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Monday, September 9, 2013

Parker Lately: 15 Months

Parker Bear turned 15-months on Monday, August 12th. (Ack! He will be turning 16 months this Thursday, I am slightly behind on my updating!)
It is nearly impossible for me to put into words just how much I love being his mommy! The joy and laughter he has brought into our lives in indescribable! I truly never imagined that being a mommy, being Parker's mommy, would be so incredibly wonderful!
There is so much to share about what our 15-month-old boy is doing these days! It seems he learns something new each and everyday.
First of all, words! Parker Bear has learned so many new words! He isn't saying any just yet but he sure does know many of the words that we are saying! Here are some of the words and phrases that he has down:
  • Mommy (looks at me)
  • Daddy (looks at Honey)  
  • Are you ready for a good nap (gives a little whine and reaches for me, he's always ready for his nap!)
  • Let's go get a clean dry diaper (puts his arms up, he knows that I'm going to take him when I say that)
  • Nurse (since we are weaning I only say this when we are going to nurse. Otherwise Honey and I say "N".)
  • Fan (looks up to find the ceiling fan)
  • Wave (waves his hand)
  • Truck (says OH OH and jumps excitedly while waving!)
  • It's bright, bright, bright out (covers eyes)
  • Milk (reaches for or drinks from milk cup)
And of course these phrases he has known for a while:
  • Where's Parker? (hides behind hands and then dramatically SURPRISES us!)
  • Clap (claps hands. Sometimes claps feet.)
  • Cash (this is the FIRST word he learned!)
  • Can Mommy have that please? or Give that to Mommy please. (Hands over whatever he has)
  • Pop your paci (spits paci out)
He has made some changes over the last month or so. Here are some highlights:
  • Rolling over. This is huge! Parker started doing this right around the time he turned 14 months. He loves to roll from his belly to his back where he laughs and laughs while his arms and legs are  just going in the air so fast! Then he will roll back to his belly only to quickly roll back onto his back where he laughs and wiggles again.
  • Waking up an hour earlier. Parker now wakes up at 8 am. He still goes to bed at 9 pm every night but is only getting 11 hours a night instead of the 12 he used to get. He is still napping twice a day - about one hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon.
  • Trying new foods. We always let him sample whatever we are eating and if he likes it then he has that along with us. But I always have food I know he likes on hand and about half the time he prefers something tried and true instead of the new foods he is sampling. He loves pancakes, taco meat, chicken, burgers, grilled cheese, banana, any kind of squash, and sweet potato. He does not like avocado or shredded cheese, two things most babies love. Go figure! He also has a serving of baby Greek yogurt after lunch and dinner. On two occasions he has had a 4-oz protein shake as part of his meal and he? Thought it was a milkshake. Both times he cried when it was all gone!
  • Weaning from nursing. Speaking of eating, we are slowly weaning Parker from nursing. In June, before we moved to Kansas, we had already weaned from the 3 pm nursing leaving us with 4 nursings every day: upon waking (8 am), after each nap (12 noon and 5 pm), and before bed (9 pm). Well, we are down to only nursing once a day - first thing in the morning! That nursing is very serious. In fact, Parker is not ready to smile or play until after he has nursed. And that is still a 15 minute nursing each morning. 
  • Communicating. Parker has just advanced so much in the way he communicates with us. For now his communication is probably only understood by mommy and daddy but he is learning little ways to let us know what he likes, doesn't like, wants or needs. If he is done with something (paci, sippy cup, a toy) he hands it to us as his way of saying "I'm through with this." If he doesn't want something we are handing him (usually food, but sometimes a toy or his paci) he gently pushes back at our hand to say "No thank you." And if he wants something he makes a noise like "Ah ah ah" and points at what it is as his way of saying "I'd like to see that please." Of course we say the words that we want him to eventually say as we communicate back to him. But for now it is so amazing to watch him develop his communication patterns.
  • Standing. Parker LOVES to stand up! He loves to hold our thumbs and balance on his feet. He loves to stand next to a low surface, like the couch, and play with toys there. He loves to play with some of his standing-up toys for as long as he can until his little legs get tired. Standing up is always one of his favorite things to do.
And Parker's most favorite thing ever? Cash Dog. Anything to do with Cash. He looks for Cash before all naps and bedtime to pet him and tell him goodnight. If Cash walks into the room Parker excitedly says OH OH and reaches out for Cash. Cash is the big hit around here and is most certainly Parker's favorite. No matter what else is going on, Cash is the one that is always guaranteed to get a smile from Parker Bear. As for Cash? Well, he loves Parker Bear right back. I love that these two have such a special connection. They are going to be the best of friends!
Sweet Parker, you have grown and changed so much in these last few months! Your daddy and I are so thankful to be with you every day to watch you learn and experience the world around you. You are our sweet, happy baby boy, full of personality and bringing joy to everyone you encounter. What a blessing you are to us each and every day! Happy 15 (almost 16!) months Parker Bear!

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