Recent Milestones + Videos!

we're having a terribly busy week (work wise), but i just have to take a second and document some of the big changes around here with our little 14 month old! 

last night as tag was taking his last serving of milk in his sippy cup, i realized that i think we can safely say we've transitioned out of using a bottle!  it took about a week.  he still likes the milk warm or room temperature (but not cold).  and he won't drink it like water with a meal, but he'll suck it down when he wakes up, before his afternoon nap, and before bed. 

i also realized that i need to relax and let everything happen in it's right time.  i tried to take the bottle away from tag around 12 months and he wasn't having it!  i was kind of discouraged because it seemed like he was staying on top of the curve with all things eating and drinking.  i've tried to sneak some milk in a few other times since then, and sometimes he literally spewed it out when he got a mouth full of milk instead of water.  but then i had another itch to try it this week, and he went for it!    

tag is a terrific eater, but lately he's given up his first love--apples.  he will suck down some apple sauce out of those squeezy things in like 10 seconds, though.  i'm thinking maybe he just enjoyed apples a lot while he was cutting teeth.  now that he's got a mouth full, i think he's impatient with trying to eat off the core.  he'll eat apple's in bite sizes, but when i had him a whole peeled apple, he takes like 2 bites and tosses it.  he does love a good pear though.  i can hand him one (skin on) and within 10 minutes he's holding the core and has pear juice and goo in his hair. 

tag's grams gave him a set of plastic fruit (melissa and doug), and he really enjoys them!  i can say, "where's your apple?" and he'll go get it.  he also knows banana really well.  in fact he says 'apple' (apo) and 'banana' (nananana).  this kid loves to eat a banana too!  tag has enjoyed pears also, but i think he still thinks they are apples?    

speaking of words, tag learned the signs for 'all done' and 'more.'  he can say 'more' too, but it comes out like 'moe!'-- and it's definitely in a command tone.  he tries to say 'all done' but it sounds a bit different each time.  he also says 'mama' (not to be confused with 'moe' for 'more' which i think only b and i can differentiate), and he says 'dada' and 'papa.'  tag says 'duh' when he sees a dog.  i think that's because we've been trying to get him to say 'durham'?  and he does say 'bye' too!  in fact he and his buddy hudson both successfully said 'bye' to one another yesterday-- their first real word conversation!  he may say more words, but those are the only ones i'm confident i know.

tag loves music.  he dances to anything... even a beat that brentley will tap out on the counter.  when brentley plays his guitar, tag dances.  when the intro to thomas the train or yo gabba gabba come on, he really gets down! 

he really loves reading.  he loves to flip through books on his own, and have us read too.  he basically loves any one-on-one attention.  he's doing a lot better sleeping in his pack-n-play lately, and this last week at home group he didn't cry but for maybe minute.  he slept pretty well when we went to visit family in VA too, all things considered.  

we finally found a diaper that will work for 12 hours for him, and this has caused him to sleep until 6:30-7am instead of waking up around 5--woo hoo!!!  

tag is a HUGE flirt.  he know's how to get anyone smiling at him, and he really enjoys interacting with others.  he plays pretty well on his own, but doesn't like to be in a room alone for long.  i'm not sure why we have so many toys becuase his favorite things almost always end up being some household item.  he loves a remote or a phone.  he grabs anything that even resembles a phone and holds it to his ear.  his favorite thing to do in his room is unplug anything that is plugged in.  then he may go grab a piece of fruit and chew on it while he thinks on what he can get into next.  it's rarely the toy box though... mostly, he waits for me to sneak out so he can pull all the things out of the drawers he can reach.  or so he can rip pages from the good books.        

tag is such a tactile little creature.  he loves to touch and taste and feel everything.  at church he likes to go feel the textures of the walls and the glass windows.  he bangs on things to see the sound they make.  everywhere he goes, he reaches out to touch things.  at the park, he finds the nearest tree to touch... i have to coax him onto the playground.  he looks to the ground to pick up leaves and sticks and he almost always considers putting them in his mouth.  he is a sweet and cuddly nugget too!  he will give a big ol' bear hug--especially when he's tired or just waking up.  he likes to poke peoples eyes and noses and pull ears and touch teeth.  it looks like he will be a hands on learner, for sure! 

i have discovered though, that the paci is next on our list of things to attempt to transition.  though i am trying to be patient and make sure the timing is right for tag.  my new rule is for the paci to pretty much stay in his room (for sleep).  when he doesn't have it, he seems to want to bite more.  Usually it's just me, brentley, and julia, but he also responds to dicipline in a fit of rage and will find my hand to try to bite it.  though, he knows "no biting" and does obey most of the time. 

i'm not sure if it's too soon, but the doctor did say it could hinder his speech, and i should try to take it away during the day where possible.  i still give it to him when he's sleepy-- more or less to get us safely to bed without being eaten.  he has a mouth full of sharp little dino teeth!  so, yeah, we're working on that issue... can't have him munchin' on baby girl! 

anyway, to finish up this post about what a little toddler tag has become, i wanted to share these videos from the past few months.  i have been on an organizing kick (making room for baby girl), and i had this empty box lying around waiting to be used.  this is tag at 14 months. 

this second video is tag playing with the same toys around 13 months. 

This is tag trying something new at 12 months.  It always takes him a few bites to get familiar with a new food, but he did end up loving this orange cottage cheese salad.