Developmental Updates, 15-16 months old

April 25-May 24, 2010, 15-16 months old:
-started saying "baby" whenever he sees one.  This turned into calling anyone his size or smaller "baby".
-starting to run more often and running faster
-loved eating his buckwheat pancakes with a fork.  This started when he asked me for my fork.  I was surprised at how quickly he picked up this skill.
-we started weaning.  I hope to create a post specifically on our journey through weaning but for now I'll summarize and say that weaning was necessary.  I was too sick from my pregnancy to continue Ethan's allergen-free diet.  I NEEDED a cracker, toast, etc.
-he nursed one last time and now loves hemp milk
-ate hemp milk ice cream for the first time.  He made a confused face after the first bite but then loved it and asked for more.
-started eating Clif's Kids Organic Fruit Strips.  He loves them.  At first we peeled the twists apart or broke off small pieces for him but a few short weeks later he can handle the whole fruit strip on his own.
-started eating organic corn tortilla strips
-learned to blow on food to cool it down.  He touches it, says "hot", and knows to blow on it to cool it down!
-started pointing to his crib at the end of our bedtime routine.  We put him in completely awake, say "I love you" and "nighty-night" and he falls asleep on his own, very well.  This was huge for us b/c nursing made him drowsy at bedtime and we were concerned b/c there was no more nursing.
-fell in LOVE with watching Deal or No Deal.  He looks at the television and says "deal!"
-we stopped using a sound machine at night.  We used to use the Homemedics Sound Spa Lullaby set on rain every night, all night.  Matt forgot to put it on one night and Ethan didn't sleep any differently so we stopped using it. 
-he loves eating with utensils.  He eats applesauce and other pureed foods with a spoon very well.  He started to refuse to eat some vegetables such as carrots and green beans when they were steamed and cut up for him.  He gladly eats them pureed on his own so we continue to give him purees.  I know it sounds crazy to give a 16-month-old pureed food (especially one with 16 teeth!) but he's getting the vegetables he needs, mastering a new skill of using a spoon, and gaining confidence with this new skill.  It's a win-win!
-walks all over the house while kicking balls around
-started following a couple of two-step directions
-started saying "baskeeetball", especially during bath time when playing with a set similar to this.  He actually went through a stage where he hated bath time and this toy stopped the screaming and crying.
 -started engaging other children in play.  We still see parallel play during play dates but it's neat to see this social skill developing.  He tries to get other children to chase him, play peek-a-boo, and other games.
-started playing the "air piano" when he hears music.
-He loves to play outside.
-He mastered kicking balls (from golf balls to his big orange ball)

Practicing kicking/dribbling the ball. 

 Ethan's favorite game in May... Matt runs and kicks the ball while holding him.  Ethan gets to enjoy the game w/o doing any work.

Mastering using utensils

Cuddle time with Momma when I wasn't feeling well.













 He still enjoys his toy piano when he's not playing the "air piano".

 First hemp milk ice cream treat

 

Developmental Updates, 14-15 months old

March 25-April 24, 2010, 14-15 months old:
-attended his friend Jackson's first birthday party.  He napped through the first half of it!
-gained a lot  more balance
-standing for even longer period of time
-took 3 unprompted steps
-said "uh oh" all the time
-ate Oatie-O cereal (which contains rice and he seems to be fine with the minimal amount in it)
-took 5 unprompted steps as he walked toward a ball to kick it!
-celebrated his 2nd Easter.  He loved the plastic Easter eggs and called them "balls"
-since he couldn't have a chocolate Easter bunny candy or anything like that I let him lick some of the batter from his buckwheat cocoa cake (no eggs or other harmful raw ingredients so no worries)
-ate ham at Easter and really enjoyed it
-lower left cuspid FINALLY broke through which makes for tooth #16.  Once these newer teeth are fulling through it will give us a break from teething until his two-year-old molars start coming in.  Ethan has been teething nearly non-stop for nearly a year!
-learned he was going to be a big brother.  Well, really he has no idea but WE learned that we're having another little miracle.  More on that in another post.
-said "choo choo" for the first time.  He loves going grocery shopping and watching the choo choo in Wegmans.  We went to another store for a few things mid-week and he looked around for the choo choo.
-walked across a room on his own ... took about 15 steps
-learned to stand without the help of furniture or someone else
-learned to stand, balance, and throw a ball over his head
-started walking everywhere and barely crawling.  He went from taking 3 steps to barely ever crawling in 3 short weeks
-loves playing in the shower while we shower and then running around naked afterward.  This is the first time he ran/walked really fast.
-tried quinoa pasta but he wasn't crazy about it
-started eating oatmeal on 4/16/10.  We later learned that this was a huge mistake.  More on that later.
-started calling the vacuum "bubble".  He LOVES the vacuum at home and loves to chase it around while we vacuum but can't quite pronounce the word yet so it sounds like bubble.  Even though he loved the vacuum at home he was afraid of the one at school for a while but overcame that fear.
-ate chicken breast and enjoyed it
-Ethan had his 2nd stomach bug.  Poor baby was sick for days.  I was also sick from my pregnancy and we needed to rest on the sofa so I turned to the television.  Initially we weren't going to turn on the TV for his viewing pleasure (special shows just for him) until after he was 2 but desperate times called for help from the television.  First I tried putting on Sesame Street for him but he wasn't interested.  Second I  tried Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and then a few other cartoons but he had no interest.  My son LOVES gameshows.  His first favorite was Wheel of Fortune but he also enjoys Family Feud.  Thank goodness for the Game Show Network!

 

Developmental updates, 13-14 months old

February 25-March 24, 2010, 13-14 months old:
-upper right cuspid broke through
-ate tater tots
-started walking while holding our hands, then only one of our hands
-started walking more steadily with a push toy
-started taking bites out of larger chunks of food instead of trying to shove the whole piece in his mouth
-said bye then buh-bye
-making the "s" sound then laughing.  He cracks up when we say "ssssnake!"
-said "uh uh" for "uh oh".
-ate broccoli for the first time
-lower right cuspid, tooth #15, broke through
-started pushing cars
-repeated us when we said "baby"
-made kissing sound for the first time
-started walking a lot while holding only one of our hands for balance
-took a few prompted first steps between mom and dad
-started standing by himself for longer periods of time
-repeated us when we prompted him to say "up" and "hot".  Whenever he would whine for us to pick him up we repeated the word and asked him to say "up".
-started kicking a ball while we helped him walk (holding his hands and walking with him).  Yes, he learned to kick a ball before he could walk on his own :)
-took 3 steps in a row with our prompting (asking him to walk between us)

A title!!!

I did it!  I think I fixed my missing title issue on this blog.  After some google searching I found the answer here.  I don't know how in the world I changed that at some point but I'm so happy to have it fixed.  The lack of a title was irritating me and I was frustrated with not being able to fix it.  I was avoiding blogging but hope to be back soon.  We have a lot going on right now and those are the things that are really keeping me from blogging but I think my energy is returning...