he is close to figuring it out.

Eating: Nater has slowed down on his eating. He doesn't devour food non-stop anymore and he has become much more picky about what he will eat. He still loves cereal but I think he has decided that fruit is his favorite food. He eats most fruits without any problem. He tries to eat the entire fruit (cores of apples, leaves of strawberries, rinds of watermelon, skin of bananas, etc.) I think the only thing he might like more than eating fruit is drinking. He loves to have his cuppy, especially if it has something in it besides water. He likes to drink from straws and always chews the straw between drinks. Johnny does NOT like vegetables, especially lettuce type veggies. He has gotten good at taking a bit of food and pulling the green food out of his mouth.

Play: Johnny likes to play rough! He loves playing with dad: tackling, being spun, hanging upside down, being held high in the air. He loves to chase and be chased. He loves playing with his sisters and hates being alone in his room. He still loves his little people. He likes any toy that makes sound and he likes to destroy things that are built with blocks. He has gotten good at cleaning up his toys, but doesn't leave them put away for long. He likes his trucks and playing with cars. He loves to push the doll stroller. His favorite toy right now seems to be the light table that Daddy made and the gem-like stones that go on it.

Communication: Nater still doesn't use a ton of words, about 5 words regularly and 5-10 others occasionally. Even without words, Nater insists that he be "heard". He cries and whines more now. He also babbles and uses pretend words. He likes to talk on the phone, as long as there isn't anybody on the other line. He signs "bite", "all-done", "bye", "yes", and "no" and sometimes uses words with his signs. He is very good at signalling what he wants. He will carry his blanket and cup to his bed when he is tired. He climbs into his chair and vocalizes until somebody gets him food. He knows what he wants and is learning to get it (he has Emily wrapped around his little finger and can get most anything from her).

Trouble: I have always affectionately called my loved ones monster when I am frustrated with their actions. Nater has been a monster from day one. He has gotten good at it in 15 months. Nater loves to take cans off the shelves in the kitchen, he has recently decided that a better place for the cans is the trash. He often gets five or more cans into the trash without me noticing. Nater also likes to dump bags of cereal. He thinks it is much easier to eat cereal off the floor than it is to eat it out of a bag, so he proudly dumps bags of cereal on the floor as often as he is able. Johnathon loves water and thinks that toilets are the perfect place to play and drop toys in. Nater can usually tell when his diaper is wet or soiled and he likes to take them off and run around free. He has discovered his male body parts and reaches for them excitedly any time he is changed. Nater recently learned how to feed the dog off his high chair tray and loves to share with Princess. If she isn't around, he will drop the food to the floor for her to enjoy later (she really does love him for this).

I am loving watching as this little boy discovers, enjoys, and lives in this world. He is full of mischief, adventure, curiosity, and love. I am soaking up the time I have left with him as my baby and I'm excited for him to be a big brother.