15 Months

At 15 months, SS's favorite foods are bread, bread, and bread. And bananas.

SS now says "Mamama," "Up," "Uh (for Uh oh", "dog/doggy" (which sounds like "dah/dah-eh"), and mimics us saying "ball" ("bah").  And he still says "Daddy" ("Da-ee"), but hasn't repeated BB since those first few times.

SS loves brushing his teeth. I think it's the strawberry toothpaste. And he loves touching his clothes in his closet. And he can't nap or sleep without his blanket, just like his big brother.

SS has taken his first few steps, all one at a time. The very first step was at the park on October 30th, when he let go of my hands held above his head walking with him, and took an independent step to the stroller, immediately grabbing hold to stabilize himself. This confirmed that SS is more than able to walk, he just hasn't been that interested in walking. He repeated that same step again, and then a few days later let go of Daddy's knee and stepped to grab onto the couch. I think he will continue to build confidence and be walking independently before long.

SS's favorite toys are balls, nesting buckets, and a shape sorter. The remote control remains his Holy Grail, and the laptop and cell phones are pretty fascinating too.

SS is testing his boundaries and desiring independence these days. He loves to dangle food or his sippy cup over the side of his high chair tray, have us instruct him to put it back on his try or take a bite, and then receive praise when he follows instructions and is "a good listener".  He follows instructions well, heeding "No" and "Sit on your bottom" in the bathtub. He loves cause-and-effect activities, including the classic games "Bang-this-and-see-what-noise-it-makes" and "Throw-it-down-someone-pick-it-up-throw-it-down".  SS is also teething like crazy, which means things are in his mouth even more than usual, which I didn't really realize was possible until it was happening.

"Throw-it-down" in action

At his 15-month check up, SS weighed 20.5 lbs and measured 30.5 inches, placing him squarely in the 25th percentile in both categories.

If you remember that my babies are skinny and generally at the bottom of the weight percentiles, you probably know that the 25th percentile is the highest SS has ever been, and that this brought me no shortage of delight.

SS is a daily joy, and I am ever thankful for his tickle giggles, open-mouth kisses, head-nestling hugs, and for every square inch and facet of his precious little self. I love you Boo Boo Bear!