Nolan: fourteen months
So many firsts and brand new things in the last two months (yes, life got in the way and I didn't have a chance to do a thirteen month update so, this is covering the last two months):
You flew on a plane for the first time (and did amazing!) to visit Texas for the first time in celebration of your first birthday. You also climbed your first set of stairs, amazingly fast, went to a splash pad (you were not impressed), discovered the sheer fascination of a front-loading washing machine, and wore shorts!
You got your eighth tooth some time while we were on vacation in Texas (June 15-July1) but no one knew as you slept fine, ate fine, and acted like yourself. You have the four center teeth on top and the four center teeth on bottom.
You swam in a real pool in 100 degree weather (not a heated pool where we nearly freeze to death) and though you didn't cry, you didn't seem to really enjoy it. You just sort of sat there in your floaty, slapping at the water a time or two, not really making a sound.
You started walking! You took your first steps at Gram's (she has almost all carpet, it was the perfect place for you to learn) and once you got sure of yourself, you started pulling up to standing every chance you got and taking a few steps before crawling to where you wanted to go. Once we got home and moved into our new house on July 1st, which has carpet in the play room, you started getting up on your feet from crawling and squatting. In the last two weeks, we haven't seen you crawl once! You still sort of stumble or slap your feet, as Gram calls it, when you walk but you are getting more and more steady and sure of yourself with each passing day.
And you took your first sink bath in our new house. The movers just couldn't get it all done before you had to go to bed so Gram took charge and cleaned you right up in our kitchen sink. According to her, you loved it; you loved grabbing onto the faucet and the sprayer and being in such a small place.
You have become engrossed in the mechanics behind all your toys. I couldn't possibly describe each one in depth but for example: putting things in and pulling things out gives you hours of entertainment daily! I give you a bowl at each meal and each snack and you will first put everything on your tray in the bowl and then, pull everything out. One at a time, eating a few bites in between. You also love to put all the balls in the ball-bouncing Crocodile and when they bounce out, you chase them, pick them up, and put them back in. You dump all the Fisher Price Little People out of the bus, plane, and carousel and then, putt them all back in. Pushing, pulling, poking, turning, and slaping the buttons to make the critters pop up and then, slapping them back down to close them again is also super fun. You also love to put the blocks in the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Kitchen fridge, shut the door and then, open the door and pull the blocks back out.
You recognize and adore your Gram and your Aunt Jenny. The first time you saw Aunt Jenny, you snuggled up in her arms, laid your head on her shoulder and let her just hold you for a good half hour. It was beyond precious.
You love playing with Sass. You are her #1 fan and never laugh so hard, talk so much, or play so hard than when y'all are together. Your eyes light up when you see her coming. You mimic her, you try to be just like her and do everything she is doing, and you put up a fight when she leaves you to do something else.
You have mastered turning the pages in your board books and will spend an hour, flipping through all the books in the play room. You have learned that slapping your hands on the drum makes a neat sound, as well as when you shake the Weebles and your teething tablet container. You love to bang on your piano and the musical table to make sounds. Also, when Emily, daddy or I say; "I'm going to get you!", you know that means you about about to be chased down and tickled so, you take off walking or crawling as fast as you can across the room, giggling all the way. You are quite the poker, using your left and right pointer finger to examine everything in your world, including our facial features... and the cat's butt. Ew. But hilarious.
You have developed a bit of mischevious, watch-what-I-can-do streak, doing things to see what our reaction will be. You are most fond of thrashing all the food off your tray and laughing as it hits the floor. Ugh. So much to clean up, all day long! There really isn't much of a lesson to teach you at this point in your development so, I try to just wait until you are all done, cleaned up, and playing before I clean it all up so it doesn't become a game. You also love to roll up the rugs and flick the door stoppers!
You have also started expressing your dislike at times! When you have a toy and do not want Sass (Emily) to have it or it's nap time and you aren't ready to give up a toy, you will pull it close to you really tight and protest with a shaking head and a growl-like, whine. Also, when I am nursing you and you are full, you sit up and start scrambling to get out of my lap as fast as you can, you've nearly hit the floor a time or two!
You have mastered waving any time anyone (even strangers!) wave at you or say; "hi" and "bye". You are a waving fool! You get so many cheek pinches and smiles in public, you are a real charmer, waving at everyone.
You are also picking up things and handing them to us. We gladly take it, say; "thank you" and you flash us a huge smile and even clap your hands at times.
Your language has exploded in the last month. You are making so many sounds: you click your tongue, blow raspberries, spit, smack your lips, and roll your tongue. You say "mama", "dada", "bap" (we think directed at Emily, for "Sass"), "key" (we think for "Kitty"), "up" (we are teaching this one for being picked up), "jump", "eesh", "bubba", and a slew of other words that we have no clue the meaning behind. You talk sporadically, you definitely aren't a motor-mouth, often times to yourself when playing.
How big is Nolan?
At our one year well-baby exam, Nolan is still a little peanut! Not surprising with how mobile he is, burning calories all day long. He weighed 19lbs 4oz (10th%), was 29.5" long (50th%) and had a head circumference of 44.2cm (5th%). While on vacation in Texas, we purchased him a new wardrobe in 12month size and it's just now beginning to fit, though the pants are all too long and the body suits are roomy on his thin frame. He's still wearing a size 3 Pampers Swaddlers diaper (day and night) and a size 3-4 shoe. I just bought him a pair of Tevas that are too cute for words. Too bad he tries to pull them off the minute I have them on. ha! :) He's recently outgrown his size newborn hats so I've recently purchased him a bucket hat and a cap in a size 3-6 months.
P.S. That is "Picky" the Rhino, Nolan's lovey. He was once bigger than him and has been in his bed with him since he was an infant. Recently, "Picky" has been coming out of Nolan's crib and carried around with him while awake.
What does Nolan eat?
Nolan is eating 100% table food, no more purees of any kind. While on vacation, he continued to refuse any purees that came his way, which has made meal- and snack-times a bit of a challenge as we have to be so careful what we give him so his doesn't choke AND he's a bit picky on what he'll eat. He feeds himself all of the time and drinks water out of a straw sippy cup. We've had little success with Organic whole cow's milk and are considering trying Almond milk as it's sweeter.
Nolan's favorites are:
Fresh blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Cheddar, Fontina, Colby Jack, Mozzarella cheese sticks
Grammy sammies (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry)
Cherries
Cornbread and turkey dogs
Virginia-style ham slices
Mesquite turkey slices
Steamed peas
Gluten-free, vegetarian flaxseed waffles
Quinoa macaroni 'n cheese with butternut squash mixed in
Fresh pears and bananas
He also likes and eats regularly:
Sugar-snap peas
Blueberry muffins
Zucchini bread
Bacon
French toast
Banana bread
Organic cereal bars
Penne pasta with a little tomato sauce
Pancakes
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Peanut butter sandwiches
Rice cakes
Yogurt melts
Puffs
How does Nolan sleep?
Nolan is still taking two naps every day in his crib on the 2-3-4 Routine: Wake for the day with an AM nap 2 hours later then a PM nap 3 hours later and bedtime 4 hours later. He naps anywhere from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours for your AM nap and PM nap but almost always nap a total of 3 hours each day. He is sleeping straight through the night still anywhere from 11-13 hours. For naps and bedtime, he goes in his crib awake and falls asleep on his own. He loves to get extra hugs and kisses before we turn out the lights, he jumps up and down, and plays with Picky the Rhino for a few minutes and then, he snuggles up on his tummy with his knees drawn up under him. He sleeps with a fan on high (his bedroom in our new house is upstairs and it gets warm up there) and his sound machine on and in complete darkness.
What is a day in the life of Nolan like?
6:30am - Wake up and nurse then, play in the play room with Emily
7:30am - Breakfast then, play time, walk to/from school (in preparation for Emily's starting first grade this month), or a quick errand
8:30-10:00am - Nap (ranges from 1.5-2.0 hours)
10:00am - Snack then, play time outside in the back yard
11:00am - Nurse then, play time inside or outside
12:00pm - Lunch then, play time inside or outside or a quick errand
1:00-2:30pm - Nap (ranges from 1.5-2.0 hours)
2:30pm - Snack on the go, at a play date for Emily, or while running errands
3:30pm - Nurse wherever we are at
5:00pm - Dinner is normally at home but on occasion it's out at a restaurants
6:00pm - Bath, Pjs, lullabies, books/play time upstairs in his bedroom in dim lighting
6:30pm - In bed
Nolan is still a huge fan of bath time, even when we have to lay him back to wash his hair.
Nolan is such a gentle, sweet, easy-going, empathetic, observant, determined, quiet lil man. He wells up with tears and cries any time anyone else cries (even complete strangers) and also bursts into giggles (even little fake ones) anytime anyone else is laughing.
Nolan is focused, playing with one thing at a time, not racing around the room bouncing from one toy to the next; Nolan is patient, trying over and over again to fit a toy into a slot or sitting quietly, waiting for his lunch; and Nolan is happy to be anywhere you put him, whether it be a shopping cart or his stroller so I can purchase the week's groceries or shop for some new shoes for Emily, his exersaucer in the backyard so we can tend to our garden, or in his buggy being pushed around the block so Emily can practice riding her bike. We rarely hear a peep of protest out of him, except for when he has a poopy diaper!
We can't believe you are a toddler now, you are growing up so fast!
You flew on a plane for the first time (and did amazing!) to visit Texas for the first time in celebration of your first birthday. You also climbed your first set of stairs, amazingly fast, went to a splash pad (you were not impressed), discovered the sheer fascination of a front-loading washing machine, and wore shorts!
You got your eighth tooth some time while we were on vacation in Texas (June 15-July1) but no one knew as you slept fine, ate fine, and acted like yourself. You have the four center teeth on top and the four center teeth on bottom.
You swam in a real pool in 100 degree weather (not a heated pool where we nearly freeze to death) and though you didn't cry, you didn't seem to really enjoy it. You just sort of sat there in your floaty, slapping at the water a time or two, not really making a sound.
You started walking! You took your first steps at Gram's (she has almost all carpet, it was the perfect place for you to learn) and once you got sure of yourself, you started pulling up to standing every chance you got and taking a few steps before crawling to where you wanted to go. Once we got home and moved into our new house on July 1st, which has carpet in the play room, you started getting up on your feet from crawling and squatting. In the last two weeks, we haven't seen you crawl once! You still sort of stumble or slap your feet, as Gram calls it, when you walk but you are getting more and more steady and sure of yourself with each passing day.
And you took your first sink bath in our new house. The movers just couldn't get it all done before you had to go to bed so Gram took charge and cleaned you right up in our kitchen sink. According to her, you loved it; you loved grabbing onto the faucet and the sprayer and being in such a small place.
You have become engrossed in the mechanics behind all your toys. I couldn't possibly describe each one in depth but for example: putting things in and pulling things out gives you hours of entertainment daily! I give you a bowl at each meal and each snack and you will first put everything on your tray in the bowl and then, pull everything out. One at a time, eating a few bites in between. You also love to put all the balls in the ball-bouncing Crocodile and when they bounce out, you chase them, pick them up, and put them back in. You dump all the Fisher Price Little People out of the bus, plane, and carousel and then, putt them all back in. Pushing, pulling, poking, turning, and slaping the buttons to make the critters pop up and then, slapping them back down to close them again is also super fun. You also love to put the blocks in the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Kitchen fridge, shut the door and then, open the door and pull the blocks back out.
You recognize and adore your Gram and your Aunt Jenny. The first time you saw Aunt Jenny, you snuggled up in her arms, laid your head on her shoulder and let her just hold you for a good half hour. It was beyond precious.
You love playing with Sass. You are her #1 fan and never laugh so hard, talk so much, or play so hard than when y'all are together. Your eyes light up when you see her coming. You mimic her, you try to be just like her and do everything she is doing, and you put up a fight when she leaves you to do something else.
You have mastered turning the pages in your board books and will spend an hour, flipping through all the books in the play room. You have learned that slapping your hands on the drum makes a neat sound, as well as when you shake the Weebles and your teething tablet container. You love to bang on your piano and the musical table to make sounds. Also, when Emily, daddy or I say; "I'm going to get you!", you know that means you about about to be chased down and tickled so, you take off walking or crawling as fast as you can across the room, giggling all the way. You are quite the poker, using your left and right pointer finger to examine everything in your world, including our facial features... and the cat's butt. Ew. But hilarious.
You have developed a bit of mischevious, watch-what-I-can-do streak, doing things to see what our reaction will be. You are most fond of thrashing all the food off your tray and laughing as it hits the floor. Ugh. So much to clean up, all day long! There really isn't much of a lesson to teach you at this point in your development so, I try to just wait until you are all done, cleaned up, and playing before I clean it all up so it doesn't become a game. You also love to roll up the rugs and flick the door stoppers!
You have also started expressing your dislike at times! When you have a toy and do not want Sass (Emily) to have it or it's nap time and you aren't ready to give up a toy, you will pull it close to you really tight and protest with a shaking head and a growl-like, whine. Also, when I am nursing you and you are full, you sit up and start scrambling to get out of my lap as fast as you can, you've nearly hit the floor a time or two!
You have mastered waving any time anyone (even strangers!) wave at you or say; "hi" and "bye". You are a waving fool! You get so many cheek pinches and smiles in public, you are a real charmer, waving at everyone.
You are also picking up things and handing them to us. We gladly take it, say; "thank you" and you flash us a huge smile and even clap your hands at times.
Your language has exploded in the last month. You are making so many sounds: you click your tongue, blow raspberries, spit, smack your lips, and roll your tongue. You say "mama", "dada", "bap" (we think directed at Emily, for "Sass"), "key" (we think for "Kitty"), "up" (we are teaching this one for being picked up), "jump", "eesh", "bubba", and a slew of other words that we have no clue the meaning behind. You talk sporadically, you definitely aren't a motor-mouth, often times to yourself when playing.
How big is Nolan?
At our one year well-baby exam, Nolan is still a little peanut! Not surprising with how mobile he is, burning calories all day long. He weighed 19lbs 4oz (10th%), was 29.5" long (50th%) and had a head circumference of 44.2cm (5th%). While on vacation in Texas, we purchased him a new wardrobe in 12month size and it's just now beginning to fit, though the pants are all too long and the body suits are roomy on his thin frame. He's still wearing a size 3 Pampers Swaddlers diaper (day and night) and a size 3-4 shoe. I just bought him a pair of Tevas that are too cute for words. Too bad he tries to pull them off the minute I have them on. ha! :) He's recently outgrown his size newborn hats so I've recently purchased him a bucket hat and a cap in a size 3-6 months.
P.S. That is "Picky" the Rhino, Nolan's lovey. He was once bigger than him and has been in his bed with him since he was an infant. Recently, "Picky" has been coming out of Nolan's crib and carried around with him while awake.
What does Nolan eat?
Nolan is eating 100% table food, no more purees of any kind. While on vacation, he continued to refuse any purees that came his way, which has made meal- and snack-times a bit of a challenge as we have to be so careful what we give him so his doesn't choke AND he's a bit picky on what he'll eat. He feeds himself all of the time and drinks water out of a straw sippy cup. We've had little success with Organic whole cow's milk and are considering trying Almond milk as it's sweeter.
Nolan's favorites are:
Fresh blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
Cheddar, Fontina, Colby Jack, Mozzarella cheese sticks
Grammy sammies (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry)
Cherries
Cornbread and turkey dogs
Virginia-style ham slices
Mesquite turkey slices
Steamed peas
Gluten-free, vegetarian flaxseed waffles
Quinoa macaroni 'n cheese with butternut squash mixed in
Fresh pears and bananas
He also likes and eats regularly:
Sugar-snap peas
Blueberry muffins
Zucchini bread
Bacon
French toast
Banana bread
Organic cereal bars
Penne pasta with a little tomato sauce
Pancakes
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Peanut butter sandwiches
Rice cakes
Yogurt melts
Puffs
How does Nolan sleep?
Nolan is still taking two naps every day in his crib on the 2-3-4 Routine: Wake for the day with an AM nap 2 hours later then a PM nap 3 hours later and bedtime 4 hours later. He naps anywhere from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours for your AM nap and PM nap but almost always nap a total of 3 hours each day. He is sleeping straight through the night still anywhere from 11-13 hours. For naps and bedtime, he goes in his crib awake and falls asleep on his own. He loves to get extra hugs and kisses before we turn out the lights, he jumps up and down, and plays with Picky the Rhino for a few minutes and then, he snuggles up on his tummy with his knees drawn up under him. He sleeps with a fan on high (his bedroom in our new house is upstairs and it gets warm up there) and his sound machine on and in complete darkness.
What is a day in the life of Nolan like?
6:30am - Wake up and nurse then, play in the play room with Emily
7:30am - Breakfast then, play time, walk to/from school (in preparation for Emily's starting first grade this month), or a quick errand
8:30-10:00am - Nap (ranges from 1.5-2.0 hours)
10:00am - Snack then, play time outside in the back yard
11:00am - Nurse then, play time inside or outside
12:00pm - Lunch then, play time inside or outside or a quick errand
1:00-2:30pm - Nap (ranges from 1.5-2.0 hours)
2:30pm - Snack on the go, at a play date for Emily, or while running errands
3:30pm - Nurse wherever we are at
5:00pm - Dinner is normally at home but on occasion it's out at a restaurants
6:00pm - Bath, Pjs, lullabies, books/play time upstairs in his bedroom in dim lighting
6:30pm - In bed
Nolan is still a huge fan of bath time, even when we have to lay him back to wash his hair.
Nolan is such a gentle, sweet, easy-going, empathetic, observant, determined, quiet lil man. He wells up with tears and cries any time anyone else cries (even complete strangers) and also bursts into giggles (even little fake ones) anytime anyone else is laughing.
Nolan is focused, playing with one thing at a time, not racing around the room bouncing from one toy to the next; Nolan is patient, trying over and over again to fit a toy into a slot or sitting quietly, waiting for his lunch; and Nolan is happy to be anywhere you put him, whether it be a shopping cart or his stroller so I can purchase the week's groceries or shop for some new shoes for Emily, his exersaucer in the backyard so we can tend to our garden, or in his buggy being pushed around the block so Emily can practice riding her bike. We rarely hear a peep of protest out of him, except for when he has a poopy diaper!
We can't believe you are a toddler now, you are growing up so fast!
He is so cute! I think he looks a lot like your husband.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize you had moved. Congrats!! You're still in the bay area right?
Hi Lisa! Yes, still in The Bay Area, just about 1/2 mile move in the same neighborhood. :)
ReplyDelete