52 Weeks

Appearance:

• About 30 inches
• About 23 pounds
• Blondy
• Thickening hair with a few waves in the back
• Beauty Mark
• Brown eyed
• 8 teeth (a few others seem to be right below the gum but have stalled.  I can feel two on the bottom ready and waiting.) 

Vocabulary:

• Ball (Ba)
• Milk (MiMi)
• Water (WaWa)
• You'll do a few animal sounds, Woof, Moo, Baa, Who, especially when we see the animals in your books.
• You carry on entire conversations with your babbling.  I love when you point to something and then give a very long winded explanation about it with all of your noises.  You may give Freddie a run for his money with the nonstop chatter.
• You also understand quite a bit...you'll put your cup or ball in my hand when I request it as well as come over to me when asked. 

Looking for Dada

Working On:

• Walking!  You're getting closer and closer each day.  You've been letting go and standing on your own for a few seconds.  You'll do this a few times each day and have a good laugh once you've grabbed back on to a support.
• Drinking out of a cup.  Mama is getting used to floaties in her water.  You do lots of practicing in the tub (gross).
• Using utensils.  You're getting better, but sometimes I wish you'd just give in and let me put a bite in your mouth.

Saying "Mmmmmm" over and over looking at Dada's birthday cupcakes

Likes:

• Music
• Bathtime
• Climbing..onto the little chairs and then onto the little tabletop.
• Cuddles
• Freddie! and anything Freddie has

Dislikes:

• Diaper changes are awful with you.  Things would go a whole lot faster if you'd just hold still for 20 seconds.
• Getting dressed 

Diet:

• You eat just about everything.  I've been trying to get you to like eggs, but so far you're not having it.
• About 16 oz cow's milk a day
• One nursing at night which will be phased out this week

Personality:

• You're smiling more at strangers, but also a little hesitant to let others hold you.  You were not so sure of Freddie's new teacher but let her hold you, only to give a good scream when I walked away a few minutes later.
• You're becoming more independent.  You'll crawl and away from me on the playground to do your own thing.  You still check to make sure I'm where you left me.

Making sense of the world:

• You're banging things together and making music.  You'll pound out a tune and do a little dance.
• Your play is becoming more complex.  You find a car or a train and give some motor noises and push it around the house.  You'll rock the baby dolls or try to feed them.  My favorite is when you are playing in the kitchen with Freddie and you'll put the pretend food to your mouth and say "MmmmmmMmmmm."
• You're mimicking continues.  You'll get in Freddie's tooldbox and grab a screwdriver.  And then you find a screw to tighten (or loosen).  Even if it is teeny tiny you'll work very hard to get the tip of the screwdriver right onto the screw.

51 Weeks

You're attempting to climb on just about everything.  Love the determination, but it means I need to keep a close eye on you.

You've decided to really start using your walker.  I am ready for you to walk and get up off your belly.  It frustrates you to not be able to keep up with Freddie.

It also frustrates both of us when you're not able to communicate your needs and wants.  The pointing and grunting eventually gets the job done, but it's hard work.  I think I can hear "wa-wa" developing for water.

You are rough and tumble and after Freddie all the time.  You smack him or pull his hair to get his attention.  Sometimes this doesn't go over very well, but you definitely get his attention.

Nine more days until your birthday.  You're almost ONE!

50 Weeks

How is it that we're at 50 weeks?  A year is just around the corner!

Some of your new tricks:

• You can show me your belly, head, mouth, tongue, and toes when asked.
• I think you are saying "ball" and "head."  You are definitely communicating.
• At the table you ask for Mama's water glass over and over and over and want me to help you take sips.

• You scoot over to some of the toys that play music and get them going so you can do a little shake.  And you do it over and over and over.  
• You are pretending to use the remote and when you get a wipe or rag you use it to wipe your hands and mouth.  

• You are also using the kitchen pots and pans more, stirring and then using the utensils to pretend to eat.  This makes Freddie happy because up until now you've just looked at him when he serves you a gourmet meal from the kitchen.

• You are getting good at stabbing bits of fruit with a fork and sometimes you can even get it to your mouth on the fork.  You usually resort to just grabbing the food off the end of the fork and jamming it into your mouth because eating is serious business and cannot be delayed.  
• Your stubbornness has reached new levels.  You protest often, especially when I try to put you in the stroller.  

Protesting!  Get me out of here!!!

• You've discovered the toilet.  Blah.  Sometimes you toss things in but the real attraction is lifting the lid to splash in the water.  Then if you finally give up on trying to get into the commode you'll settle for unrolling all of the toilet paper.  Fun Times.

Other things going on:

• You're moving to one nap this week and your sleep is suffering.  It may be a bit premature, but i am hoping you finally get it over the next couple of days.  It will make summer fun easier...I hope.
• You still have a few teeth right under the gums, but none are cutting through just yet.

I want to be measured too!

49 Weeks

Only New Orleanians have clothing with images of food on it, my Lil Shrimp Poboy.

Communication is reaching new levels but I'm still working to understand.  I am ready for you to talk, baby boy.  You gesture and fuss to try to get your desires across but it can be frustrating for both of us when I am not sure what it is that you're wanting.  

I LOVE when I finally get the right food item on your tray and you put your lips together, say "MMMMM" pat your belly, and smile.  Makes for lots of dinnertime giggles.

Freddie has also taught you to take a swig of milk and then let out a big "Ahhhhhhh."  That's a Papi goofball original, in case you are wondering where Freddie learned it.

You understand a lot, even the word "No."  You flex your muscles and disregard it, and it's obvious you're making a stand.  Makes us smile.  You do listen to my "no"s quite often as well as my requests to hand me specific things.  The best is when you follow through with my request for kisses and lean in for some.  It's actually even better when you initiate those kisses and lean in for some love unprompted. 

Your hair is lightening up in the sun and your skin is tanning. I also think you're slimming down and getting longer, although your thighs are still pretty beefy.

You're taking imitation to a new level:  You're helping me change your diapers.  You reach for a baby wipe and then try to clean yourself up.  Not exactly helpful, but very cute.  

Still no independent steps, and you are still not happy using the walker.  You do cruise around on the furniture and use your slither to speed around the house after Freddie.  You're also getting brave and climbing up on the small chairs as well as climbing up on the trundle and then onto the bed.

We love you, Hansie Monster!

48 Weeks

11 Months!

We are officially counting down to ONE!  And I am dragging my heels a bit. 

 

It's been a long 11 months in many ways when I really think about it.  I'm sure there's been some whining here to prove just how long of an 11 months it has been.  Somehow at the same time it seems that just last week you were a teeny weeny screaming mimi. 

And your development keeps trucking along.  You let go of my hands this week and amazed us, yourself included, by standing for a good 10 seconds before reaching to hold on.  You're still generally uninterested in anything that has you on your feet away from a stable support like the couch.

 
You are imitating more and more.  I like the phone up to your ear best.  You've begun exploring in the cabinets and examining hinges to see just how they work.  I love this phase where those small details hold your attention.  It is so interesting to see you make sense of the world.

I know there's lots more change ahead of us, and I cannot wait to see what you've got in store. 

47 Weeks

• Wearing the outfits Freddie was in just 10 months ago
• Cruising on the furniture
• Squatting down to pick things up

 

• Following your brother's lead
• Getting more hair
• Getting longer and slimmer
• Hit a growth spurt, tried three outfits from the drawer before I found one that fit

No matter how sweetly it begins, someone always get irritated.  Sigh.

• Observant
• Cautious
• Master at shaking your head "No!" 

• Chipped front tooth, perhaps from emphatically shaking your head "no"?
• Enjoys books and pointing to pictures
• Says Mama, Dada, Banana
• Slithers rather than crawls

 

• Many chins and layered thighs
• Opening and shutting, filling and dumping
• "Sings" Itsy Bitsy Spider with hand motions

• Stubby toes
• Dancer and shaker
• Points to request