Sharing and Baby Steps

We try to teach our little ones the importance of sharing, just like we were taught. Some don't learn the lesson as easily as others. A few don't really learn it at all. Being an only child, I didn't really learn the art (yes, it is an art) of sharing until early adulthood. What can I say, I was a late bloomer.

The thing about sharing is that it often becomes even more difficult and complex the older we get. This is even more true of parents, especially when the family is...let's use the word "expanded" instead of "split"...

My little baby has been so very close to walking for months now...each week or so he'll get closer and closer to taking multiple free standing steps.

Just the other day he took 2 steps before falling! So very close...all those little baby steps, leading up to the huge walking milestone! It has been so very exciting!

Yesterday, while visiting his Grandparents D and his daddy...he walked!

He walked...and I missed it.

And I want to be so excited that they got to see it, because those firsts are so exciting! But I am a little (ok, maybe more than a little) sad that I missed it. Sure, he will do it again, and maybe I'll even be able to catch the early walking on video...

But I missed the first.

Sharing is not always easy. They don't tell you that in kindergarten...

Vocab and Yogurt

Patrick's new game is to play "I spy" while eating breakfast. He will name everything he that can in the vicinity. The dogs, the cats, the boxes (to which he says "Bock, auf!" meaning he wants it opened. Auf is German), toy cars, cows (on the yogurt container), the fruit flavor of the yogurt (which is also pictured on the container and is always either "apple" or "lemon"). Then he will point to the things he doesn't know and ask me what they are. Sometimes he'll try to repeat the word, and sometimes he will laugh and move on to another word he knows...Or like yesterday, he will keep pointing to it because he thinks it is very funny to here me say "Frog, ribbit ribbit" over and over again.
His favorite word this morning was "lemon" since that was the flavor of his yogurt. Every bite he said it over and over again. It was very funny, and very cute.

Blue!

I think blue is Patrick's favorite color. He has the Twilight Turtle, which can be switched between 3 different colors: Amber, green, and blue. He goes through all the colors until he gets to blue, then says "Boo" and nods all matter-of-fact and keeps it on blue. If I change the color he changes it back to blue.
It is so adorable!

Nursing & Weening

I never was one of those women who wanted to nurse much past one year (more power to them though) I always said that if my child can walk up to me, lift my shirt, and latch on...it is past time to ween.
Well...he didn't walk up to me...he crawled. *Sigh*

Not that he hasn't been slowly weening as it is. For the most part he only nurses in the morning and evening. And the last couple of days he's been skipping the pm feeding.

So, it is time to get serious about this weening business.
It isn't easy, because we both enjoy the nursing. It is our snuggle time. I know he'll be snuggly when he gets a bit older. Right now life is just way too exciting to slow down for even a moment. I get a squish and a big wet kiss, and he's off to explore and be chased, and get into trouble.

My goal is to have him completely weened by the end of this month.
I'll miss it though.
Letting go of babyhood is really hard.
Now wish me luck with this. Patrick will not be very pleased to have his boobies taken away! LOL!

(More) Words

I thought it might be a good idea to write down Patrick's first few words, before there are just too many to keep track of anymore. He's been learning a word or two almost every day now! He is incredible!
These are in no particular order, but they are all the words he knows and says. He actually understands even more words than this...but that is just too long of a list already.

Mama and Dada (obviously)

Owl

Woof and dog

Meow

Baum (German for tree)

Duck

Book "Buhp"

Apple

No

Ja (German for yes)

Button "tuhn"

Bird "eeee" (This is because, as much as I like to avoid baby talk, I said "Birdie" once or twice, so "eeee" it is. I should note, baby dragons and airplanes are also called "eeee")

Flower "ow"

Baby "baba"

Blue "boo"

Balloon "boon"

Bear and Ball are both "Ba" (but he knows the difference between them)

Turtle "LdlLdlLdlLdl"

Spoon "Gohk" (yeah...no idea...)

Yellow "e-ow"

Cup "up" or "babababababa"

What's that? "Ow?"

I want that! "Dat!"

He also says "Owa" when he wants to tell me what something is

Yum! "mmmm num num num" (Ok, that doesn't really count, but it is super cute!)

And, we aren't sure, but we think he says "Agua" for water.

******
Edit:

He also says "bowl", "auto", and "more"...Oh! And his newest word is "Light" He is very proud of it and repeating it over and over. Very cute!

Obviously I should have done this list a little sooner...I am already loosing track of the words.
Not quite 14 months old, and he has quite the vocabulary! When people ask me if he's walking yet and I say no, and they get that look (you know, that slightly rude look that just screams "Wow, shouldn't he be? What's wrong with him?") I smile and say "He's decided to use his brain first, he already has more than 10 words in his vocabulary. That usually wipes that silly look right off their faces. Don't they know that all babies develop differently? I have heard of 6 month old babies walking, and babies not walking until 18 months, and both are normal. I am sure there are other babies out there with a very high vocabulary for their age too.
I just counted...it is more than 20 words! Wow! (14 if you only count words he actually says "properly" and clearly)

The one thing those snobby people (What is with those weird baby snobs anyway? Subject for another post...) can still stump us on is when they say "Doesn't he say bye-bye?" It is supposedly one of the first words babies learn, right up there with "Mama" and "Dada". Patrick does not say "bye-bye"
Kinda hard to be worried with all the other words he knows. It is a bit odd though. I think he just doesn't believe in "bye-bye" =)

He does give high fives though, which is pretty cool.

I just read on BabyCenter that a 14 month old should know around 3 words. So either people just aren't paying attention and are missing the words babies know, or Patrick is just absolutely brilliant. I'd like to think it is a little of both.
I also think that speaking to your baby like a real person, reading to them, and repeating words and making them fun, makes a really big difference too.

Only 3 words? That just can't be right! Babies, all babies, are a lot smarter and know a lot more than people think!