He shows her off to visitors and strangers. He kisses her good morning and good night. He stops periodically to give her hugs (or poke her in the eye). He watches her through the window when she goes outside to do her doggy business. He won’t go on a walk unless she is following. He chases her around the house, and then teases her with crackers and cereal bars to chase him.
Alex has found his first unconditional friend and playmate in Casey, and as you can guess, the feelings are mutual.
So I have to get out of the habit of saying my son is “one.” I am learning there is a big difference between a 12-month and 13-month old. Not only does is seem like Alex has made leaps in bounds in every development and growth category over the past 4 weeks, but it also seems expectations are greater for those 12 + 1. He is definitely a toddler - showing those behaviors - and I also find people are less forgiving now that he is not officially a baby.
But focusing on the good, we are blown away by the level of understanding and comprehension of the English language. Although he is only babbling a “dada” and “mama” every now and then, he can now point and walk to about any toy, food, or location we say. From “let’s go brush our teeth” to “let’s go play outside,” he reacts with a smile, a point and a waddle to the correct destination. And no, we are not saying he is a genius. He’s just right on pace according to all the books, but still impressive to those new to the parenting world.
Click here to enjoy more of his 13 month pictures and videos!
You always here these stories through a friend of a friend, and they ultimately take on an urban legend status. But yesterday, at exactly 5:57 pm, according to police records, Alex dialed 911.
Andy and I have developed a bad habit of letting the little guy play with our phones, mostly because he is obsessed with them and because it is kind of cute how we say “hello” and then he puts it up to his ear. However, his curiosity has gone from just holding the phone to exploring every button and the various noises they make. From the dial tone to the women’s voices saying, “if you like to make a call, please hang up and dial again,” the phone has become just one more cause and effect toy.
So this emergency phone call should not have come as a surprise. He has called Uncle Mark’s cell phone before, as well as one of my colleagues from work, by hitting redial or scrolling through caller ID. But this time – like the monkey and the typewriter theory – his randomness actually made sense.
Luckily, the Miami Township Police department were someone what understanding. They seemed polite on the phone when they did their mandatory call back, and they didn’t scold us too much when the officer stopped by the house to investigate. But I am sure they were mumbling under their breath and cursing us back at the station.
Lesson learned: 911 is very prompt and Alex should be banned from any real live communication tools.
Better late than never, but here are Alex’s most recent photos. As you can see, he is always in action and refuses to sit still for the camera. If I do catch him, he is usually not very happy, as I am slowing him down. In addition, I find that I am spending more time playing with him, than actually taking pictures of him. The days of propping him up in the bouncer for his daily photo shoot are long gone!
Click here to enjoy more of his 12 month pictures.
Three weeks away from writing means one thing: Alex has been keeping us extremely busy.
In those 21 days Alex has aged like never before, as we have recorded countless firsts, including headstands, pool time and toddler tantrums, and perfected even more of those little boy skills and behaviors. And during that time, we all successfully survived a 7 day / 6 night trip to Kiawah Island that sent Alex to the Grandparents and Andy and I to a much needed adult only vacation. So since his birthday and my last blog, we now have:
- More Dancing: He’s added a head shake, arm swing and deeper knee bends. But more importantly, he’s discovered where the ipod is located to signal “it’s music time.”
- More Babbling: Still not a definite “mama,” but we got an Aunt “en.”
- More Toys: And they are getting bigger, brighter and louder!
- More Affection: Although he gave up snuggling a few months ago, his PDA is back in full swing with plenty of kisses (including on Casey’s nose) and lots of bear hugs. Strangers even get some lovin, as store clerks, bank tellers, waitresses and any passerby get the two handed “I am very excited to see you” wave.
- More Food: We are still holding on to a few Gerber jars to make sure he is getting his fruit and veggies, but now the little guy can order off of almost any menu. However, his latest choice of cuisine – Purina Dog Chow – leaves a little less to be desired.
- More Laundry: Grass, mulch, dirt, pool chlorine, sidewalk chalk, milk and all those finger foods seem to find their way onto whatever he is wearing. A sure sign that it is summertime and he is independent … and I can no longer protect him from the elements.
He shows her off to visitors and strangers. He kisses her good morning and good night. He stops periodically to give her hugs (or poke her in the eye). He watches her through the window when she goes outside to do her doggy business. He won’t go on a walk unless she is following. He chases her around the house, and then teases her with crackers and cereal bars to chase him.
So I have to get out of the habit of saying my son is “one.” I am learning there is a big difference between a 12-month and 13-month old. Not only does is seem like Alex has made leaps in bounds in every development and growth category over the past 4 weeks, but it also seems expectations are greater for those 12 + 1. He is definitely a toddler - showing those behaviors - and I also find people are less forgiving now that he is not officially a baby.
You always here these stories through a friend of a friend, and they ultimately take on an urban legend status. But yesterday, at exactly 5:57 pm, according to police records, Alex dialed 911.
Better late than never, but here are Alex’s most recent photos. As you can see, he is always in action and refuses to sit still for the camera. If I do catch him, he is usually not very happy, as I am slowing him down. In addition, I find that I am spending more time playing with him, than actually taking pictures of him. The days of propping him up in the bouncer for his daily photo shoot are long gone!
Three weeks away from writing means one thing: Alex has been keeping us extremely busy.
