-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
I LOVE all the pictures and reading all the updates. Go Ethan Go!!! He already taught Jackson to walk-- now can he please teach him to talk? :)
ReplyDeleteAww, I had a pic of Jackson and Ethan on here playing by his house. I don't know where it went!
ReplyDeleteHey! I did have a cleft lip when I was born...it was an incomplete unilateral, like Soraya's (only opposite side). I had a surgery when I was 4 months old and then I chose to have another revision when I was in high school because I wanted the one side of my lip to have more shape to it. Was yours a unilateral? 7 surgeries! :( Was it a severe cleft lip? Thankfully mine was pretty minor so I was lucky to have only 2... I can't imagine. I'm so glad that the surgeons now do such a good job and I'm hoping Soraya will only need one other surgery when she's 4 or 5 (before kindergarten) to revise it. My first daughter didn't have a cleft and I had worried about it more when I was pregnant with her...I guess I took that for granted when I got pregnant with Soraya, so when we found out it was a shock. I was the only one in our family that had a cleft...they said it didn't appear to be genetic (they checked my parents and husband and first daughter, Adriana). Hopefully you'll have good news at the ultrasound next month! :) They told us that once we have a child with a cleft that the chances of having another one increases...that was pretty hard to hear and we're not sure now if we'll try for a third. I had no idea how common they were though until I had Soraya - now I feel like I'm always meeting people that had one or know someone that did.
ReplyDeleteThat's true...I was born in 1986, so I'm sure even in that 6 year difference there were advancements. That's encouraging to know your 3 younger siblings didn't have a cleft...I know the chances of having another aren't high, they're just higher. I guess there's always a possibility of something happening - food allergies are NO fun I'm sure. I would hate to have to worry about what they're eating. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy - your little boy is adorable and the new baby will be just as cute no matter what happens. :)
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