The Boy: Sixteen Months Old!

Once again, I have no idea how time is able to pass so quickly. And yet here we are, another month gone, with a sixteen-month-old boy. Wow.

We are perpetually amazed by how smart, sweet, and wonderful our boy is. Every day he makes us smile more than the day before, even when we aren't sure how it can be possible. Every day he makes us so thankful, so grateful, that we are his parents and that we have the privilege of spending our days with this incredible little person, this wonderful little creation. Here's what's new with our little wonder-boy:

- He finally likes eggs! His daddy shared an egg sandwich with him for lunch on Monday, and he loved it!

- He "reads" to us; he turns the pages of his books and mumbles a little as he pauses on the page.

- He follows direction very well. "Go upstairs," "Let's go to the kitchen," "Go get your ball," etc.

- He seems to be very close to saying a word or two. I think his first might be "ball" or "dog." Or "this." (As exciting as that would be, right?)

- He was down to one long nap at noon, until we returned from NY. Now he's back to two naps around 10am and 2pm. He's happy, so this doesn't bother me either way. He'll nap when he's tired, right?

We went back to Hickam Beach to take some pictures of the boy. He wasn't super cooperative (there was too much to climb on, pick up, and see), but we took a ton of pictures anyway. I'm sure you wouldn't believe that this is only some of them, but I swear there were plenty more.

Traveling with a 15 Month Old

We've travelled with AJ many, many times in his short little life so far, and fortunately we've been getting smarter and smarter about it. Here's what we learned this time (along with a few cellphone shots of the boy on our travels):

Meals: Figuring out meals as you go is not a great plan. We did this on the way to Albany, and it was a pain. And messy. So for the way back, I stopped at Target and bought three different Ella's Kitchen baby food pouches. AJ eats table food exclusively now, but for mess-free airplane meals these veggie-and-fruit-only pouches are amazing. These will be a go-to for future trips! Also, nursing-friendly tops are very helpful for discreet nursing while seated 2.5 inches from a complete (often male) stranger. I just layered a cotton t-shirt over a stretchy camisole; camisole covers the belly, bottom of the t-shirt covers baby's mouth. Pair those with quick mama reflexes (for when distractible toddler suddenly decides he is all done for the eleventh time in two minutes), and our flights were wardrobe-malfunction free.

 Crazy boy sitting so well for a picture on the way to NY.

Luggage: On the way to Albany, we mailed two large flat-rate USPS boxes full of clothes to my parents' house and carried two bags (a diaper bag and a shoulder bag) on the plane. It was nice to not carry everything, but the shipping cost $30 and the two bags I did carry were still kind of heavy and really uncomfortable. On the way back to Honolulu, I packed all of our things into a carry-on suitcase that my mom wanted to donate and carried the necessities in the backpack my wonderful husband ordered me for the Ergo baby carrier. It's a great size, and can be worn as a regular backpack or attached to the front of the Ergo depending on your needs. This made our return trip much more comfortable and enjoyable! (It was somewhat less enjoyable to learn that the airline had left our luggage in Phoenix, but thankfully we got it back the next day. Next time, I'll just carryon one suitcase to avoid the headache.)

Sleepy boy did so very well on the flights back to Honolulu!

Diaper changes: We used cloth diapers throughout our trip, even during 12+ hours of flying through three different airports. And you know what? I'd do it again next time. Honestly, the only downside I can think of is that they take up a bit more space, but I'm okay with that. (Okay, and when he pooped on the long flight back to Honolulu and I had to change him in the tiny airplane lavatory that was not equipped with a changing table, that may have counted toward the downside. Picture a distraught mother looking in every nook and cranny of said 2'x2' lavatory for a changing table, feeling like a moron for not being able to find it - we later learned this older plane had none, which helped my ego a bit - and then changing the 2-1/2' tall boy while he stood on the floor next to me and knocked my glasses off my face. Better yet, don't picture it. It was kind of awful.) So, what did all of this teach me? 1. Cloth diapers are fine, even for transoceanic trips. 2. When changing a toddler on your lap, they are much happier with the situation if their head is near your head, not hanging off your lap near your feet. 3. When changing a stinky toddler in an airplane bathroom, take his shorts off first (as in while you're at your seat), don't waste time looking for the darn changing table if it's not glaringly obvious where it is, and make it quick. It's not like he's enjoying it either.

Watching us takeoff from O'Hare.

Layovers: In trying to keep the boy happiest on the planes where he was much more confined, I tried to tire him out as much as possible at the airports during our layovers. On the way back to Hawai'i, this meant letting him run around the terminal while I followed closely behind. I got a ton of side-eyes for being that mom, but I figured that if he were to scream on the plane next to any of the side-eyers, they would have wished that he had rid himself of some of his restlessness prior to boarding. So, run around the airport, as politely and quietly as possible, it was. "We go behind people, not in front of them," and "We already ate, we don't need to go into that restaurant" were a couple of phrases that I had to use once or twice (or maybe a thousand) times. Unfortunately, so was "AJ, please be GENTLE!" when he found three little boys to play with near our gate. Sometimes he's such a great playmate. This time, he squeezed the littlest boy's arm like crazy; I'm not even sure why, and I felt so horrible, even though the little guy didn't seem to care all that much. Let's hope there's no repeat of that, little boy!

Checking out the baseball exhibit in Phoenix's Sky Harbor Int'l.

All in all, traveling with the boy was wonderful. He was so good on the plane; he was the biggest flirt I've ever seen with every lady we encountered. We sat next to parents of many (six, then nine) on our last two flights back home, which made those legs of the journey much more enjoyable. (Much more so than when we sat next to the twenty-something young man who attempted to play solitaire a few inches from AJ on one of our flights. 52 card pick-up, anyone? Yikes.) As long as I kept our luggage to a minimum, stayed positive, and tried to go with the flow as much as possible, things went well. When I let myself get frustrated and overwhelmed, or got caught up in how very tired I was after traveling alone with a toddler for 12+ hours, things got a little crazy. Sometimes - most of the time - it's all in the attitude. While I'm not planning on making such a huge trip without James again, I'm not at all anxious about our next trip like I was about this one. With a little prep work and a lot of smiles, traveling with baby in tow can be a good time!

Our beautiful view of O'ahu: Almost home!

15 Months!

What an exciting month this has been. So many changes! We definitely feel like our baby is getting to be too much of a big boy, that's for sure. We wish you'd slow down, mister, but from what I've gathered from other mamas, that's not likely to be happening around here. Here's what you're up to these days:

- You have nine teeth; molar #1 has finally come through, and the others are on their way. (I hope they hurry!)

- You are nursing like CRAZY, we think thanks to those molars that I was just talking about. Goodness, I thought last month was bad? This is just insane, and I cannot wait for life to return to normal as far as nursing is concerned.

- Your eating is kind of sporadic. You make faces at everything, sometimes you eat almost nothing, and other times you stuff your mouth with more food before you've even chewed and swallowed what's already in there. It's a little (okay, sometimes maybe more than a little) frustrating, but we know that it's just a stage and you'll grow out of it soon enough.

- You can sign "agua," "mas," "all done," and "please."

- You know where your belly, ears, and eyes are.

- You high five! Your daddy and I have a lot of fun with this one.

- You can now reach things that are on the kitchen counters. That's no good.

- As of your fifteen month well-visit on the eleventh, you weigh 23 pounds 14.2 ounces (clothed) and measure 31-1/4 inches tall.

- Your bumGenius diapers are still snapped down a row (rise) and are on the second tightest row of snaps (waist). That means you've got a TON of growing room in these diapers, dude, for which we are very happy!

- We have a pretty consistent bedtime routine now, which consists of putting on a nighttime diaper and pajamas, laying you down in bed, and reading a story. You go to sleep without a fuss most nights and always without nursing.

I'm sure we're forgetting so much, because it seems like every hour you're mastering some skill or learning something completely new. It is so much fun for us to just sit and watch you do your little dude thing, wondering what is going on in that mind of yours as you do it. You fascinate us, sir, every moment of every day.

More, please!

There've been quite a few firsts around here lately. AJ can now sign "agua" and "mas" ("water" and "more"), and he's already using those signs regularly and usually without prompting. So exciting! He can also play peek-a-boo correctly, as of dinnertime tonight. I was trying to feed him, and in between each bite the silly boy was peek-a-booing, very proudly. Such a goofball!

After he grew tired of peek-a-boo, he begged to get down out of the high chair. This drives me crazy when I am sure that he is still hungry, but I let him, and he ran off to play. Five or so minutes later, when we were over at the computer Skyping with the Laguesse family, AJ decided that he was definitely still hungry.

He came over to the computer, reached up and grabbed my hand, and walked me all the way into the kitchen. He looked up at the spaghetti on the counter and waited, quite confident that I knew exactly what he wanted. I gave him a forkful and he immediately walked away to continue playing. No sooner than I was back at the computer to talk to Nikki was he there too, reaching up for my hand. This happened over and over and over again. As soon as I made it back to the desk, there he was, wanting more spaghetti!

These are the moments, the stories, the memories, that I am sure will bring a smile to my face so many years from now - when our boy is way too cool to even be seen with us, let alone eat an entire meal with us. That won't really happen, right?

14 Months

A few days ago, I was thinking that I should start writing AJ's fourteen month post so that I didn't forget all of the new things he's been doing. Then I forgot. Today, I looked at the calendar and thought, "June 10th... June 10th... Why do I feel like there's something I should be remembering about June 10th?" Finally it dawned on me, and I looked over at the boy and said "Aw, dude! You're fourteen months old today!" I guess with the way that time has been flying by, it's almost understandable that today nearly slipped past us. I am, however, very glad that I remembered! (There are pictures that need to be taken!)

Before we get to the pictures (he's napping now, and I'll wait until James gets home anyway - Daddy gets better smiles), I'll try to remember all of the things that the big boy has been up to in this past month. Let's see...

- You answer yes or no to questions with a nod or shake of your head. Sometimes - often times - quite vehemently!

- You like to "clean" with a washcloth; either yourself, the floor, or the table. So cute!

- When we're reading, you now point to pictures in the book and look at us, waiting for us to tell you what it is.

- You now climb safely down the stairs. Daddy showed you how to turn around and go down backward, and you mastered the skill right away.

- You've made your first (but I'm sure not last) visit to the E.R. Let's try not to make it a habit though, okay?

- You weigh around 24 pounds.

- You have seven teeth. Number eight and your top molars are almost there, too.

- You've figured out how to take your diaper off. I'm not so excited about this development. Diapers with snaps are now our favorite, sir.

- You're starting to pick up after yourself, putting your books back in the sling and putting your toys back in the toy box. (Or in the garbage. Whichever. Actually, the garbage can is now semi-permanently relocated in the laundry room for this very reason.)

- You can follow simple directions, such as "Bring me the ball, please!" and "Put your tools back in your tool box, please!" (Weren't you just a baby a couple of days ago? This is big boy stuff, dude!)

- You help me get you dressed by lifting up your feet and stepping through pant and short legs, and by pushing your arms through your shirts. When I asked for your shoes this evening so that I could put them away, you looked down and wiggled your feet around, contemplating how you could get them off.

- You sleep in a toddler bed in your own room for both naps and bedtime, instead of sleeping with Mama and Daddy during the night. Thankfully, the transition was incredibly smooth! You're still getting up several times during the night; sometimes I have to nurse you back to sleep, and other times singing to you and giving you the pacifier will do the trick. Teething hasn't helped your night-wakings, I'm sure. Now that most of your teeth are almost through, maybe you'll be able to sleep better soon. My fingers are crossed!

- Speaking of nursing, you now "ask" to nurse by pulling on my shirt and nodding your head "yes" in a ridiculously exaggerated manner. Perhaps you'll learn to ask in a slightly more subtle way soon... In any case, you're still nursing several times a day and hardly ever bite anymore, thank goodness. Usually, I let you nurse whenever you want to, but occasionally you ask right after you've nursed a ton, so I've been redirecting you toward your water instead. Nine times out of ten, it works pretty well.

Alright, on to the pictures. These we taken on Hickam Air Force Base, which is right across the street from Pearl Harbor Naval Station. It took awhile to get him to smile, but these were some of the most fun photos we've taken yet!

The Many Faces of AJ

First, I have to tell this quick story about the boy's new eating habits. Let me preface that story with this: Since I was little, if I've had to eat something I'm not crazy about, I put it in applesauce (unless it's something that really doesn't go with applesauce) to mask the taste and/or texture. It wouldn't have surprised me if awhile down the road, I needed to try that trick with AJ, too. I didn't ever expect that I might need to hide the applesauce in something - let alone that the something would be spaghetti! And yet, here we are...

Okay, on to the faces. First, this was his way of saying, "Mama, I don't want anymore spaghetti-and-applesauce!" Subtle, no?

 Then, because we were laughing at his silliness and taking pictures of him, the rest of these faces followed:

What a way to end the evening!