elijah from 12-14 months

I have always loved my son, but I think that I am enjoying him more & more as he gets older. the first 6 months were beyond rough and something I hope to never experience again! Lord have mercy! since that time he has gradually lightened up from being so serious and fussy all of the time, shown more pleasant sides of his personality, and has been able to interact, play & have more fun. although we had used sign language with elijah since birth, it wasn't until a few months ago that he really started using then himself. we had noticed he was understanding our signs around 8/9 months, but it has made a world of difference for him to use them to communicate. you can see this flicker of light & joy in his eyes when he signs & we understand, meet his needs, or verbalize what he signs. while I still don't always understand what he wants or needs, signing has been a huge blessing in reducing frustration on both ends!

words he says so far :
-mama-daddy-hi (in a long drawn out southern style like mama)
-more
-ball
-dog-ruff ruff-kitty-meow-tiger
-no touch
-baby
-amen
-uh oh
-diaper
-hat
-bella (his friend)
-no (says to himself when not supposed to do something)
-noah (sorry Jesus!)
-dolphin
-poo poo
-water
-night night
-bar bar (bearded brothers bar)
-buckle
-truck
-dump (as in truck)
-rainbow
-kristy
-chop chop (in his play kitchen)
-bat (as in baseball)
-roll (as in 'roll your dough, throw it in the pan')

his signs:
-milk
-hi
-bye bye
-eat
-all done
-more
-water
-book
-kitty
-dog
-potty
-wash hands
-eat
-apple
-blue (in reference to blueberries)
-car
-help

he is comprehending so much of what we say & sign! I think I don't even really realize his understanding & intelligence because he wows me everyday and I think to myself, ' I need to step it up & challenge him more!' the other day, I was talking to his oma & said, 'the soup is ready.' he looked up from his book & signed 'eat!' so amazed!

here's a video of elijah playing his piano

during this time period he sang his first song: after I sing 'who built the ark?', he sings, ' noah, noah' :) right now anything with noah & rainbows is his favorite thing. :) maybe I should get a fun bon all about Jesus! he also sings 'roll, roll, roll' & does the motions during patty cake. oma taught him that one awhile back & when he saw her again after a couple of months, he started ' rolling the dough!' what a memory!elijah still loves to listen to music or my singing & he 'sings along' in a ' nah nahnah, la la' kind of way. he loves to make music on his piano, drum, pots, and also a recorder, choo choo whistle, bells & percussion shakers. all the while 'singing' and dancing. unfortunately neither of us have great skills to pass along so his dancing is endearing! its more of a squatting at the knees & light bouncing. hilarious! so far he enjoys all kinds of music, from classical, soul, reggae, to holy hip hop, folk & worship. and unfortunately, kids singing. (I can only handle a few songs a day!!

elijah points to pictures in books & things around us & says the name of the object. personal favorite: pointing to my breast & saying ' mama!' with a huge grin. :) he loves to point out 'dog dog' & 'kitty kitty' in books & outdoors.

points to animals we ask him to find, ie: where's the zebra?)

giving more hugs & kisses to mama & daddy.

reading is his favorite activity, and he is content to pull every book & look at them all by himself while I'm cleaning. occasionally I'll crouch down & read one to him or point out things. his favorite books during the past 2 months have been: everywhere babies, the abc bible verse book, the very hungry caterpillar, the little blue truck, noah's ark, & cuddly bears. I like all of these books too, and naturally, have them all memorized!

his favorite toys besides books & instruments are things that make noise & sing. I told myself I wouldn't have any battery operated toys, but the grandparents got some for his first birthday he loves them!! (even still, I do limit them.) he likes anything that is like a stick: wooden spoons, cinnamon sticks, my hairbrush, etc. he likes to rip apart his wooden play food & say 'chop chop' and to do equations on the calculator.

here's a video of elijah's early walking

about a week after his first birthday, elijah started taking his first steps! they quickly became 4 steps, then 10 steps, then suddenly he was a wobbly walker! we love the way he walked in a marching fashion with his steps slightly out to the side as if he just got off a horse! haha by the end of the 14th month he was walking (and fast!) like a pro! you can always tell when he's tired & ready for a nap because he starts walking like he's drunk & runs into things.

elijah eats his oatmeal with a spoon with assistance and is working on drinking out of a cup. he started getting pickier about foods. some old favorites he snubs, like yogurt & squash. still loves chicken, lamb, broccoli, green beans, peas, smoothie, fish, & flax crackers . still hates beans, pasta, cheese, mango & tomato anything.

here's a link to a video of him with the very hungry caterpillar flags, so funny

elijah loves playing peek a boo, hide & seek, wrestling, tickling, & chasing. (especially with daddy!) i am so glad that christopher and elijah have such a close relationship, despite the fact that they see each other so little. he thinks daddy hung the moon! i feel like a good mom if elijah has had at least one fit of hysterical laughter each day. :) he loves to feel different & soft textures & will lay down & rub his body on a soft rug or blanket. one of his favorite things is to 'help me' fold the laundry, so I put different soft cloths on his head & he giggles up a storm. sheets are his favorite! speaking of helping, he loves vacuums, both the upright & handheld. he follows me around &, when not in use, the handheld is a toy to him as he says ' vroom!' and moves it back & forth. it will be nice when he can actually help!

elijah still loves animals, especially cats & dogs. he likes it when dogs lick his face & let him pet them. he's pretty sweet with animals.

so far elijah is pretty obedient & quick to learn rules & boundaries. hopefully he will continue on this path. (please Lord??)

typically, he wakes up by 7am, takes 2 naps a day, about an hour or more each, and goes to bed by 8. we love the way he moans himself to sleep, sleeps on his belly with his knees tucked in with his bum in the air, and wakes up happy talking & saying dada & mama over & over! :) nowadays we are able to sneak into his room more without waking him and adore his cuteness!

we have been trying to slowly introduce him to the concepts of potty training. he loves his 'all aboard the potty train' book & is becoming more communicative about when he needs a diaper change. now if only we can get him to tell us beforehand! it's very typical for him to save pooping for naptime. something about relaxing in his bed after getting some warm mama milk just makes him go! so he'll seem quiet for a few minutes, then will suddenly seem really fussy or talkative. we go check him & 9 times out of 10, it's a poopy. kinda frustrating to get him up & change him, then put him back down again for naptime. he is a stinker! ;)

he started nursing less & started drinking more goat & almond milk. he typically nurses about 4-5 times a day for around 10 min each time. in some ways it's cool because less nursing stimulates my body to ovulate again & we've love to have another baby soon. but in another way, it's like an end of an era & our special cuddle times. I love nursing & am so grateful I'm able to still nourish him. overall, im glad my baby is growing up into a big boy! he has really been a blessing to my soul.