Liam - 15 months

Date/Week: March 22nd; 15 months

Milestones: 

• He walks more like a normal kid and less like a zombie
• Liam likes to slide down the slide
• He waters plants in the garden and pulls up weeds
• We've begun to hear a symphony of 'no' 
• Yoghurt is his favourite food
• First time joining Aidan at the front of the church for the end of the service
• Loves the local bananas that are just the right size for little hands
• will fill the basket during shopping at the farmer's market when you prompt him to pick up tomatoes, potatoes, etc
• Has learned to blow the dandelion puffballs in his grandparent's garden
• Likes the penguins in 'Mary Poppins' and many Rogers and Hammerstein songs
• 15 months and not one bottle of baby food eaten! Baby led weaning rocks!!!
• When he drops something or wants something, he says 'Ca - wol' (Carol), which is his teacher's name. Since it is also my mom's name, it gave her a real shock that he was calling her name one day (particularly since he's been getting pretty good saying gramma and grampa)
• Signed his grandmother's birthday card with blue scribble - and used both hands to do it!

Developmental Progress:  

• If you say 'cows go' he says 'moo'
• He eats more consistently with a spoon and is getting better spearing food with a fork
• Drinks very well from a straw (which was surprise for me since we don't use them so it must be from school)
• He plays pretty well with a ball - mostly throwing it and sometimes kicking it
• Will read to himself from his board books - turning pages and pointing at the items on the page
• When singing 'row, row, row your boat' he will start the next series of 'row,row, row' when you finish the last line
• He is trying to run! If he holds you hands or has his hands between 2 people, he will start running. He sort of jogs on his own
• Uses both baby sign language and words - but we're pushing the use of words more since we've been delinquent on learning more sign language words
• He's been working on breaking into cabinets with the child locks - the ones we purchased at the stores seem to be targets. When we use rubber bands, he finds it difficult and he loses interest.
• Opening and closing doors is his forte - gates, french doors, bathroom doors... you name it. He also plays a mean game of peek-a-boo from the other side

Thoughts and Feelings? 

It has been a busy month and we look forward to weekends and evenings for a little down time during play time. As we move into a really busy phase (April - July) thanks to Pipe Band / Regiment Band / my school work / our regular work, time with Liam is a light at the end of the tunnel of each day!


As for my fitness, I have had an awful month. I feel that I need to do something because I have gained weight since weaning Liam. Plus, with allergies I feel really awful so working through that is necessary. I cannot let myself fall apart!

What I am looking forward to: 


Starting the research for my dissertation because I was granted approval to do so this month!

Liam - 14 months

Date/Week: February 22nd; 14 months

Milestones: 

• Liam is walking more than he crawls! 
• Liam now has 6 teeth. the teeth on either side of his front teeth have come in. The teeth next to those are about to break so we should probably have 8 teeth in the next few weeks. 
• He has recently stopped breastfeeding. I have a new appreciation for cabbage thanks to this.
• We've been experimenting with different types of milk. He didn't mind oat milk but didn't like almond milk. Rice milk is his favourite. We're now doing a week on cow's milk to see if the congestion issues come back.
• Liam knows that the dogs get a treat before we leave so he goes tot he cupboard, takes out the treats, walks to the dog area, gets one of us to hand him the treats, feeds Bronwyn and Ptolemy, takes the back back from us and puts the bag back in the cupboard - Excellent!
• He has participated in his first PALS Walk!
• When he wakes up in the morning he turns on the music in his crib and plays until you come to get him.

Developmental Progress:  

• He is linking some words together i.e. 'dog woof'
• Liam can feed himself using a spoon or fork. 
• His coordination while walking is getting better and better. He can bend down, change direction, and even run a bit. He still keeps his hands out in front of him though.
• He does a lot of things while playing - rolling things, stacking things, pushing things, climbing on, over and up things. And he is learning to put his toys away.
• His preferred parent is 'da da' but when irritated by his dad he was follow me around saying 'mum mum mum'
• He loves trying to walk up steps with help and climb them without help (we're behind him when he does this.
• He uses baby sign language regularly to ask to 'eat', 'more' and 'all done'.
• His most used words - 'da da', 'mum mum', 'dog', 'ow', 'thank you', 'outside', 'let's go', 'duck', what's that', 'no', 'book' - there are a number of others that we're starting to hear as well.
• He is very helpful when getting dressed. He will push his arms though and try to put clothing over his head or on his feet. Granted, he is much faster getting undressed!

Thoughts and Feelings? 

We've all been through the cold that just doesn't seem to end, of which the cough still remains. In the midst of this and teething, we continue to monitor Liam's ears. His next appointment is on March 13th.


With better weather this winter, we have been getting outdoors more than at this point last year. We did some gardening on Saturday and Liam loved it. He's been playing with his plastic gardening tool and even sleeps with the hoe. I guess beach season will be fun as I assume he will  get into the sand this year - then again, he doesn't like grass so sand may be a no-no!


We're thinking about vacation 2012, which will not be happening until the 2nd half of the year. On one hand we're thinking toddler friendly activities and on the other hand we want to relax. We'll see what we come up with using those parameters.

What I am looking forward to: 


Will I get in trouble if I say July...

Liam - 13 months

Date/Week: January 22nd; 13 months

Milestones: 

• Liam is now in the toddler class at school. 
• Before he started, we had his feet measured (3.5) and got him his first pair of StrideRite sneakers. He also has a pair of 'dress shoes' but he still fits the 6-12 month size. 
• Liam's front teeth came in between Christmas and New Years.
• We've begun the process to get Liam to take his liquids from a cup - currently he goes to school with both a bottle and a cup and he has a cup with dinner.
• He LOVES his tricycle
• Liam is 10% percentile weight and 25% percentile height

Developmental Progress:  

• He has about 8 words but he copies as well
• He can stand and walk on his own but he chooses not to 
• He knows to pat the dogs/cats gently
• He is actively trying to manipulate the situation when you say 'no'
• He colours on paper a bit
• He can point out animals in his books
• He hums/sings along with 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'

Thoughts and Feelings? 


We have come into 2012 with concerns over Liam's ears. He had fluid in his ears again for his 1 year appointment and he will probably be put on antibiotics and be sent for a hearing test at his 15 month appointment if it is still the case. I expect that we will consider grommets as there are the concerns of hearing loss and slow speech development if the ear infections continue to be bad. The preference of the doctor is to let him grow out of it but we'll see if that would be best.


As for the everything else, it's a matter of developing new routines, making sure there's enough time for walks with the tricycle and playing and many, many books! I do hope that this year is as enjoyable as Liam's first.

What I am looking forward to: 


What shall we do for vacation 2012?

Liam - Week 52

 Date/Week: December 22nd; week 52

Milestones: Our Little Boy is 1! First Holiday Open House on Dec 18th. No longer Baby Liam - Baby Benjamin was born on Dec 16th (Liam's first male cousin). 2nd haircut. Featured prominently in this year's Christmas letter (to be published to the family blog shortly).

Developmental Progress:  He hums/sings 'Jingle Bells'. Continues to take a few steps on his own. Drinks from sippy cup as easily as the bottle. Loves to 'read' his own books.

Energy level: I'm a little frazzled at the moment...

Exercise: only walking - putting together my fitness programme for 2012 though!

Thoughts and Feelings? I cannot believe that Liam is 1. It has been such a busy year. And even this week - with the Open House, Student Event at work, turning in the dissertation proposal, Liam's b-day, Christmas - it's been crazy. I am glad to have captured so much of it and am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to see Liam's journey from this vantage point!

What I am looking forward to: Christmas is coming!

Newborn

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

1 year card

Liam - Week 51

Date/Week: December 14th; week 51

Milestones: First Christmas Concert (he was Joseph); Has sandwiches for lunch (he loves them)

Developmental Progress:  Understanding more words; will usually hand you something if you ask for it. 

Energy level: So much catching up to do to get ready for Christmas after a week away. I will admit that I am a little overwhelmed at the moment.

Exercise: only walking

Thoughts and Feelings? There is so much still to do to prepare for our Open House, Liam's 1st birthday and Christmas. I am looking forward to some downtime. On a positive note, the tree is up with lights on it and the Christmas cards with Christmas letter included have been mailed.

What I am looking forward to: All the festivities of the coming two and a half weeks!

Liam - Week 51

Date/Week: December 14th; week 51

Milestones: First Christmas Concert (he was Joseph); Has sandwiches for lunch (he loves them)

Developmental Progress:  Understanding more words; will usually hand you something if you ask for it. 

Energy level: So much catching up to do to get ready for Christmas after a week away. I will admit that I am a little overwhelmed at the moment.

Exercise: only walking

Thoughts and Feelings? There is so much still to do to prepare for our Open House, Liam's 1st birthday and Christmas. I am looking forward to some downtime. On a positive note, the tree is up with lights on it and the Christmas cards with Christmas letter included have been mailed.

What I am looking forward to: All the festivities of the coming two and a half weeks!

Liam - Week 50

Date/Week: December 7th; week 50

Milestones: 1st Christmas Fair; now has a walker; 1st time away from me for more than one night

Developmental Progress:  He is able to navigate his walker - turn, push it backwards, etc. Getting better at 'patting' the dogs

Energy level: I went from frantic before flying on Monday to a few restless nights due to being in a strange place... but I am a bit more relaxed than usual

Exercise: Dance class on Saturday was good. Looking at what activities will make up my workout programme for 2012 - I need to look at getting back my endurance

Thoughts and Feelings? I miss my family. I speak to Aidan (and Liam) nightly and each morning. I am enjoying the intellectual aspect of this conference but it is tough to be apart from Liam for my first time. He isn't eating his solids and is clingy so he is missing me too. This is a tough first for me...

What I am looking forward to: Going home...