18 Months Old

18 months!  How are you already a year and a half old?! 

The older you get, the more there is to say about you, because there is so much depth to who you have become.  You have always been the sweetest little thing, and so sensitive; and these things remain true.  You continue to laugh readily, and are happy-spirited.  You have an amazing attention to detail and ability to focus on tasks for lengthy spans of time, as you always have.  You have always loved music, but this past month it became very apparent how in-tune you are with what you're listening to.  Your extroverted personality really shines around people but you are showing increased attachment to those close to you, (beyond Momma) especially extended family members.  As your memory expands and your ability to express your thoughts increase, your love and knowledge of daily routines has become very evident this past month.  These things also contribute to the nurturing and helpful nature that has really emerged recently.  This in particular has given me peace about you becoming a big brother.  We are so very proud of who you are.

Here is a more detailed summary of your past month:

• You vocabulary seemed to really take off this month.  You surprise us all the time with words that you use such as "kitchen" or "Bible" or "Grandpa".  You started saying "Dada" for daddy now instead of calling us both Momma.  You also have started saying "thank you" without being prompted, and your good manners always impress us!  We started working on "please" at the end of the month and you have picked it up quickly.  The other day you asked for more milk while we were out on a walk.  I explained to you that we didn't have any more with us, but that we could get some more when we got home.  It seemed to appease you, but then a minute later I heard an enthusiastic, "Pease!" come from your stroller.  You tell me if you see a cat or a dog and can make animal noises for cats, cows and elephants (daddy taught you how to swing your arm at the same time like a big trunk).  You can say Sissy's name if we say it first, and you can also say your own name (sounds like Li Li), although we say your full name.  You will refer to yourself as Big Boy, though: i.e. "Whose pants are those?"  "Big Boy!" “Golda, golda, golda” is your happy noise and you will say it if you are excited or having a good time. 
•  Your comprehension of vocabulary is also very strong now, and Daddy and I have to be careful what we say in front of you.  You are always listening and you have the best hearing!  At the Thanksgiving eve service I asked you if you'd like some pie (something you've rarely had and really not something we talk about), and you started excitedly saying, "Pie! Pie! Pie!". 
• You love the DC (Taylor's dining commons), and will often point across campus and say, "DC!" asking if we can go there.  Daddy and I have started calling it "Hodson's" which is the formal name for the building, so that we don't disappoint you if we aren't going there. 
• This month we noticed that you really started bonding with Daddy.  You will ask about him throughout the day, or pick up my phone to call Dada.  Often when I walk in to get you from a nap you will say, "Dada?" and we talk about how he is at work.  You've become more flexible with letting Daddy help you with things, such as taking your plate or giving you a bath without Momma in the room.  You love to wrestle with Dada, stack your Legos as high as you can, and "work" on your bike together with keys (at your request).  You have starting requesting that Dada sing or read a story, which before was something you only wanted Momma to do.  You are still a Momma's boy but we love seeing your relationship with Daddy develop.
• You got to see a lot of family this past month.  You started this month while we were still in Florida with Grandma and Papa.  Then Grandma flew back to Indiana with us and stayed for a few days.  You really bonded with her after spending 11 consecutive days with her.  You also got to see Aunt Lia, Uncle Randolph and Orla on Thanksgiving and then a few days later when they stopped by to visit and to open some early Christmas presents.  They got you Duplo Legos and you love to stack them!  And then you got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Angell when they came to celebrate an early Christmas with us.  You love being around family.

• When we were in Florida in November, you heard Grandma Pegelow saying, "Where is ____?  Hmmmm...."  Now whenever you are looking for something you say, "Hmmmm..." in the exact same intonation that Grandma uses.  You are a very determined and focused little guy.  You will look for something for the longest time, and will not give up or let anyone distract you until you find it.
• We celebrated your second Thanksgiving.  We were done traveling until Sissy arrives, so we stayed home and had a relaxing long weekend with Daddy home from work.  We drove to Uncle Randolph’s parents’ house for our Thanksgiving meal and you had a great time.  You really loved Randolph’s mom’s chocolate pie.  We heard you refer to Randolph’s dad as “Baba” once, which is what you call your papa - it was interesting to see you assessing the family dynamics.  You were also surprisingly comfortable with Randolph’s mom, and we think it’s because you knew she was a grandma-figure and you had just spent quite a bit of time with Grandma Pegelow.
• Grandma and Grandpa Angell gave you your first bike for Christmas.  It is a balance trike.  I brought it out to you without much of an explanation except that it was for you, and you immediately hopped on the seat and started using your feet to propel you.  You looked proudly at me and said, "bike!" knowing exactly what it was.  You knew it was like the bikes we see the big college kids riding around campus.

• We went to your first Silent Night basketball game at Taylor while Grandma and Grandpa Angell were here.  You seemed a little overwhelmed by all the noise and commotion when we first walked in but you handled it well.  At the 10 point mark when the silence ends and the students go crazy, you didn't bat an eye.
• You "ran" your first 5K this month.  Daddy pushed you in your stroller while he ran the race with Grandpa Angell.  Three generations of Angell men running together!

• As I mentioned before, you have such a good memory.  We can tell you remember family members even if it's been a month or so since you've seen them.  You saw Grandma and Grandpa Angell getting out of there car in our parking lot when they first arrived for their visit, and started pointing and squealing (you hadn't seen them since September).  One day I was getting something out of Sissy's closet and you saw your Jumperoo.  You asked to use it but since it was buried under a few things I told you "Not now, but maybe when Daddy comes home from work."  You seemed fine with my answer, so we didn't dwell on it.  When Daddy came home from work that day, you yelled "Dada!" and took off running.  Confused, Daddy asked me where you were going.  I didn't know at first, but then it hit me so I told Daddy to go check your room.  Sure enough you were standing by the closet with the Jumperoo and pointing to the closed doors.  You knew that Daddy was home now and he could get it for you!
• Your interest in music continues to be evident and you are able to express your taste in music well now.  You are VERY particular about what you like.  For example, you will say "no" to quite a few songs on your CD in the car before you agree to listen to one.  If you find one you want to hear, you'll ask me to repeat it over and over again.  If you like a song in church, you'll listen intently and then say "more!" when it's over.  If you don't like the song, you'll say, "No, no, no" and wave your hand in discontent.  You only want me to sing "Jesus, Name Above All Names" at naptime and bedtime, and you love to sing along.  It's one of my favorite things - hearing your sweet voice sing quietly (sometimes not so quietly) along with me as I rock you before bed.  If you want me to start singing you will say, "Je," as in the first syllable of Jesus.
• If I ask you, "Who loves you?!" You will respond with, "Momma!" and a smile on your face and sometimes you will also say, "Dada!"  We didn't teach you this, but we are so happy you know how loved you are.
• You love soft things! You will cuddle your blankets or stuffed animals or just rest your head on a pillow.  Momma got a new scarf for Christmas, and you wanted to hold it for the longest time and carry it around with you.  Grandma Pegelow mentioned that she's never seen a little one with such a love of cuddling.  Throughout the day, you will leave whatever you are playing with, run to me and throw yourself into my arms, resting your head on my shoulder for a minute.  Then you are off again back to whatever you are doing.
• You love your stuffed animals and interacting with them has become one of your favorite daily activities.  You will bring one of them to your changing pad, carefully lay them down and then pull one of your cloth diapers out of the drawer for Momma to put on them.  You will often add a diaper liner as well :).  You bring me clothes throughout the day and ask that I dress your animals.  You like for your animals (especially Brown Bear) to be included during story time.  You prefer for him to sit on Momma's left side in the rocking chair while you sit on my right side.  You will periodically point to your bear and say, "Brown Bear," indicating that Momma should show or read something specifically to him. You love to hug and kiss your animals as well as Momma and Daddy.

Puppy love (in matching hats!)

• If you get hurt you like Momma to kiss wherever you got hurt.  You will come to me and show me and seem to be much better after your kiss.
• You love to run around the apartment and will run from room to room often yelling, “Momma!” indicating that I should follow after you.
• You pay such close attention to detail.  You get to watch segments of a Baby Einstein video as a special treat (often it's when I need a distraction for you so that I can cut your nails).  I do a quick YouTube search and then let you watch on my computer but we don't have a physical DVD that you've seen.  One day you brought me a book that was also put out by the Baby Einstein company and showed me the Baby Einstein logo (which you identified from your movie; this was impressive to me because I often start the movie somewhere in the middle) and then pointed to your finger nails.  I realized you were telling me you wanted to watch the Baby Einstein movie and I could cut your nails.
• One day a package came in the mail and when I asked you if you wanted to help me open it you went running to the door saying, "Keys!"  At first I was confused and then I realized that you've seen me and Daddy use keys to open boxes.  You have such a great memory!  Now anytime ANYTHING (a letter, a present, a box) needs to be opened, you will ask for keys.  You also like to use keys as a screw driver.  You will turn over one of your toys and if you see a screw you will ask for keys so that you can work on it.

Using keys (at your request) to open a Christmas box.

• You went through a short spurt where you would intentionally "fall over" so that you were lying flat on the ground and then yell for Momma to help you get up.  You will also "fall over" on command if we asked you to do it.
• You have become very consistent at coming to Momma when she asks you to come.  Sometimes it may take a minute or so but usually if I encourage you with, “Run, run, run,” you will come running over and fly into my arms for a hug.
• You love looking at pictures, and really study them.  You recognize family members and love to point to them when we ask you where they are.  Sometimes you will mention the name of someone you see without us prompting you.  You also like to point to an object in a picture and then show it to me in real life (i.e. your stuffed animals, a toy, your paci). 
• On a similar note, you really look at the pictures in your books now.  You can point out different animals and you understand who people are in books.  If you see a family in one of your stories you can point out the momma, the dada and the baby.  You will often say “Dada!” and point to the dad in the book and then point to your Daddy to show us that you are connecting the two.
• You started pointing to clocks and making a tick-tock noise.
• Daddy wiggles his eyebrows up and down and you try so hard to mimic him.  You open and shut your eyes with so much concentration.
• You are a silly boy and love to make jokes.  One time when I went to get you from your car seat, you had a mitten balanced on your head and your eyes were sparkling as you held your hat in your hands.
• It snowed for the first time this year and you loved playing in it!  I would have to make you come inside because the cold never seemed to bother you.  I ordered you a pair of boots online since I couldn't find a pair small enough in stores (you were wearing a size 3) as an early Christmas present.  I put them out one day while you were napping and you said, "boots!" as soon as you saw them and wanted to put them on.  You seemed so proud of them, and I saw you lifting your feet a few times to look at them as you rode in the stroller.

• You seem to thrive on routine, and I’m not sure if it’s nurture or nature (probably both) because you and I both like consistency.  When I come to get you after a nap, you will point to your fan first, indicating that I should turn it off; then to your sound machine, asking for it to also be shut off; next you will point to your window. so that I will open the curtains and shades; and then lastly you will point to your lamp, so that I’ll turn it on for you.  Often when this is all done, you will point to the rocking chair letting me know I can take a seat while you stay in your crib for a while and play. 
• You remind me to do things throughout the day, I think due to your love of routine, but also because I see such a helpful spirit in you.  Since we’ve had our Christmas tree up, you’ll remind me to unplug it before we leave the house and then tell me to plug it back in as soon as we get home.  You will say “keys” as we walk out the door (which is very helpful!).  You will hand me your plate when you’re done eating a meal and say, “trash” since you know I usually immediately empty the remainder of your food and wash your plate.  I have seen your helpful spirit spring into action to help Momma.  One night I casually asked Daddy to hand me a cloth (which we keep in a basket on your bookshelf), since some milk from your sippy cup spilled on my shirt.  You hopped off my lap and ran to get the cloth.  You came right back and started wiping my shirt to clean up the milk.  Another day, you came up to me holding one of my shirts and lifted up the shirt I was wearing, clearly asking that I change shirts.
• You are a rule follower and a pretty compliant little guy.  I think this is also connected to how well you do with routine.  If you know we do things a certain way or there is a rule we always follow, you do well with it.  For example, a friend commented on how well you keep your hat on your head.  You are also very good about keeping your mittens on when we are outside.  You know that you can take them off as soon as you get in the car and will immediately ask to do so, but otherwise you keep them on.  You are quick to point out if Momma takes off her mittens when we are outside.

You put Momma's mittens on all by yourself!

• One afternoon after a nap, I noticed you were awake but very quiet for about 10 minutes before you started calling for me.  When I went into your room, you had white paint flakes all around your mouth confirming my suspicion that you had been chewing on your crib.  I asked you if you had chewed on the crib and you said yes.  I set you back in your crib and asked you to show Momma how you had been chewing.  You gently clamped your mouth around the top rail of your crib, let go and then looked up at me.  I said, “Thank you for showing Momma,” and sewed you a rail protector soon after that.
• You have become noticeably more outgoing when we are out and about.  You were carrying a teddy bear at the library and you ran it up to a college student who was looking at books to show it to her.  You gave it to her and then waited for her to give it back to you.  Another time we were watching construction workers outside of Hobby Lobby until Momma told you it was time to go into the store.  We walked in and you went right up to a grandma-aged-lady and signed and said audibly, “more!”  I explained to her that you really liked the construction work outside the building and wanted to see more of it!
• You love dressing up!  You ask to be a tiger and wear the jacket to your Halloween costume.  You even wore it to church one morning.  You also have a pink bathrobe that someone gave us for Sissy that you love to wear.  One day we were heading out on a walk and you said you wanted to wear the pink bathrobe and your owl backpack, so I let you.  On another day, you were already dressed up as tiger when you asked Momma to take off her socks and put them on you.  I happily obliged.

Wearing Momma's socks - Tiger's can't have cold feet!

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

7:00am wake up and Daddy greets you for the day
7:30am breakfast with Daddy
Morning outing - we typically leave the house by 9:30 at the latest and return around lunch time
10:00am snack
 12:00pm lunch
1:15pm story time
1:30-2:30pm nap time (Your naps started out at 2 hours but went back down to 1 hour or 1 hour 15 min by the end of the month).
3:00pm snack and milk
5:00pm Daddy gets home from work
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm gym with Daddy
6:30pm bath, brush teeth, pajamas, milk and stories
7:30pm bedtime

Trying on the new hat Momma got for Christmas.

Big Boy - to say you impress us is an understatement.  Daddy and I constantly find ourselves swapping stories about what you know or something you said or did.  It's so fitting that you have recently been referring to yourself as Big Boy (Daddy and I regularly call you this) because I often find myself watching you and thinking, "When did you get big enough to do ________"  We know the next couple of months will have some big changes for you as we welcome Sissy to our family, but as I reflect back on this past month, I can see that God has been equipping you to be a big brother.  Your helpful spirit, your tender heart, your nurturing instincts will all be gifts to Sissy just like they have already been to us.  She couldn't ask for a better big brother and we cannot wait for her to meet you!

Daddy's Coming Home!

This video is just a glimpse of our every day life but I think it really shows off our Little Man's (or as he now refers to himself, our Big Boy's) personality.  He is extremely communicative, excitable and caring.  And he sure loves his Dada.

Daddy had been working quite a bit the last four days and Big Boy hadn't seen him since lunch the day before (this was taken right before bedtime the following day).  I had told him about an hour earlier that Daddy would be home in time to play with him before bed.  Then he saw me talk on the phone to Daddy so I told him Daddy would be home in just a few minutes.  While we waited, my little helper assisted me in getting some soup ready for Daddy.  We talked about how we would put it on the table so that Daddy could eat dinner as soon as he got home. 

He was so excited as he waited for Daddy to get home that I decided to record it so that I could show it to Daddy later.  I kept filming after Daddy got home because it was such a sweet greeting.

As a side note, our little guy had a fever and respiratory sickness that had warranted a visit to the doctor earlier in the day.  He is such a trooper though, and as is apparent in the video, stayed in good spirits despite the sickness.

17 Months Old

Little Man turned 17 months on November 13th.  I'm working on his 18 month post and should be all up-to-date soon!

Sweet Boy, you are 17 months old! 

We have always called you our Joy-Boy, and the name fits you so well.  You are predictably content and we are thankful for your consistently happy, even-tempered personality.  Life is exciting to you, and we see joy burst out of you on a daily basis.  You'll see your stuffed animals in the morning for the first time and exclaim with joy as you run towards them to hug them.  A garbage truck will drive by and you'll start waving at the driver frantically all while joyfully yelling "garbage truck!"  Your eyes are bright and happy and the undeniable twinkle also tells us if you're being silly or mischievous. 

Humor seems to come naturally to you.  You have always laughed easily and love to make others laugh.  You enjoy making jokes and being silly, and seem to have a great grasp on humor.  You have shown us that you understand when you are being teased, and you take it light-heartedly.  Daddy will pull your beloved paci out of your mouth quickly, and it cracks you up.  One time when you were falling asleep in your car seat, I made your legs kick up and down in attempt to keep you awake.  You had a big smile on your face and let some giggles escape even though you couldn't muster up the energy to open up your eyes.  You know it's all in fun and we love that about you.

You continue to prove to us what a social guy you are.  You went through a phase this past month were you would get upset if someone left the room, or when Daddy left for work in the morning.  You want everyone to be together.  When we were in MN, it was noticeable how much you wanted Lily around you.  If we went outside without her, you would point towards the door.  You would get upset when it was time for a nap or bedtime (which is not normal for you) because you knew everyone else was still up in the house.  You'd hurry to find them as soon as you woke up.  When we were in Florida and I would go get you in the morning, you would immediately ask, "Mama (Grandma)?  Baba (Papa)?"  You are still a big Momma's boy, but it's not that you want to be with JUST Momma.  Rather, you want to make sure Momma is included with the rest of the group - the more the merrier.

Here's a more detailed overview of the previous month:

• Your vocabulary is increasing at a rapid rate.  You will mimic almost anything we say and have added quite a few words to your regular vocabulary - some of the words you use often are "stuck", "back", "cheese" (you request it every meal), "spoon", "baba" (your pacis), and "baby".  You have also started saying "thank you".  I interpret for other people still, but it's very clear to you and me what you are saying. 
• You understand SO much and are constantly surprising us with your comprehension and how you respond to something we say.  I told you one day this past month that I needed to go check on some things in the dryer.  You ran to a pile of wet clothes (that I was intending to hang dry), grabbed them and carried them towards the door that leads to the laundry room.  I let you come and put them in the dryer since I was so impressed with how you had connected the dots between wet clothes and the dryer.  Another time you dropped some food while you were eating so I asked you if Momma needed to sweep it up.  You excitedly agreed and pointed to the broom.  You know which pail in your room is for trash and which one is for dirty diapers.  If you have to throw something away, you will ask me to help you lift the lid to the trash pail.  One day when I was cleaning a poopy diaper in the bathroom, you ran and pointed to the dirty diaper pail, indicating that I would need it.  You have reminded me to pull the strap on your car seat to tighten it after I've buckled you in.  You really understand how things work.
• "Yeah," is your standard response to questions we ask you, so we are savoring this agreeable stage before you enter a "no" phase.  You will tell us "no" but only if you really mean it, and usually it is makes sense why you would say "no".  You have made up a sign for "no," where you make a little fussy noise and wave your hand back and forth horizontally (very similar to your made-up sign for "loud noise". 
• When you pray at meal times you will fold your hands and repeat "thank you" after us, and then we'll list a few things before saying amen.  You like to make sure everyone in the room also has their hands folded before we start, and will call people out if they don't.
• I mentioned in last month's post that we traveled to MN, because you turned 16 months while we were there.  You had a great time and I noticed you became very accomplished at descending stairs since their house has so many of them.
• You are now officially weaned.  You were down to just your night time feeding, which was the hardest one for you to drop.  I think it was the change of environment when we traveled to MN, but you stopped asking for it.
• Daddy put you to bed for the first time!  It was the perfect timing for you to quit asking to nurse before bed, since Momma started a Bible study in the evenings soon after we got back from MN.  Daddy did a test run before the first night of study to make sure everything went well (I stayed out of sight in my room), and you did great!  Daddy loved being able to rock you.

• You and Momma traveled to Florida for a week.  We had to fly through Atlanta so it was two plane rides each way.  You were a terrific travel companion, eating the lunch that Momma packed you on the first flight and then doing some of the activities we brought along.  On the second flight you slept in Momma's arms for an hour, which was almost the entire duration of the flight.  You seemed tired when we were sitting on the runway about to take off so I asked you if you wanted Momma to sing to you.  You said yes and put your head on my shoulder.  I sang quietly to you and you kept signing "more" until you were asleep.  When you didn't move during takeoff I knew you were out.  Grandma flew back from Florida to Indiana with us.  We had a great time while we were there.
• You still call most people "Momma" but you know how to say "Dada".  We spent 8 days in Florida and you called Grandma "Momma" and Papa "Baba".  I did hear you say "ggg-ma" one day so I know you were thinking about the "g" sound at the beginning of her name, but it's not one that you really use yet.
• We Skyped with Daddy at the end of our time in Florida and you were so excited to see him.  He sang to you and you danced and danced.  You also put all of your favorite stuffed animals on the laptop to show them to him.  You were SO upset, though, when you had to say goodbye and you had big tears rolling down your cheeks as you said, "Momma! Momma! Momma!" over and over again (meaning Daddy).  It took a while for you to calm down, so I think it may be a while before we Skype with Daddy again while we are on a trip.
• You got your first mini-haircut.  It wasn't a full haircut but just to trim off a section in the back that had grown longer than the rest of your hair.  We let you watch your Baby Einstein video while Momma did a few quick snips. 

• You love your stuffed animals and carry them all over the house.  Sometimes we will bring them with us when we go out and about at your request.  Grandma bought you a stuffed lion when we were in MN, and it's your very favorite.  You sleep with it in your bed and sometimes I catch you snuggling it.  You are very nurturing to your animals and will share your paci (often getting frustrated that it doesn't actually go in their mouth), share your snacks, and dress them.  You especially love putting diapers on them.  One day I asked you to put on your raincoat, but you came running to me with brown bear so we put it on him and found you another coat.
• You had your first Halloween.  You were the cutest little tiger this year and we got a lot of use out of your costume.  We brought it to MN to show Grandma and Grandpa Pegelow and Lily and you wore it to play out in the leaves.  Then you wore it to a special story time in Gas City where you got to trick or treat at the library.  You wore it again for a fall harvest party at church and then finally on Halloween.  We went trick-or-treating in Olson dorm and it was perfect to be indoors on a freezing cold, sleeting night.  Plus it was an extra bonus that you only had to walk a few feet to get more candy.  You caught on very quickly and we had to remind you to take just one piece (not a handful) from each of the students.  Afterwards we went to some friends' house for cocoa and you loved being around so many people and other children.  You would bravely venture off to go check out a toy, but then come back a few minutes later to check on us.  You were up way past your bedtime but you would never have known it since you get so much joy and energy from being around people. 

• You know your books by their titles.  Daddy told me one day that he had requested specific books and you could go to your bookshelf and pick out the book.  The next day I jokingly asked for the book with the longest title and without hesitation you headed to your bookshelf and got it for me.
• You still love songs with actions and have become even more participatory at story time.  You love stomping your feet to "If you're happy and you know it" and now you also raise your hands in the air for "shout hooray!"
• You are very good at sitting down when we ask you to, either at story time or at home when we need to put your shoes on.
• We went to Cracker Barrel one evening when all of Upland lost power, and as soon as we sat down you looked at the menu and pointed to a picture of corn (one of your favorite foods!) indicating that's what you wanted to eat.  We ordered it for you and, as always, you loved it.
• You say "Brown Bear!" when you see that specific book, and it was definitely a favorite this past month.  You constantly requested it and wanted to look at it over and over.  One day I heard you saying something over and over again and realized you were saying "teacher" from your Brown Bear book.  That has quickly become your favorite page and you prefer just to look at the picture of the teacher and the picture of the children over any of the other pages.  One day we were in Cracker Barrel and I heard you exclaiming, "Brown Bear! Brown Bear!" over and over.  I was confused since we didn't have the book with us, but turned around and saw that there was a gigantic stuffed brown bear sitting out on display.
• Even though it's starting to get colder, we still spend a lot of time outside.  Our motto is: It's just going to get colder.  You don't seem to mind bundling up and being outside.

• You are a very compliant little guy and I think this has to do with your rule-following nature.  When you learn a rule, you are very consistent about following it.  For example, you learned quickly that if we play outside of our apartment you can walk where ever you want on the sidewalk but you cannot go into the gravel parking lot.  You are learning to ask Momma for help if you want to get something that is in the parking lot or if you need to cross to the other side, but very rarely do I catch you stepping past the sidewalk.  When we were at a playdate I told you that you needed to stay in the living room when you pointed to their kitchen, where their older daughter had gone to color.  You noticed that the living room had carpet and the kitchen was linoleum, and must have made a mental note that you weren't allowed to step off the carpet.  The other mom and I watched you for a while as you peered into the kitchen, looking down at your feet every so often to make sure they hadn't crossed over the boundary line.  You would carefully watch your toes and line them up as close to the edge of the carpet as you could without crossing over.
• You are becoming more independent in deciding what you want to do and where you want to go, but you still want Momma to go most places with you.  If you start to head towards another room you will stop and say, "Momma!" to let me know that I should also come.  You will sometimes come and take my hand to lead me to a new location.
• You have always loved music but I have recently started singing regularly to you before your nap and bedtime.  You will sign "more" to show me that you want me to start singing and if the song ends you will keep asking for "more".  As soon as I start you will rest your head on my shoulder.  Your favorite song is "Jesus, Name Above All Names," and it's the only song you want to hear.  If I start another song, you will do your sign for "no" but settle back down if I switch back to your favorite one. 
• If we ask you to pat "Sissy" you will pat Momma's belly.

• You are very logical and seem to understand reasoning surprisingly well for such a little guy.  Often I give you a brief explanation, and it seems to satisfy you even if you aren't getting your way.  One thing that really seems to resonate with you is if I let you know you have two more minutes and then one more minute.  Sometimes you will ask for another minute after your last minute is up, but when I tell you that you already used your last minute, you comply well - as if what I said makes sense to you, since you knew that was the answer all along.  You make me laugh, though, because you have started to initiate asking for one more minute.  If I ask you to come for a diaper change, you will look at me wide-eyed and make a little grunting noise as you hold up one finger, asking for one more minute.  I usually agree, and you come when I tell you your one minute is up.
• It works well for us if I tell you I'm going to go get a diaper ready and I need you to come in the room in a minute.  You usually follow closely behind me.  One time while we were in Florida, you came into the room holding a diaper you had grabbed on your way!
• I just have to shake my head "no" and you respond very well.
• You learned how to climb down from surfaces that are taller than you, such as the couch.  You are able to slide yourself down until your feet hit the floor.
• You love to ride things.  You are always climbing onto something and then signing "more," which is your way of asking to be pushed. 

• You love stickers, so we made you a sticker poster.  It hangs right above your changing pad so that you can look at it while you are getting a new diaper or getting dressed.  You are very good about taking the stickers off their sheets and adhering them to your poster.
• You have known how to clap for a while now, but this month you really started clapping for yourself if you did something good, especially when you obeyed.  You also clap along to music.  I will hear clapping coming from your car seat if you like the song, and if it has a good, upbeat rhythm.
• You are so steady on your feet and can really run now.
• You love making car and truck noises and I've noticed they are becoming more complex this past month.  You also love to say, "beep! beep! beep!" especially if you are backing up.  Sometimes when I'm pulling your stroller backwards, I'll hear back-up beeping coming from the little passenger inside.
• You are very ticklish and will laugh and laugh when we tickle you, often asking for more when we stop.

Your schedule at the end of this month:

7:45am wake up and Daddy greets you for the day
8:00am breakfast with Daddy
8:30am you and Momma walk Daddy to work and often stay on campus for a while
10:00am snack
11:30am lunch
1:15pm story time
1:30pm nap time (at the very end of the month, I experimented with moving your nap time 30 minutes later and it resulted in a week of 3 hour naps! For most of the month you were napping from 1-3pm but only about an hour if we were traveling).
3:30-4:30pm wake up and milk (snack if there is time)
5:00pm Daddy gets home from work
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm gym with Daddy
7:00pm bath and get ready for bed
7:30-7:45pm bedtime



I know I've probably mentioned this before, but we really feel like we're in a sweet spot with you, and we're not taking it for granted.  You sleep through the night, you nap well, you have a great appetite, your temperament is so content that you do well running errands or being out and about, and you love routine but don't seem to bat an eye if we change things up on you or keep you up past your normal bedtime.  We are absolutely head over heels in love with you, and thank God that He created you just the way you are.

16 Months Old

I got a little behind on my monthly posts about our Little Man, but I'm finally getting caught up now that Daddy is on Christmas break!  He turned 16 months on October 13th.

You are 16 months old, Sweet Boy, and becoming more of a toddler every day.  I love this stage where you are a big boy who runs around, but you are still my sweet baby who needs to be rocked every night.

• You LOVE eating at the DC.  We have started going there every Wednesday night, and you get so excited.  I think it's the combination of all the energy from the students and the special treats Momma and Daddy let you eat (i.e. pizza and ice cream!).  Momma and Daddy love it too, and we all look forward to that night each week.  There is a hill outside of the DC which you fearlessly race down.  You could do it all night if we let you.  You go straight towards the hill once we leave the DC. 

• Daddy accidentally sat on your ankle one evening when you were playing on the playground.  He went to give you a hug at the same time that he was beginning to sit down, and your foot got stuck under him.  You cried a little, but Daddy said the tears didn't last long.  However, when Daddy brought you home, we noticed that when you tried to walk you would limp for a few steps and then fall over.  You were very brave and let us ice it for 10 min (I think the Baby Einstein's video and big piece of bread we gave you helped).  The next morning you wouldn't walk on it at all so we brought you in to see the doctor.  You cried as soon as the doctor came into the room but he said your ankle was just fine - and sure enough, you started walking on it later that day.
• You are becoming very good at playing with your toys, which has lead to increased independent play. I often just sit and watch you as you go from one toy to the other, coming up with ways you are going to play with them.  I think your ability to pretend-play has helped a lot as you push your cars around making car noises and looking for things to load on top of them and haul around the house, or feeding your stuffed animals from your snack cups, or sharing your pacis with them, or waving goodbye to me as you crawl through the door of your play house.
• You really enjoy story time at the Gas City library.  It is fun to see you following directions – Miss Rita will tell you to come forward and get a scarf or shaker, and you walk confidently towards her, get the item and then proudly come running back to me.  You do the same when it is time to return the item to Miss Rita – you go up, put it in her bag, and then come back to me, sometimes remembering to sit back down.  Now that we are regular attenders, you anticipate when it is time to go forward and you are not shy at all about participating.  Your favorite part of story time is the bubbles at the end.  I think you have become better at sitting down when asked at home because you do it at story time and also see other kids doing it when asked.  You still enjoy Upland story time and are becoming even more participatory.  We have started staying afterwards to play and color.

• You have learned to blow on your food if we tell you it’s hot.  You will also blow on pretend food before offering me a bite.
• You initiate putting your dirty clothes away in your closet, sometimes I will find clean clothes mixed in with the laundry because you found it on the floor.
• Your vocabulary continues to grow leaps and bounds and you will imitate most words we ask you to repeat.  You have really started to "chat" and are constantly talking as you go about your day, making a great variety of noises. You have really started "talking" - looking at me right in the eye, often pointing and taking out your paci so that your babbling is clear.  I can tell you have a very coherent thought that you are communicating to me.
• You say "baby" (sounds like “ba ba”) and will say it when you see a picture of a baby, or you can point one out if we ask you to show us the baby in one of your books.
• You love going to visit Barb, who lives right below us.  You will point to her apartment and say “Ba”.  You are very comfortable with her and will walk right in if she has her door open.
• Grandma and Grandpa came to visit this month for Daddy’s recital.  You had a great time with them!

• You had your first paid babysitter.  Momma put you in bed and then went to Daddy’s recital while the babysitter stayed at our house and did homework.  You did great!
• You call Dada “Momma,” even though we have heard you say “Dada.”  You will say Momma for a variety of people especially if they leave – you will point and sadly say, “Momma?”­  You have started getting upset when anybody leaves.  You cry when Daddy leaves for work, or you cried when Grandma and Grandpa Angell went to a concert.  You recover quickly but you prefer that everyone just stays together.  This eased up as the month went on.
• You have started dancing on command or on your own if you hear music.  One night we were walking on campus and you heard music coming from the soccer fields.  You started dancing and dancing!
• You love to do "fast feet", as we call it, where you pick your feet up and down as fast as you can.  Sometimes you will simultaneously spin in a circle.
• You love, "If You're Happy and You Know It" and have started stomping your feet for the second verse.
• You love carrying sticks around.  We spend a lot of time outside and you can entertain yourself for the longest time with a stick.  Usually you make sound effects as you push and pull your stick.

• You sit down when you want to put your shoes on.  Again, I think story time has helped you learn to sit, since you will often sit down when the librarian tells all the children to do so.
• You have started "jumping" (more like bouncing) but you love to bend your knees and go up and down (your feet still stay planted). 
• We went to MN and celebrated an early Thanksgiving with the Pegelow side.   Daddy could only stay for the weekend, but you and Momma stayed for almost a week.  You really liked playing with Lily and proved once again that you love companionship.  You wanted to see her whenever you woke up.  Lily taught you how to walk around in all the leaves, and how to jump in the big leaf pile that Papa built for you.  Naps and nighttime were often accompanied by unusual tears because you knew other people were awake in the house and you hated to miss it all. 

• When we were in MN, Grandma and Lily picked out a stuffed lion for you.  You have just recently become very interested in stuffed animals.  You loved the lion and have started sleeping with it.  It is the first comfort item (besides your pacis) that I've seen you cuddling at night.  You love to hug and kiss all your stuffed animals.
• You got 6 teeth this month!!!  This included 4 molars!  The other two were on the bottom next to the two middle teeth. We knew these two were coming in but had no idea about the molars until one day you were on your back laughing and Daddy spotted them all already in.  You have been the easiest teether.
• You have become much more independent at playgroups.  You take a few minutes to take in the environment, wanting to stay close to Momma, but the social side wins out soon after that and you will venture off to go see the other kids and check out the new (to you) toys.
• You love to push things (toys or non-toys).  We cleaned out a small garbage can and it was one of your favorite "toys" all month.  You pushed it all over our apartment, filling it with different items all day long.

Your schedule at the end of this month:

7:45am wake up (we dropped your morning nursing session with ease)

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-3:00pm nap (your nap slowly started extending this month)
3:00pm wake up and milk
3:00pm snack
5:00pm Daddy gets home from work
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm park with Daddy
7:00pm bath and get ready for bed
7:30-7:45pm bedtime

Little Man, one of my most cherished times of day is right before bed.  We close the window and curtains, turn on the fan and sound machine and rock in the chair in the corner of your room.  I think we have the best of both worlds right now: you are perfectly relaxed and will rock as long as I let you, but you are also content when I lay you in your bed, and able to fall asleep on your own.  You don't fall asleep when I rock you anymore (this is new within the last month or so).  We usually rock together for 15-20 minutes with you nursing a little still, and then switching between your sippy cup with milk and your paci.  You cuddle up close, and even though you keep your eyes open, I can tell you're slowly settling down and getting ready to sleep.  After our busy days together, I love the quiet time at the end of the day to hold my little man who is now usually on the go, and pray over him. I hope it's a time for you to feel so loved and safe.  I know it's not a coincidence that God gave a little one who loves hugs and cuddles to a momma who needs them.