16 months

 

So I missed 15 months and I am very late on the 16 month post. Not too surprised. Everyone said the baby book is a little less filled out for each passing child. Although I was bound and determined to not let this happen to my kids..of course it's been one of those things that doesn't reach very high on the priority list. Eli's baby book doesn't look too bad, but I never missed a blog post for James.  It's amazing how much you change as a person along with your kids. Humility, grace, forgiveness, selflessness, decisiveness..these are just of the few character traits I feel God has only begun to teach me as I've been a mom for almost 3 years now. Being a mom has been more exhausting and trying than I ever imagined, but it's the best gift God could have given me. I love my boys more than words can explain.

Here's what Eli's been up to lately:

*2 naps a day. Great sleeper. Usually 1.5 hours each nap. Loves to sleep with his blanket and the newest comfort is Clifford. He gets his head up against the crib railing and puts Clifford between his legs.

*Has become less of an eater. Not as bottomless as he once was. He actually hates sitting in the highchair now. He's become so independent and loves to do everything that James does. So he wants to use his own silverware and sit on the bar stool like a "big boy." Except he doesn't sit very well. He wants to stand, sit, get down, and move around. It's a challenge sometimes. I have to get as much in him in the 10 minutes he's willing to sit before he signs, "all done" and will not for the life of him put "one last bite" in his mouth.

* CLIMBER. everything. everywhere.

* Ornery. Naughty. tests me. whatever you want to call it. He doesn't just listen when I say "no Eli". That usually means look at me and smile and then run faster to what it is I said no to. Or just completely ignore that I'm saying his name and continue on to his mission. He has taught me that it wasn't my "awesome parenting skills" that made James turn around when I said no. That was just the personality that God gave each of them.

pouty face

*Very soft hearted. He gets his feelings hurt. It is so sweet. The other day he had a bottle of water and he spilled it on his shorts and I said, "uh oh your shorts are wet now." I went back to talking and didn't think anything of it. Mike noticed he was sitting with his head down looking at his shorts for awhile so he went over to him and said, "are you sad because your shorts are wet?" Eli nodded his head. Mike said, "do you want me to hold you?" Eli nodded and started to cry and laid on Mike's shoulder for a good 5 mins. There have been several times in the past couple weeks that all of a sudden we'll notice that his head is down, or he's frozen in the position that he gets sad in and we'll ask if he's sad. He'll have a pouty lip and start crying and want to be held.

"airplane"

*Loves to antagonize James. He'll chase James. Take James' toy. Scream at him. It's kinda funny to watch. We've had to work with James to not hit him then and tell me, "Mom we have a problem!"
*Loves outside. swinging. sand. push car rides. walks in the stroller.
*Understands 95% of what we are saying..but will not say a single word. I think James is such a chatter box that Eli doesn't feel like he can get anything in! Eli communicates with us through a couple signs, or pointing, nodding yes and no, hand up in the air for airplane, screaming...but no legible words. If you tell him, "say..dog, mama, dadda, k" He will copy you pretty well, but he's not quite ready to attempt them on his own. He also makes a sound for cow, dog, car, and fish. His expressions are the cutest.