Month 14

Life got back to "normal" after the holidays, and with many cold/snowy days we spent most of the month taking it easy and enjoying each other.  I would have to say the theme for this month was independence for Jude.  He slowly emerged out of the attachment stage and has really been enjoying playing and discovering on his own.  After a few minutes, he'll come back to see what you are doing and play and bit, and then he's off to explore again.  He has also become obsessed with playing outside.  After we come in, he'll just stand at the door grabbing for the doorknob.  We found some great parks in the area that have toddler play areas, so he has really enjoyed going to play there with his friends.  I have a feeling we'll be outside a lot as soon as winter is over! I also started many learning activities with Jude.  This is easier said than done since sitting still and focusing on one thing is not his thing, but he is really starting to absorb a lot.  We practice counting to three all the time and he loves to throw his ball and say "Three".  We have also been working on the ABCs and he is really starting to catch on.  Being new parents we never realized all that they can learn and absorb at such a young age.  He is watching our every move whether we realize it or not!!  I feel like he has grown up and changed so much in just one short month.  My little baby is becoming in big boy!

Loves taking things out and putting them back in

Playing at the park

First Dallas Stars game

Taking a ride in his car.  We'll say, "do you want to go ride your car", and he'll run to the front door

Inside fun at the pet store on a snowy day

How do I look mommy?

Pure joy with daddy at the park

Vacuuming all those hard places to get!

Check out this stick I found!

Playing catch with Sam's cousin Austin.  He could do this for hours!

Looking for the birds with his PePaw

Slam dunk! 

More hats!

Where's Jude???

Helping mommy clean!  Least favorite job, so I will gladly allow him to do this!

Playing outside (he used to HATE the grass and now wants to be outside all day)

Making a business deal with Jacob

"Playing" pricesses with Landry (aka: taking the princesses away)

Hammering away with daddy

Not only did he get the sock off, but now he's eating it!

I won't tell daddy that you carried this purse around!!!

Using a spoon all by himself!

Taking a walk with daddy

Playing in the snow in his carhart pants!

Sliding with Jacob 

(please ignore the extremely short pants - tiny waist and long legs)

Riding the horsey

Jumping on the bridge

Stats:

- He did not get weighed this month, but I am hoping we have finally hit 20 pounds!!

-He had some pretty big changes in his eating this month.  We have started decreasing the pureed food, introduced cows milk (not going well), and he is almost fully weaned (his choice, not mine).  

- He has also started learning to use a spoon and fork.  He does really good, but then realizes that things are going too slow and just reverts back to using his fingers!

-Thanks to his Pops, he has started to say "ah" after each drink.  

-He has always fed himself primarily with his left hand, and has continued this with the spoon and fork.  He though primarily uses his right hand for most other things, including throwing the ball.  I guess we'll see where this leads us!

-Loves to take off his socks and thinks it is a pretty fun game.  The not so fun part is the amount of socks we have lost due to this!

-Favorite toys: Balls are still in first place, but close behind is his vacuum, blocks (he can stack up to 5 blocks on his own), hammering toy, and cars.  

- Can tell you where his tummy, eyes, ears, nose, and head are.  He also loves to find other people's belly buttons (awkward!) 

-Started blowing kisses.  This was the first "trick" I tried to teach him months and months ago.  I always knew he knew how, but randomly one day he just started doing it!

-Likes to help pick up trash and put it in the trash can.  He also likes to try to take things out of the trash can, which makes this a little less cute!

-He is OBSESSED with toothbrushes.  Although he has his own, more often than not he wants our toothbrushes.  We literally have to hide are toothbrushes!!

-He has also found a new love with our phones and gets mad when it turns itself off.  Sam found his original iphone, so we let him play with that.  Doesn't keep his interest too long though since it doesn't work!  I think we might have to break down soon and introduce the iphone and ipad.  

-We have said this since day one, but this kid is so observant.  When he wakes up from a nap and comes downstairs, in seconds he can find all the new things or anything that is out of place.  

-He likes to put his hats and suspenders on and go look at himself in the mirror (aka: the glass door).  Funny thing is, we never taught him to do this!  Cracks us up!

-It has been very interesting watching Jude play with friends these past few weeks.  He learns a lot from them, but also struggles with not understanding when someone wants to play with his toys.  A very hard lesson to teach a baby that doesn't understand!  It is sweet though to see him interacting with other babies his age.  He walked up to a friend at church the other day grabbed his hand and they went and climbed the stairs together!  

-The only new words for the month are cheese and boo (when playing peek-a-boo).  He though has started to say thank you with out any prompting.  Its so sweet!

- Still loves animals and gets so excited any time he sees a cat or dog either in person, on the tv, in a book, etc.  

-Still has 4 teeth on the top and 4 on the bottom.

-Wears size 3 diapers

-Wears 9-12 month clothes

-Most days takes 2 naps.

-I can honestly say that the tongue is in a bit more.  I think we might be turning the corner!

-We are back to needing another haircut. We are not ready to take on that experience again though, so we are just waiting at this point.