I can't believe that it's already time for another monthly update! And I'm a few days late. There are so many changes that JC has been going through this past month, I'll just jump right in.
He is getting better and better at walking everyday. His toes are starting to point forward instead of out and he's getting some speed. Now, that doesn't mean to say that he doesn't fall. He falls all. the. time. But he's a really good sport about it most of the time and just gets back up and keeps going. I don't know where he gets all the energy. With walking and walking better, has come a few more challenges. He's not always content to just sit in the shopping cart when we are shopping anymore. Luckily, he's only done this when Charles is with me so one of us can watch him as he walks all over Staples or Babies R Us. He is also pointing out our weaknesses in the babyproofing department. He definitely keeps me on my toes.
JC's communication skills are growing by leaps and bounds. He has a few new words ("moon", "that", "there", "boom" referring to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, "bear") but the amount that he understands is ridiculous. I am always surprised by how much he comprehends. I ask him to bring me something (shoe, toy, his cup) and he will find it and bring it to me. I tell him it's time to brush his teeth or take a bath and he heads on over to the bathroom. He can point out six body parts on himself when you ask him where they are. He still uses pointing as a main part of his communication but he has replaced grunts with "that" and "there". He does like to yell, which isn't always awesome. I don't think he yells because he gets impatient but more because he likes to yell.
One sad realization that I've come to in the past few days is that we are officially retiring his second nap. I have gone through all seven stages of grief in the loss of this nap but I am finally out on the other side and it's not so bad. We'll definitely play it by ear on some days to see if he will need a second nap but for the most part, I think we are down to one. JC used to take his first nap at about 11:00 after he had been awake for about two hours. This was always his longest nap and he'd sleep until 1 or even 2 sometimes. Then he would take an afternoon nap at about 5 until 6:30 or 7. He has gradually been fighting both of his naps, which is crazy because he has always been SUCH a good sleeper. And if he did take a nap, it would be much shorter. I was in denial about it, hoping and praying that he was just fussy that day or it was too loud in the house. But, this started happening more and more consistently. So I've decided to keep him up a little bit longer in the morning and put him down at about 1:00 or 1:30. Then he sleeps for a couple hours (he slept yesterday for three) and he is pretty good and rested for the remainder of the day. I can still manage to get most of the things I need to get done during naptime without much difficulty. It's also nice to have him awake longer in the mornings so we can run errands or do fun things (zoo trips, park visits, go to the library) during that time too. We used to have to wait until about 4 to start doing anything and then we'd have to be back by 5:30 to get him down for his next nap. Didn't get much done. So this will be a lot better.
We got one more tooth (his right lateral incisor, so I don't forget to mark this in his baby book) this month, bringing our total to five. I'm still going to say that teething has not been a big issue for us so far. I mean, sure he's grumpy or cranky sometimes but it's really hard to pinpoint it and say "oh yeah, it's because he's teething". But we also haven't had to deal with molars yet and I'm scared of those. They just seem and sound so much more painful. We go in for his fifteen month doctor's appointment tomorrow so I will have all of his official stats then but I'd say he's about 20 pounds, not too much weight gain since his last appointment. What I'm really curious about is his height, because he does seem significantly taller.
Some of JC's favorite things include hugs (he LOVES to hug his stuffed animals or even his little plastic figurines. If it has a face, it's getting a hug.), Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, dancing, pulling the cat's tail, making fart sounds with his mouth, banana bread, pulling EVERYTHING out of his toy box, his little toddler sized couch, playing in the sand and wood chips at the park, running around naked and bath time.
We've had some issues with separation anxiety and discipline this month but I hope to write more in depth posts about that soon.
All in all, toddlerhood has been treating us pretty well so far! Sure there are challenges but there is so much fun stuff too! I love that JC is getting more independent and exploring everything. I am so excited for him to learn more words and understand what we are saying so we can communicate with each other even better. As he's getting older, I'm coming to the realization that I am more of a "toddler person" than a "baby person". Don't get me wrong, I loved JC just as much when he was a newborn and an infant but I am having more fun raising a toddler. I love taking my little best friend with me everywhere.
swoon!
ReplyDelete