My little warrior and his sticks!

So while we were outside taking lots of photos Monday, Nathan decided to sing a warrior chant and wave some sticks around. I switched the camera to video mode and captured the event. Still crack up every time I watch this! Enjoy :-)

13 months!

    Bug, you are now 13 months old. Sooo much has changed/ developed since your first year birthday. 

You are growing and maturing into a little man. We have so much fun reading books and playing with all your toys. You are figuring out how your Duplos (big Legos) fit together. But mostly I build and you take apart. Its great fun for both of us. Anything with wheels you love. You have several Little People toys that you roll around, up and down ramps and crash into the dogs. You also have lots of trucks, cars, a helicopter and a plane. I feel like sometimes our tiled living room is a parking lot!

 You insist on having music or sound playing while you play. If that means that all your noisy toys are activated or just the iPod playing...its what you want. Your favorite show is Wheel of Fortune. After dinner we turn it on and you love watching the wheel spin and the letters light up. Your other favorite thing on TV is the Dream Lights commercial. You still stop and listen to the jingle every time it plays! Still not watching anything sitting or focused, but I'm okay with that. You like to move and do...

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Your food is getting more complicated to prepare, but I'm glad to make you healthy food similar to what we eat everyday. You have eaten just about everything I put in front of you, such a good eater! You even like it when I fix you tilapia. Maybe I'll have someone else in the family that likes seafood?! I think Cheerio's are phasing out, you would rather have real food than snack on cheerios. Your favorite snack now is raisins. You love it when I put them in your oatmeal with just a touch of brown sugar. I think we are getting close to the time to teach you to eat with a spoon by yourself. You can take the spoon from our hands and put it with food staying, in your mouth. You also know to put the spoon in the bowl. Just have a hard time getting food on it. You have also stopped nursing. We are going on day 5 with no feedings. I am so proud of both of us for making it this long, and for doing the weaning gradually. It all worked out! I sorta miss it though... :-)

You say "Dada" to both me and your Dad. I'm still emphasizing Momma each time. If we ask you to get something or where someone is, you can usually bring it to us or look at that person or dog. So we know you know what we are saying, just working on the words! Your signing is getting confusing...I thought we were having a break through with our communication, but now you sign when you want something or when you don't.... "All done" is your favorite, you've adapted it to mean, "Something else" or "Not right now". Another one is "food" which can sometimes mean for you that you want your paci. See what I mean? :-)

Outside is your favorite place to play. You bring me your shoes and then my shoes and indicate your interest in going out by tapping the door and saying "This?". You love your swing! You sing and clap your hands and smile when we go high. You interact so well with the dogs, and they with you. You give sticks to Bailey and you take them away too! You also take Goldie's outside ball and run with it wanting her to chase you. We are working on throwing it, but it doesn't go very far yet. You "sing?" at the top of your lungs and wave sticks around like a little warrior. You enjoy exploring, digging and bringing me the finds. Sometimes its a rock or twig or shell, but we have had to run inside and wash our hands when you find, ahem....other things that should not be picked up! 

Your walking has gotten so steady, and you step up like a champ now. Was it just a few weeks ago that you still wanted to hold my hand getting down off the porch? Sigh.... you are not a baby anymore. You can even walk into church on your own. You have to hold our hands though because 

you get distracted by being outside and forget to go inside!

You warm my heart everyday. You love to hug me, the animals and your daddy. You are such a loving boy. I don't know anyone that has met you that doesn't love you. 

I'm glad to raise you in such a loving environment.