Joel is 15 Months Old!

Seriously?! I feel like I was just typing out an entry about his first birthday, but some how 3 more months have flown by! Sometimes I feel like I am missing out on Joel's baby and toddlerhood because it is just so busy around here and I am often just treading water or going through the routine of feed, clean, sleep - repeat. He just seems so much more grown up to me all the sudden and acts like a little kid instead of a baby. Tear.

silly goose!

Here's what's new with our littlest man.

STATS:
Height- 32 inches (75%)
Weight- 22lb 1 oz (15%)
Head Circumference- 49cm (90%)

Dr. D said his growth and development are right on track and he is doing great! He was very impressed that he seems to be ahead of the curve physically and verbally which he said was especially rare in second children. He said that they will usually choose one of the two and get really good at that first before moving on to the other. He agreed that is was surprising that Joel was only in the 15% for weight because he just doesn't look skinny, and is not concerned at all that his weight is on the low side considering how active he is. Over all it was a great check-up :)

LOVES:
his belly button
climbing!
bath time
reading books (himself or being read to)
playing outside
swinging
eating (especially fruit and cheese)
taking things apart and then trying to put them back together
balls
Levi
shoes

busted

DRAMA CAUSING (can you hear the screams?):
levi (or anyone) taking something from him
being told no
waiting to get out of his carseat
no getting what he wants right away
having to wait for a meal
getting frustrated/not being able to do something

I'm stuck!

A new routine has developed for Joel over the past couple of weeks. There have been two big changes in his daily life, and I'm a little surprised he did them both so close together. No more morning naps in this house and no more nursing for my little guy. He slowed down his nursing to just in the evening (with the occasional morning feed) 3-4 weeks ago, and just a few days ago he decided he didn't really want to sit still and nurse in the evenings either. It's a little bitter sweet for me. I love the sweet closeness you have with your baby while they are nursing, but it sure is nice to have my body back and not have to worry about pumping or lugging that machine to and from work!

Here's his new routine:
6:30-7am: wake up
7:30am: breakfast (he doesn't want to eat right away - might just want some milk - when he wakes up, but once he gets started he is usually a bottomless pit!)
8 or 9am: play (usually outside before it gets too hot) or go on a run with momma or do some errands
10am: snack time (usually small, like fruit)
11:30ish: lunch
1:30 or 2pm: nap time
3:30 or 4pm- wake up, snack time (a bigger snack like cheese and crackers) and play inside
5:30pm: whine in the kitchen while Momma makes dinner
6pm: Daddy gets home (or sometimes he gets home close to 5 yipee!!!) and dinner time
6:30-7:15: play with Daddy!!!
7:15-pm: bath, brush teeth and hair, books
8pm: bedtime....then hit repeat :)

Joel is so sweet and sensitive. He is very in tune to how I am feeling and will try to cheer me up or will act sad if I'm frustrated. When we have to discipline him in some small way he will often make a very pitiful frown or even try to hold back the tears for a while only to let out the saddest little cry with big tears running down his face. So different than Levi!

Over the past month of so he has become enamored with his belly button. It gives him great comfort in times of sadness, stress or exhaustion. He will proudly show you where it is if you ask and he makes sure it's still there several times a day. I have no idea where he got this obsession, but if you asked my parents or sisters they might know :).

His sweet little voice has come out in full force lately. However, it's not always sweet. He yells or screeches quite often to get my attention or let me know he is happy or unhappy for some reason. Mostly though, I hear sweet babbling all day long and he is adding new sounds all the time. It seems like not a day goes by that he doesn't try to say a new word. So far here are the little words we love to hear him say:

mama
dada
dog (daw)
cup (cut)
car (caw)
go (go-go)
bye (bye-bye)
hi
too (he says this if Levi has something - especially food - that he wants as well)
eat
all done (ahh doe)
down (dow)
cracker (cra-ca)
animal (an-nal)
cow
moo
brother (bubba)
cheese (chee-s)
shoe (sue)
balloon (boo-oon)
bike (bi)
duck (du)
yeah
swim (sim)
this (dis?)
fan (pan)
on
light (lye)
no (probably the one we hear most often :/)

As I am writing this list I am surprised at how many words he can say. Levi had 75-100 words he used regularly and he put together 2-3 word sentences at this age. Even though Joel is not nearly as verbal as his big brother was, having 25+ words (and probably more that I'm forgetting) is pretty darn good for a 15 month old! Proof that I shouldn't compare them :).

Joel is also a very good at playing by himself (although he prefers that I am in the room with him) and if he has the toy tools set, cars, blocks or barn and animals he will happily examine and move the toys for up to 20 minutes! He also loves to put things in and out of his ride on car's "hood" or a box or cup. It's wonderful because Levi usually has a much shorter attention span, so it allows me to breath on occasion :). I can't wait until Joel and Levi can play together more because Joel thinks Levi is the coolest thing on earth and Levi is pretty fond on his baby brother too. They have pretty different personalities, but similar energy levels, so I can't wait to see how they will balance and encourage each other and hopefully and keep each other in line :) What a blessing we have in Joel!

joyful brothers

Levi helped himself to some yogurt while I was in the restroom and got a spoon for Joel too