15 Months Old

Little Man, you are 15 months old!

Daddy said recently that you surprise him everyday with your intellect.  Your comprehension of language and how things work continues to amaze both of us.  You are so aware.  The biggest development of the month was Daddy and Momma realizing how much you understand.  We would use a word in a sentence to you that we didn't think you were familiar with, but you somehow knew it - such as "puddle" or "Velcro."  One day I was reading you a book that said, "Up, up, up the hill went red truck," and you pointed up with your pointer finger.  I'm not sure where you learned to do that, but you now do it every time you hear the word up.  You also demonstrate your language comprehension by how readily you follow directions.  It has made you seem so much older and less baby-like now that you put your shoes away or wait by the door when asked.  You are soaking up so much right now, Little Man.

Here's the overview of the last month which clearly outlines more examples of how much you understand these days:

Likes:

• Pushing your truck and bus around - Grandma Pegelow bought you a big truck and a big bus when she came to visit.  They keep you entertained for quite a while as you push them around the house saying "vroom!"

A little blurry, but I love the expressions on both of your faces.

• You really loved baths this past month.  This is something that comes and goes with you.  Some months you will only want to stay in the tub for a short amount of time, but this month you eagerly waited by the tub when we were drawing a bath, lifting your foot to try to climb in.  You played for the longest time.  When you were ready to be done, you would systematically hand us your tub toys one by one.
• You love to check the mail.  If I ask you if you want to go check it, you will put your hand out for the keys and walk straight to the mailbox.  You'll take the keys and line one up with the keyhole on some of the lower mailboxes.  After a few minutes, you'll hand me the keys so that I can open our box and get the mail. 
• Playing outside - you have always loved this and continue to spend a good portion of your day outdoors.  You nap better on days when we've been outside in the morning, so I try not to run errands until after your nap.

One of our regular morning walks on campus.

You love finding water on campus.

• Riding in your stroller - you continue to be very content in your stroller.  You especially enjoy your morning runs with Daddy, and haven't seemed to mind that you really have to bundle up now that the mornings are getting chilly.
• Other kids - you are constantly showing us that although you may like to have Momma around, you are very social.  You are especially drawn to kids a few years older than you, between 3-5.
• Going to Target - you have to ride in the cart while Momma gets everything we need, but then we go to the toy aisles and spend about 30 minutes letting you walk around and test out the toys you like.
• Going to the park with Daddy - you go every night after dinner and you just wave goodbye to me on your way out the door. 

Dislikes:

• Diaper changes - you have started getting really upset for diaper changes lately, which is unusual for you.
• Coming when Momma asks you to - you will look at me and slowly start backing away or try to distract me with a toy.  Otherwise, you are very good at following directions.

Another one of our morning walks.

Milestones:

• You eat off of a plate now and you are pretty good at using a spoon.  You still use your fingers for most of your eating, but you will often request a spoon, and are good at getting the food from your plate to your mouth.
• You have proven that you have a great memory.  You saw me pack our library bag full of books and hang it on the door.  The next day, you signaled that you wanted me to take the bag down and you immediately opened it looking for books.  Another time I gave you some puffs in a Tupperware one evening before bed. The next morning you came to me with a Tupperware and seemed insistent about something.  I suddenly I realized it was the exact Tupperware we had used last night and you were asking for more puffs.
• As I mentioned earlier, you are so aware of how things work and can connect so many dots.  One day you carried our heavy bag full of library books to the door, waved goodbye to me and pounded on the door to get out.  When I didn't open the door for you, you brought me your shoes to put on your like perhaps that was why I wasn't letting you outside.  On a different day, you saw me packing a bag for a play date.  You went and got a paci, threw it in the bag, put the bag over your shoulder and headed to the door.

All ready to go to our play date.

• When you think something is funny, you really laugh hard about it and you'll laugh for a long time.  This is definitely a trait you inherited from your Momma.
• You follow directions very well.  It hit me this month how much you understand, so I started asking you to do specific things and your responsiveness amazed me.  Here are some things you consistently do upon request:
• Can you go get your shoes?
• Can you get Momma's shoes?
• Please go wait by the door.
• Please sit down so that I can put on your shoes.
• Please put your paci in the pocket (of your stroller).
• Please come here (sometimes)
• Please give your paci to Momma/Daddy
• Please stay seated (on your rocking chair, in the tub)
• Can you please put your shoes away?
• Where is your head, hair, eyes, tongue, nose, ears, feet, toes, belly or belly button.
• You love songs with hand motions.  At the beginning of the month you would put your hands into a spider position to request that I sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider".  Sometimes you would interrupt me and clap to show that you want to hear "If You're Happy and You Know It" or vice versa.  "Slap, Slap, Clap, Clap" is a hand game that they do at story time and it quickly became your favorite hand actions to do together.  You would point with one hand to your other palm to indicate you wanted me to do this one with you, and sometimes you'd put out your hands for me to use your hands to do the actions.  If I started to sing a different song, you'd fuss until I did this one.
• You like to sit in my lap now when I read you a story.  You used to always sit across from me, but now you like to come sit in my lap.  Also, you really look at the pictures when we read books now and are connecting the pictures to real life objects.  One day you were looking at a photo album with me and you pointed out that you had a paci in your mouth in the picture and on another page you pointed to the fruit pouch.  You can also point out objects on the page that you can identify in real life.
• You would use a scream this month to get our attention.  We would just remind you to ask (usually sign) for what you wanted and this lessened as the month went on. 
• Grandma Pegelow came to visit us for a week.  You didn't like to be left alone with her (even if Momma or Daddy was just in another room) BUT you did let her take you on a walk to Taylor one morning!  You went easily into your stroller for the walk, and then the two of you played together on campus, ate a snack, and watched the students.  When I came to meet up with you, you casually waved to me like it was no big deal to be with just Grandma.

You could have done this for hours with Grandma Pegelow!

• You've loved throwing a ball since you were very little, but this month you started kicking your ball as well.  You will kick it, walk after it, and kick it again. 
• You continue to be a social little guy.  One day at the park you were insistent on bringing your ball over to the basketball hoop where you saw some big kids shooting hoops.  Another day at MOPS you saw some kids a few years older than you running up and down a ramp.  Without hesitation you went right up to them and started going as fast as your little legs would carry you up and down the ramp with them.
• You think it's so funny to touch my belly button.  You also know where yours is.
• You learned how to hold your hands and pray.  We will catch you with your hands folded throughout the day and we'll say a prayer with you.

Praying for your dinner.

• It's still difficult for you to go to the nursery. Once Momma or Daddy come in you will stay close to us for a while, but slowly you will become comfortable enough to venture off.  One Sunday, Momma stayed with you for the rest of the church service and then we stayed for Sunday School in the nursery.  You thought it was just okay, but you really perked up when they had all the kids sit on little chairs around a table for snack time.  You were the smallest one there and you stayed in your chair and ate your cup full of Cheerios. You preferred tipping the cup back into your mouth rather than picking them out one by one with your fingers.  You took seconds when they offered them.  You stayed in your seat until they told you all you could go play with the toys.  Once you saw the other kids getting up and you had finished your snack, you got up to play.  You were the most comfortable in the nursery I have seen you.  You knew I was there sitting in a chair, but you played independently.  If another kid took your toy, you'd fuss at them but then calmly move on.  I was so proud of you!
• You started interacting with your stuffed animals a lot this month, particularly your bear and dog.  You will drag them around with you even though bear is a good portion of your size.  You squeal in delight when you see them in the morning.
• You are starting to do imaginative play.  You will pretend to cook - you love to stir things.  One day you had a bowl and a spoon and pretended to feed me.  Between each bite, you would stir the bowl before scooping up a bite of food and offering it to me, just like I've done for you so many times.  Another day, you found an empty carton of milk.  You found a cup mixed in with your toys and when I turned around you were "pouring" yourself a cup of milk with great accuracy.  Then you brought it over for me to drink.  You understood that it was all imaginative. 

Pouring yourself a cup of milk.

• Here are some other instances of imaginative play: when you are playing with your house, you will shut the door and then wave bye-bye to me.  You have a book that has a page where you can open and close a window.  You will also wave goodbye when you close the window.  When Grandma Pegelow came to visit, she pretended to feed you ice cream from one of the pages in your book.  Every time we read that particular book, you will pretend to feed me, although you offer me bites from every page.
• You are still a consistent signer, using "all done," "more," "eat," "nurse," "outside," and "help" on a regular basis.
• You are still in 6 and 9 month clothes, although you wear 12 month shorts to accommodate our cloth diapers.  You have some onesies that you've been wearing for a year now.
• You take out your paci whenever you say "Momma" so that it's very clear.  It's something you started doing on your own.
• You love to mimic sounds.  You've loved making car noises for a while now, but now you also mimic other noises.  For example, one day I opened a door and it creaked, and I heard a high-pitched noise coming from your stroller as you copied the sound you'd just heard. 
• You've said "ba ba ba" for a while now if you're singing, but this month I caught you actually humming a made up tune.
• You started giving and receiving kisses and hugs.  If I ask for a hug, you rest your head on my shoulder and say, "mmmm." If I ask for a kiss, you give me great open mouthed kisses right on my mouth.  When I ask if I can give you a kiss, you turn your cheek to me and lean in.  You also give your bear hugs and kisses.

Kisses for Momma.

• You are showing your creativity.  You've been a creative player for a few months now, figuring out how to splash in water and mix things in to a puddle.  This month, I noticed one day that you were clearing all the books off the bookshelves Daddy made you.  I then realized that it was because you had figured out that the ledges were the perfect size for your wooden cars to use as a track.  I was very impressed with your ingenuity!
• We went to story time at the Gas City Library for the first time at the end of this month.  You really enjoyed it so we will be going back regularly this year.  Even though you also like story time at the Upland Library, this one is more interactive.  The librarian calls you up to pick things out of a bag to bring back to your parent, such as a scarf for a specific song, or bubbles, or a book to read.  You surprised me the first time we went by how well you followed her directions.  You would go get what you needed and usually head back to me.  You would bring it back when she asked you to return the item.  You knew I was there, but you were brave enough to be independent. 
• I also notice this independence start to emerge at a play date we were at near the end of the month.  When we first arrived, you wanted to sit with me and the other moms.  However, it didn't take long before you were off my lap playing near me, and soon after that you had found the kids in another room.  You went in and started playing.  I peeked in at you and you were perfectly content in there, playing with the new toys you had found. 
• You like saying "b" words - you say "bell" (whenever you hear it ring, you point and tell us what it is), "bear," "ball."  You just say the first part of the word leaving off the last part of the word (i.e. the "L" sound on bell or ball or the "R" sound on bear), but you consistently say the same thing each time your refer to these items. 
• You love when a loud vehicle passes by on the street near our apartment.  You will point excitedly and either go look out the sliding glass window or sign "help" to indicate that you want me to pick you up so that you can see out the window above the kitchen table.

Watching the garbage truck

Here's your schedule from the end of the month:

7:00am wake up and nurse (Yea!  You started sleeping an hour later!)
7:15am go on a run with Daddy most mornings
8:00am breakfast
8:30am you and Momma walk Daddy to work and often stay on campus for a while
10:00am snack
11:30am lunch
12:45pm stories
1:00pm-2:15pm or 2:30pm
2:30pm wake up and milk*
3:00pm snack
5:00pm Daddy gets home from work
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm park with Daddy
6:30pm bath and get ready for bed
7:00pm-7:30pm bedtime

*you dropped another daytime feeding with ease this month.

Here are some other regular things in our schedule:
Sundays at 9:00 church
Tuesdays at 10:30 story time in Gas City
1st and 3rd Thursday from 9-11 MOPS
Fridays at 10:30 story time in Upland
Occasionally on Monday and Wednesdays we will meet Daddy at chapel at 10:00

We found out this month that you'll have a little sister in January.  You are still so little, so it's hard to picture you as the big brother, and I pray that you don't feel promoted from your spot as the baby of the family too soon.  But, God has reminded me since I found out that I was pregnant that when He created you, He was creating you to be a big brother.  It's a piece of who you were made to be.  I know that you have been interested in other kids from a young age, that you choose to engage with them and initiate interaction, that you desire companionship, that you have such a sweet and sensitive heart, that you initiate hugs and kisses and receive them readily, that you generously offer to share your snacks and coveted pacis (often trying to put them in my mouth), that you love to laugh AND you love to make others laugh, and that you have so much joy to share.  God knew when He designed you and gifted you in these ways, how He was going to use you.  And being a big brother to Sissy was one of the ways.