anyway... Holy uh oh. I can't believe, like REALLY can't believe the baby that was inside of me a year ago, the baby who 11 months ago made me more tired than I ever though possible...is encroaching on the most bittersweet age milestone yet. I will try to not wax nostalgic quite yet... and focus on this last month. I feel like in the past few weeks, Weston has gradually, yet quickly, started showing signs of being a real person. Not just a human, like he's been from the get go. But a lil' boy... a real, non wooden boy, who will later be a teenager, then an adult.
It's a fun age as much as it is a tough one. Ever since he's been able to crawl, you have to keep two eyes on him. He's definitely a go-go-go guy. Though daycare says he's really chill comparatively. So i can't imagine a more rambunctious kid. hahaha I just now this week have seen a small difference with being able to leave him to play a few feet away from me and not having to play WITH him to keep him out of danger. I still can't leave him in a room alone, but I can sit on the couch while he's on the floor taking out magazines, or rearranging our shoes or standing up at his musical activity table and dancing away.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS...He continues to perfect his fine motor skills that have for the most part been present the past 2 months. He loves to clap and high five still. He started pointing 3 weeks ago, and now accompanies the otherwise rude gesture with grunts that end in question marks.
He of course likes to take things out and put things back into boxes, buckets, hands, etc.
VERBAL SKILLS...As I mentioned in the previous post, his first word was "bye bye"... he says it all the time now... even during appropriate situations. He pairs it with a wave if we're lucky. He says it "Bah" though, so it sounds like he's related to my sister-in-law, Wendy, who is from Kentucky. :) That accent shows up throughout his babbling. Nonsense though it may be in most cases, his "beega beega beega bum" rants never fail to make whomever is around chuckle.
Here is one small chat in the morning (sorry, the first 27 secs is pointless, but I can't figure out how to cut on the iphone before I upload to Youtube.) The 2nd video is another example.
But he also can say words that are intelligible...at least to our trained ears. ;) I know I'm leaving some out, but here are the words he's uttered. The pronunciations of course aren't perfect and are in parentheses: dada, mama, more (mo), dog (og), all done (eh duh), book (ook), duck (sometimes it's guck), bye bye, hi, bear (beh), ball (bah), milk (muh) and he says "deese" a lot, and I don't know what it's for. Like a Yes and a This together? hahaha
We've been doing a few sign words with him, and though he doesn't do the sign exactly correct, he gets the idea and now he opens and closes both hands when he wants milk, (kinda like he used to do when he was excited before eating, so makes me wonder if all along he was signing for milk!!!), he touches his mouth with his hand when he is hungry, he signs more sometimes with just folding his hands together over and over, or sometimes it shows up like the sign for cookie (which I guess is common, oddly enough).
I find it absolutely fascinating how kids develop language skills. He knows words he can't say, he says words we doesn't know he is saying, he thinks he's saying words when he isn't, and somehow, through it all, at some point, he'll be able to talk without thinking like I'm writing as a think, and it's just so freaking crazy how cool humans are with our ability to communicate. I know other animals communicate, but the depth of our lexicon and the way we gradually build our vocabulary with more than just nouns is astounding.
He's a performer, I think....just like his daddy. Here is one such show from a yogurt-mustachioed man!
And he has fine-tuned his fake laughing skills. So much so that I think I'm seriously the funniest person around....
Physical development...On Christmas day, my mom and I both witnessed him take two steps before he leaned forward to grab a hold of the chair. We both squealed. I admit, I was proud but also a bit hoping that his walking skills wouldn't become full-fledged quite yet. I don't want him to learn yet another way to leave me!!! hahah Especially when I have a camera in hand. haha
He's cruising easily now and daycare has noted time and again how good of a balance he has. (Neil says that was always his strength in soccer. I say it's just cuz they are so low to the ground. hahaha jk )
He's been climbing stairs since early October, but thought this was cute to share. I love watch his excitement grow.
After he climbs the stairs, it's always a mystery which door he will pick to go into. For awhile, it was the guest bedroom off to the left of the stairs. one day, Neil called me in to "Watch this!" And we just giggled. We never showed him to do this, but it's funny how he thought to do it.
Oh, and about being a performer. He, like so many kids at this stage, has found his dancing bones. The first video is one of the first times he let loose for us. I'm sure he's been doing it at daycare, but it was new for us. ;)
speaking of daycare, this is his first Christmas program. Little did we know till after they got off stage that he had a 103 degree temperature. Poor thing. No wonder he sorta zoned out.
And this is his daycare holiday decorative photo. HAHAHAHA I couldn't stop laughing.
He must have picked up how to jingle bells to songs...and sing...after all that practice for his Xmas program. Here is his and my rendition of what ended up being one of his favorite holiday songs this year.
Grandma & Grandpa Hebrank get Neil and I an ornament every year. I love that they do it. Oen of the years, they got a guitar (I think it was two years ago after Neil started learning how to strum) and it plays RUN RUN RUDOLPH. Weston LOVED it. I never did get on video him dancing one night when he was getting his diaper changed. We played the full song on YouTube and, just in his diaper, he started to shake his pelvis and smile and giggle while he was doing it. I think it might be my favorite memory of him this season and I'm so sad that I never got him to do it again nor had my phone on me to get it recorded. Oh well.
His love for music clearly makes Neil proud. Those at our church Xmas fiesta found it humorous when the mariachi band succeeded in captivating Weston.
Weston knows how to give hugs and kisses, though he opts to just kiss things. They are pretty wet kisses, too. He gives them to stuffed animals, mostly. But when he can catch Kramer, he loves to hug him. He just plops his head down on him and smiles. Neil and I squeal to one another because it's so cute and the whole time we know Kramer is thinking "Get. Him. Off. Me." Luckily, so far we've averted major damage since the last scratch. Here are two run-ins. ;)
And now they're besties while Weston eats. I wonder why...
He will be playing and then suddenly stop and come crawling to my lap and throw his head into it. He'll lie there briefly...while I pat his back and tickle his neck, and then he'll be up and at 'em again. It's h is way of hugging me. He doesn't really do it to Neil. They have their own things. But he did do it to my mom while back in Omaha this last time. I tell you, it's such a warm feeling to feel loved by someone so perfect. :)
Of course, Christmas was so much more special this year. And I know it will just continue to grow in that way because Weston will start understanding more and more about the spirit of Christmas. We're not going to make it all about the religious aspect. I think it goes beyond that (and our own religion clings to facts, and since it's fact that Jesus's birthday was NOT on Dec. 25, we look at the broader reason for the season...). We want him to learn about giving. Love. Family. Magic. Wonder. Helping those less fortunate. Appreciating all the good that we have in our lives. And yummy food. ;)
Anywho...Weston was a riot over the holiday, which we spent in Omaha. Grandma and pops were enamored with him as usual. ;) Here are some videos and pictures! (Several are of his reaction to a singing Santa.) I am so glad that when I look back at our first Christmas with him, my mind's eye will be filled with visions of him in striped PJs that are in the pics....
personality...
with him, sometimes you can expect straight silliness. When he gets super tired, we have to keep both eyes on him, and both hands within reach. He gets soooo clumsy and just odd. This is before bedtime. He is like a pinball in a machine.
One of my funniest memories of him thus far...just happened a few nights ago. Neil was lying on the floor in the living room and Weston was playing with his belt buckle. (He loves buckles etc, remember?). All of a sudden, Weston lifted up Neil's shirt and found a surprise with the stomach hair. Here is a video of him practicing a skill that we've been teaching him since Day 3.
If Flirtography were a major, I'm pretty sure my son would graduate with honors at this age already. He just knows how to work it. I love going out to eat with him if the waitstaff isn't a miserable one. (I think SO little of servers who don't even acknowledge his presence. I was a server once and I made sure to ALWAYS coo at the kiddos, ask their names/ages, etc... SOMEthing to show the parents that I am aware their precious lil' one(s) are people too!!) We went to Blanc Burger the other night and though I wasn't thrilled with their overpriced burgers, their staff was awesome. Weston also befriended two elementary school aged boys at the table next to us. He waved, laughed, squealed and bobbity-booed to them until they giggled along with him. I was in mommy heaven. It was the 2nd time in a month that someone told us he should be in a commercial. Now, I'm not a vain person, and I'm not a fool to think there aren't cuter or more charming kids out there compared to Weston, but I also am very aware that there are kids out there who are NOT absolute joys to be around. I'm so very thankful I got one who is.
Some silly pics...attack of the hugging monkey kicks it off! ;) The one on the right is what I saw while I was sitting on the couch, hoping he'd chill out and play contained so I could go clean up the kitchen. He was humming while his rump was in the air. hmmmm....
If he's not super energetic (right after awaking or eating a bottle), he will sit in our laps for a book or three. He sometimes will even point to things when we ask..."where is the bear?" etc. He seems to get most excited with dogs, despite Kramer's species. ;) Watching Fraggle Rock the other night, he would point and grunt when Sprocket the dog came on. "Og!" We are glad he doesn't fear the creatures. I believe in exposing them early on to animals so they get accustomed to them at people's houses, etc as they get older. And that is when the lesson of "nice touch" comes in handy. :)
Everyone always told me that feeding them real food would be so much easier than baby food. WRONG. I loved feeding him baby food because it was a matter of "which jar to use" and "do we have a spoon?" Now it's... let's see... what can we give him to make sure he's getting a range of vitamins and nutrients? What's that? He won't eat veggies now other than peas? He prefers fruits, despite us not introducing them right away? He loves meat, other than deli meat. He won't eat noodles to save his soul. WTF? Who doesn't eat noodles? He cries if he sees us eat anything that looks like bread until he gets some. He loves bread. So clearly a Gibson. Bread and meat. Awesome. can't wait till he's old enough to reason with a bit because I think he'd LIKE veggies again if he'd just put them in his mouth. But he won't. He used to. He used to choose broccoli over EVERYTHINg. Now he just throws it. Kramer is all for throwing of food, but no chance he gets what he wants (the meat, duh!).
He often throws tantrums during meals because he WANTS MORE TOAST OR CRACKERS...NOT MAC & CHEESE!!! Thought this was kinda funny...that's a Superman bib he's wearing. ;)
I think his preferences have gone downhill thanks to daycare, because their menu is just like the menu at schools that everyone complains about. It's always some sort of breaded meat... a sweet fruit... and a starch. (Supposedly he eats noodles at daycare, but I cannot prove this unless I am there...) Why don't they offer broccoli or cauliflower there? Zucchini? Squash? (They do peas and carrots, but I am not sure any other veggie ever shows up...) Probably because other parents over time have not fed their kids veggies early enough so the sweet-favoring children didn't eat veggies when they were offered at daycare....so daycare stopped spending the money on wasted food.
Whereas with Weston, he DID eat all that stuff, until just a month ago when he probably got so used to eating the drivel that people think is kid-friendly and now we suffer as parents. We pride ourselves on eating well-rounded meals most nights. I'm okay with fats. I'm okay with some fried foods. But every meal? Good gosh.
I REALLY detest kid menus at restaurants. Why can't I ever find a small grilled chicken breast, a side of buttered green beans and some mashed potatoes on the kid's menu for $6? It's always grilled cheese, mac & Cheese, hot dogs and pizza. I shouldn't have to spend $11 on a la carte items to feed an 11-month-old. No wonder kids grow up to be considered citizens of the most obese country in the world.
Ok, end rant.
A few other things have proved to be obstacles to easy meals with him. He's teething. and despite everyone else's kids choosing to chew on things when they are teething...Weston is usually against chewing. He refused to put anything frozen against his gums. He only seems to want to rub the back of his hand against the sore spots...leaving scrapes on his delicate skin. The teething necklace failed because he can't wear it to daycare. Other kids want to pull at it... even when it's just on his ankle. So it's pointless and a PITA to put it on just when he is at home. Teething tablets do seem to help a bit.
Even more significant is the never-ending ear infection. I feel awful for him that he's battling one after another. Antibiotics don't work. he's even been on the strongest a kiddo can have....the shots AND Augmentin. So Neil and I are ponying up and getting some tubes for the darling. January 7, he will go under general anesthesia for a short surgery to put in some tubes to drain his ears. We are praying that this procedure will also alleviate the constant drainage that plagues him. He's had a cough for 3 months now. And a runny nose just as long. I looked into doing a chiropractic adjustment for him instead, but the studies are so slim, and he'd have to have SO many adjustments to even hope for the positive result, that the amount of time that would pass might be the reason he'd be "healed"versus the treatment itself. And my pediatrician doesn't advocate for chiropractics in kids at this age because their bones are so maleable to begin with. Anyway, we are optimistic about the procedure. Check back for my opinion after ward. ;)
He had his first nasty sickness a few weeks ago. All the kids in his cclass go it. It was a fever that lasted 5 days. Sick babies are no fun, but Weston didn't act sick all that much. Just when he got really tired, too.
SIDENOTE: A pet peeve of mine is people saying how bald he is. I know, it is silly to be bothered by it, but here's the thing. If he were bald, I'd be fine with it. But he's not. He has hair. It's just fine and blonde and not as thick in front as the back. But he's NOT BALD!
Ok, I hate how blogger works, so rather than plug in the pics in the spots they go with my writing, I'm just going to put them all in a row and make notes if needed. Sorry for the ugliness. Wordpress is better, but I don't want to deal with setting it up since I am doing this completely for free and hardly h ave the time to WRITE it let alone finagle with the administrative parts.
LOTS OF XMAS PICS:
His first Santa experience. He did as we expected.
Yoi'll see lots of pics like this because this sums up their relationship: Tickles, laughs and nuzzles.
I bought these PJs last year when I was pregnant and I was envisioning a little boy on Christmas day. I can't believe my vision came true!!! And it's perfect. I wish I'd have bought them in 2T too.
(Note his agape look below!)
One of my fave scenes of the holiday:
Coasters in..coasters out. Took lots of concentration.
This is what a Monday looks like at the house...cuz I'm home with him and he just plays really hard. ALL DAY LONG.
A few fam pics on our phone.
I love how he clings to blankets etc. :)
Are those high hats he has going on the sides??? ;)
I cut my hair in hopes that he wouldn't pull it as much. No shot.
Neil and I had a date night and painted at a class. Weston preferred mommy's art, duh!
He loves clothes!!! ;)
And shoes. Sigh.
Rather than fight it, I let him rearrange my toiletry items.
Anyway... that's it for now. He is a riot every day. We can't get enough. Well, until we want him to go to bed so we can get some things done. hahaha
I am going to blog next (this week, damnit!) about what he got for Xmas and our reviews of the toys...and also which carseats we got and what we like and don't like about them. Stay tuned!!!
Three things I've experienced with Reid that sound similiar to your experiences:
ReplyDeleteReid still, at 17 months, LOVES peek-a-boo. It's his second favorite thing, next to reading his books.
Tubes are amazing. Reid had ear infections constantly from March until June and nothing helped, shots included. You think Weston is a ball of delicious, cute energetic little man now, wait until the tubes take effect.
We used to hear the bald comments too, I feel like Reid just now got thicker hair and I'm refusing to cut it until his second birthday. Love the duck butt!
Weston is so precious and adorable, I know I've said it before but we really do need to get the boys together for a play date.
I nodded and smiled and laughed throughout this post...peek-a-boo is still in fashion at our house (it's just matured a bit), I'm anxious to hear about Weston's (and mommy and daddy's) experience getting his tubes in (Molly's most likely not too far behind), and our blonde-haired babies are adorable! We're just going to have to suck it up and wait for their locks to catch up with the other kids :( Can't wait to read more soon!
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