I started this post 2 months ago, when G turned 15 months old...and it has been languishing in "draft" mode ever since. There are pictures that were taken at our old house because I started this post that long ago.
(whine alert: we have been unusually busy for the past few months...have I mentioned that already? I am so ready for the dust to settle a bit!)
Our little big guy is
He continues to reveal (or develop?) his precious little personality. He is quite the ham...always looking for a game...and always ready to play and flirt.
At his 15-month well-child appointment Gabriel was 30.5 inches tall, and weighed 23 lb 4 oz.
His four 1st year molars all came in soon after he turned one, and now two of his top 2nd year molars are pushing through, so he has 14 teeth now. And wow, does he know how to use them. His pincer grasp is great and he loves for us to put bits of food on his highchair tray so he can feed himself.
And he's so proud of himself.
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| His hands are blurry because he was moving them so fast, clapping for himself! |
In fact, one time, soon after Gabriel first began to feed himself, he was very, ummmmm...put out when Jas tried to feed him. Jas wasn't sure what G was so upset about at first. But then G settled right down when Jas put his food on his tray so he could feed himself. Little independent, you think?
He doesn't always want to be independent, though. He still loves to ride in the Ergo.
The only time I use it at the house is some late afternoons (4:30-5:30ish, the witching hour?) when I'm trying to get supper finished up and he just will not be content unless I hold him.
So I really only use the Ergo when we're out and about and I want to keep him close, content...and safe: the library, during the co-op distribution, etc. When we're at Wally World and places like that, he rides in the cart...and he is happy to ride there and spends the time looking smug at what a big boy he is!
People marvel aloud at how content he is in the Ergo...but he has always just loved it. And I love how much he loves it.
So, he doesn't spend hardly any time at all in the Ergo at our house: when he is awake (and not eating), he is down playing and crawling all around. Notice I didn't say "toddling all around." He is still not walking. He is pulling up...and cruising great...and even letting himself back down safely. But he is not walking. I know there is totally a range on what is normal...but this is the kind of thing that stresses this worry-prone mama out. I know that G is fine, and that he will just walk when he is good and ready. But I did ask a pediatrician that we saw recently about something else (more about that visit later) and after watching him get all over the exam room for 30-40 minutes, she reassured me that he is just fine. I know that (pointing to my head)...but it was still nice to hear. And I'll still feel a little better when he actually starts walking.
So, I want G to walk. And yet...I don't. Becaaaaaaaause...then he'll have to move to the toddler room at church. And we love, love, LOVE the women who watch him in the baby nursery room on Sunday nights while Jas and I meet with our Community Group. Laura Kate and Shelly. Love these women. Mainly because they love my baby. When I show up to pick him up (I always call dibs and tell Jas that I get to be the one to go get G!)...they are full of stories of what he did during his time there and one time they showed me a short video they'd taken of him. I've told Laura Kate and Shelly that when it is time for Gabriel to move to the toddler room, they have to move with him! Kidding...kidding. Or not.
But make no mistake, Mr. G is a big boy. Ever since we moved into the new house, he has a room all to himself, and has done great. AND...drumroll, please...he started sleeping through the night! Well, mostly. Usually. Except for when, well...except for when he doesn't. But he usually does. When he was about 13 or 14 months old he all of a sudden started sleeping through.
Two to three months ago I thought that G was getting to the point where he was ready to drop his morning nap...but it lasted for only a few days and he is now back to taking 2 - and sometimes 3 - naps a day. He will normally sleep until about 8 or 9 a.m....and then he will be ready to lay back down for a morning nap about an hour and a half later. The morning nap may last for 1-2 hours. And then we'll all have lunch together and he'll be ready to lay back down at 2 or 3 p.m. for another 2-3 hour nap. But this schedule I've just outlined is a normal day...and we haven't had too many "normal" anythings these past few months. On an abnomal day (like when we went to Abby's wedding recently) he could easily do this: Wake up early, be awake from 7:15 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. (yes, P.M.!), have only a 30-minute nap during all that time...and be happy the whole time. We seriously have the most go-with-the-flow baby ever.
One of Mr. G's favorite things is music. He just can't seem to help himself: when he hears music, his little body just starts wiggling. So. stinkin'. cute. Yesterday, a car went by and had its music thumping (way too loud, if this 40-year old curmudgeon is honest) and G just started getting his groove on. And if he is fussy (like during diaper changes that he now doesn't appreciate having to be still for) all we have to do is start singing and he literally instantly stops fussing.
He is still putting stuff in his mouth. When does this phase stop?
He no longer puts everything in his mouth...but still lots of stuff. Way too much for this mama's comfort.
The two most interesting things he has put in his mouth since we moved into our new house:
- a rock from the gas fireplace in the family room
- a cricket. a dead cricket. Does "dead" make it better? Living "out" means that critters of all sorts (and I do mean "all") try to get into our house (who can blame them? it is HOT out there!). We have had a cricket invasion recently, and frequently find crickets who have somehow found their way in...and then expired. Well, G found one and apparently decided it looked like food. I got it out of his mouth...and then I almost threw up.
It is a picture I love, showing all my favoritist people. G loves it too...but to him, everyone in the picture is "Daddy." (sounds more like "dajjy", though) He gets this big grin on his face and says, "Dajjy." And then you point to another person and ask who that is, and he says, "Dajjy!". And who is that? "Dajjy!" And so on...
If I didn't know G loved me...I would think he didn't love me.
And Gabriel does love our new little kitty, Smoky. "Key-ca! Key-ca!"
He is totally fascinated by her and gets a big grin on his face whenever he sees her. She is living in our sunroom until she gets big enough to be a full-fledged outdoor cat....so he only makes "supervised" visits with her.
He surprised me with how gentle he is with her. Not gentle, exactly, but not rough. He even made up his own sign: whenever we say "Be gentle with Smokey...be sweet with Smoky"...he pats his upper chest (seen here)...
But G is not gentle all the time. He has started loving to get in on all the wrestling matches that take place here regularly.
He gets right in the mix...
...like he's a big boy.
But Gabriel has a softer more genteel side also.
Although, he doesn't always utilize his accessories in the manner that I would.
When he sees you wearing glasses, a headband, hat or such...
...he's not satisfied until HE is wearing it.
This picture below shows something else that Mr. G loves now also:
...cars!
His big brother Noah is so proud!
I had no idea that the love of all things cars started so young!
When Gabriel holds his arms out to me to indicate that he wants me to hold him, he has started curling his fingers in repeatedly, meaning, "come here, mama!" Ahhh...it's enough to melt me everytime.
Of course, I am feeling a little "hormonal" right now. We've just finished weaning Gabriel. I am so absolutely thankful and feel so blessed that I was able to breastfeed him at all...not to mention until he was 17.5 months. The weaning process has gone smoothly, relatively speaking. Not surprisingly, it was harder (physically and emotionally) on me than it was on Gabriel.
Looking at this picture below makes me want to cry.
How is it possible to love another person so?
He is sooo cute!!
ReplyDeleteAll my kids were late walkers. My bio kids were two months premature, so that probably was part of it, but for one of my boys he was so fast at crawling he didn't bother with taking steps! We had wood floors, and finally one visit to his great grandmother's apartment with wall to wall carpeting he starting walking (at 17-18 mos).
My adopted little one took a couple of steps at 14 mos, but then we entered crazy summer season with trips, and people, and she stopped taking steps. Finally when life calmed down she started walking, must have been again at 17-18 mos.