Fifteen Months

 Dear Levi,

I know I say this all the time, but the age you are at right now is so much fun!  Here are a few things you're up to:

• You eat just about anything we give you, but you especially love fruit (with the exception of peaches).  You could eat an entire container of berries in one sitting if we'd let you. 
• You've been obsessed lately with using a fork or spoon on your own, and you scream until we put your plate onto your tray.  This is difficult for both Dad and I because your food is more easily thrown on the ground when you have a whole plate of it, but we know that you can't eat off the table forever!  
• You have started pretending.  Gigi sent you this little wooden spoon and you love to stir and offer Dad and I a bite of whatever it is that you're making.

• You are learning new words every day.  You leave the last sound of most words off, but we know what you're saying.  Your new favorite word is "hot".  You walk past the oven, your humidifier, Dad's coffee, and the dishwasher and point and say "ha"
• You like to walk around tickling your belly and saying "tickle, tickle"
• You have started running the opposite direction when we say it's time to go.  You run and laugh.  Mindi said the other day, you ran and then fell back on your back laughing and kicking your feet in the air.

• You know exactly where to go when we say it's time to go "night night" or when it's time to change your diaper. 
• Gran gave you a puppy beanie baby at Christmas and you L-O-V-E it.  When we lay you down at night, you reach for the "do" and whenever you pick it up, you squeeze it tight and say "aww".  
• You are wearing size 4 diapers and 12 month clothes, but those 12 month pants won't fit around your cute little buddha belly for long!  
• You still take 2 naps a day, but I think you're getting close to dropping that morning nap.  We'll see.  You sleep from about 8 at night until about 7 in the morning.  
• You and Brooklyn have a love-hate relationship with each other.  Sometimes, you kiss and hug (although the way you hug slightly resembles tackling) and then other times, you hit and say "no, no" to each other.  
• You can find (on Mom and Dad) and say nose, eye, and sometimes mouth.  You also figured out where your nose is- and you love to put your finger up it.  The other day, you were sticking your finger so far up your nose that your eyes started watering!  YUCK!  

• You are active.  You run everywhere you go, and as a result of all that running, you fall a lot.  It doesn't seem to bother you much though.  
• Sometimes when there's music on or someone is singing, you "sing" along.  It is precious.  You're favorite song is "Hot Dog" (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).  When it comes on and we're in the car, you kick your feet and say "Dot Dog".  :)

I love the little personality that comes out through everything you do!  I love (and hate all at the same time) how much you are growing, learning, and changing each day.  Sometimes I miss the little baby that  cuddled and never wanted to be put down, but then you run around the corner giggling and I realize how much I love this stage (and my full night's sleep!).  :)   

Night Night

Tonight, when I laid Levi down in his bed, he grunted from behind his pacifier and pointed to his stuffed caterpillar from his birthday.  I handed it to him, and said "Night, night Levi.  I love you."

He looked at me and smiled and said "Night, Night"

So sweet.

Reading

Levi has really become more interested in reading over the last month or so.  Now, he still won't sit and listen to the story most of the time, but he will bring me books, say book, and usually sit long enough to look at a page or two.  Here is what I found the other day when I went to get Levi up from his nap:

Let's Give them Something to Talk About

While I've been home on my break, Levi's vocabulary has exploded!  In fact, if you ask Gigi (my grandmother), he said "I love you" to her.  I'm still not convinced of that one though.  :)

I love listening to his deep voice, and I love that he is communicating with us using things beyond grunts, points, screams, and cries.  I also love seeing how much he understands of what we're saying.  I know that not everyone wants to know the words he's saying right now, but I'd like to remember what he was able to say.

milk, up, down, go, yes, no, dog (do), George (jo), yeah, that, there, bye bye, hi, Pops (ba), all gone, diaper (dider), light, mama, dada, baby, whoa, ow, uh oh, nose, eye

He's also started using a modified sign for "more."  He's been watching Brooklyn.

Now there are other things Levi will repeat back to you (blue, yellow, rabbit, yogurt...), but the words I listed are the ones he is using appropriately (most of the time!).  I'm so glad I've been home with him for the last few weeks and have been able to see him learning all of these new things.

Children's Museum

While we were visiting family for New Years we took Levi down to the Children's Museum.  There were 5 adults there to watch one little toddler, but we had so much fun!  The second floor of the museum is called the Tot Spot.  At first, Levi was a little unsure of things and I think overstimulated, but he warmed up to things and ran from one toy to another.  Some of his favorite things were:

The musical instruments and mirrors at eye level,

He ran into this mirror and we all got a good laugh!  (After we made sure he was ok, of course!)

the toy car and truck, but especially the gas pump,

the sun-catcher flowers that spun,

the little baby obstacle course.  It had a ramp, some stairs, and some hills for them to navigate.  He was so proud of himself when he ran down the ramp!

And any button he could find!  He loves buttons and switches so much, so to have so many buttons at his reach that he was allowed to touch was so exciting for him.  :)

This area had light switches, toilets to flush, and curtains to open! 

The favorite button of all was the "horn" button in the cars.  The babies would fight over them!  

Another favorite (of both Levi and Mat) was the Flow Works area outside.  They had boats, floating puzzles, and pipes to create waterfalls.  I'm not sure who had more fun...

Christmas

My Christmas break this year has been a whirlwind!  Levi and I spent the first part of the week of Christmas with my parents and grandparents.  I loved having some time to relax and catch up with them (and play LOTS of Scrabble with my mom and Gigi), and I know Levi loved having grandparents and great grandparents here to spoil him.

Later in the week Mat came over and we headed over to his parents' house.  We loved being there with them too and enjoyed getting to see the whole family.  This was the first time I really felt like Levi actually played with his cousins.  He would follow them around, and he loved hugging them- especially when they had something he wanted, like Chex Mix.  :) 

Levi loved Christmas, and all of the Santas in his life were very good to him this year.  I know he will love playing with his new toys, but he was like most one year olds this year and absolutely loved pulling the tissue paper and wrapping paper off all of the packages.  

We were home for a few days- just long enough to do laundry and repack- and then headed back to Pops and Grammy's house to celebrate Christmas with my family.  Blair and Kyle were there with their new puppy, Scout.  Levi liked Scout, but I think he was a little confused about having a dog that was his size.  :)  We had another weekend full of lots of food, another visit from Santa, and more time to just enjoy being together as a family.

Mat and I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such loving families.  We loved having so much time to spend with them this year!

14 Months

Dear Levi,

You are at such a fun age right now!  We love watching you explore the world around you.  Here's what you're up to right now:

• You say ma, da, do (dog), whoa, sometimes jo (Geroge), and every once in a while I've heard you say bye, but your favorite word is still no.  I think you're also starting to say "that".
• Mindi and I think that you think Aubrey's name is no.  Everytime you see her, you say it.  :)  
• You love your stacking cups and any lid.  When I get your snack or my water or really anything else with a lid, you grunt and scream until you get the lid and have the chance to put it on correctly.  

• I love seeing how much you are understanding now.  The other day, you were playing with a Lego tower I had built.  It kept falling apart as you walked around the house, and you were very frustrated trying to get it back together.  I told you to bring it to me and you tried but couldn't get all the pieces in one trip.  You brought me 2, then went back for a few more trips.  Eventually, you got them all to me.
• You also love shoes.  When we were getting ready for church on Sunday, I put your shoes on and then started cleaning up your room.  You walked over to your closet, picked up a different pair of shoes, walked over to me and sat down.  Then you pointed at your feet and handed me the new pair of shoes.  Apparently Mom did not pick out the correct pair of shoes!
• You still pat our shoulders when we pick you up.  We will miss that precious phase when it is gone.

• You love George.  You love his kennel, his toys, "chasing" him around the house, and chewing on his bones.  Recently, you've started taking his things to him.  When we're reading your alphabet book you and get to the picture of the dog, you look to George's kennel and then to the back door.  You know where to find him!
• You've also recently become more interested in reading.  You'll bring me books and actually sit and listen to the story (well, at least most of it).
• You love the Christmas tree.  You point to it, and you try to see tree.  You haven't quite got it yet, but I know what you mean.  You've broken a few ornaments, but we carefully selected the ornaments that would be within your arms' reach.  :)  The first thing you want to do when we get home is go plug in the lights.  You love it.

• I think we've finally making strides in the sippy cup arena.  You haven't had a bottle since before Thanksgiving, but you went on a little strike and refused to drink anything for a while.  You're doing much better now though!  
• You and Brooklyn are becoming great friends.  You even give each other kisses!

We love you so much little guy!