13 Months makes all the difference

This little piggy went to market...

   Sweet baby boy is not so much a baby anymore. I think the most definitive change that says Silas is now a toddler is how he falls asleep and stays asleep. Unlike his baby days, when he is tired he welcomes nap time (unless he is playing ;)). When we lay him down he stays asleep regardless of the shift in position and he often transitions through sleep cycles by himself, even if his little eyes open for a few minutes. I have been nursing this little boy to sleep every day of his life ,despite what all of the popular literature says, not knowing how it would pan out since I had no one to speak with who had done the same. I've even had friends that were a little fearful for me. Guess what? Learning to fall asleep on your own is a mental mile stone just like walking, talking and potty independence, if given enough time. Silas now has no problem just falling asleep for naps and at night as long as someone cuddles with him.  Don't get me wrong, I still cuddle and nurse him to sleep anytime he wants. But it is terribly reassuring to know when I go to the lab at night little man is just fine.

That is one dry christmas tree!!

Silas now sounds like a little bird when he wants something. He will repeatedly say "Gah,Gah,Gah!" until whatever object he thinks he needs is in his hands and then the biggest grin breaks across his face. He helps us put his shirts on and is pretty good at partially undressing himself if the shirt is loose enough. Socks were never a challenge.

Mimicking is the name of the game. He has become quite accurate at mimicking anything we do with the right items. It surprises me sometimes when he remembers seeing me do something and tries to do it as well. His vocabulary is definitely baby speak, however, we can understand basic things he is saying such as daddy, mama (often comes out as nag nag...not sure what that implies), good dog and there is some particular noise for the cats as well.  His understanding is FAR beyond his vocal skills. So who needs words when he gets what we are asking of him! He will get toys we ask him to go get and he understands when we say no. Temper tantrums threaten at this age, but we are working on communication so he doesn't have to reach that point. 

exhausted from swimming!

We have been taking out little darling swimming and Andrew has been taking Silas to the park and playing soccer with him. Silas is actually getting pretty good at kicking his little soccer ball around! 

We switched to all fitted diapers rather than pre-folds. It seems age appropriate considering the kid can't sit still long enough to put a sock on. If you have ever had a baby roll while trying to wrap a big piece of cloth around their butt, you know how infuriating that can be. The fitteds are awesome. They just snap together and are already shaped like a diaper. Thanks to Yvonne, my step mother, we have a few colored diapers as well. They seem so nice its hard to put a cover on them...and then you get wet and remember why a cover is nice.  Speaking of the potty....

Hints that Silas is aware of the business down below come when he hands me a clean diaper for me to change him or when he hands me the potty right after he pees. I know it would be nice if it always went in the potty, but understanding comes first, then control, so we love it!  We started bringing his potty over to his nanny's house and Si has peed in his potty there as well. We figure since he his a year old now, we can be a little more active about the whole potty communication business. Plus it might help them in training Dallis, the little 2 year old he hangs out with each day.

Did I mention I love this wrap and I've become pretty savvy with it so that it works for an active toddler who is getting ever heavier but still wants to be held a lot.

The back wrap took me a hot
minute to figure out.

Finally, Silas was scheduled to go in for his 1 year checkup/ vaccine appointment at the end of the month until some nasty virus struck him. He ran a high fever for about 3 days solid ( ~101-102). We kept him on a regiment of acetaminophen every 5 hours or so and I stayed home for one day, Andrew had a snow day the next two days so between the two of us, we were able to take care of little man through the hardest illness he has had. He reverted to ONLY nursing and he nursed ALOT. I was so grateful he had the option to nurse. I really think it helped him manage that virus without the need for stronger intervention. It also let us know he wasn't in a dire situation. The one time he had diarrhea he complained until I put him on his potty and did it there....thank goodness!!! It took him a week to kick it entirely. So we went to the doctor at the beginning of February. 

Si is doing great! he weighs 19.5lbs and is doing everything and more they would expect from a 1 year old. He still has a front fontanel that is open a little bit, perfectly normal until 18 - 24 months. They tested him for anemia. I asked if the doctor really saw issues with this in his population of 1 year olds and he said yes , in particular with breastfed infants. I'm not sure I believe that assessment. Regardless, they tested him and his hemoglobin level came back on the high end of normal. I'm glad breastfeeding hasn't compromised his iron levels (dry sarcasm implied). Can you tell I think the formula companies have manipulated our medical care mind set? Anyway, that's all for now !!