15 months

15 months old!

I keep meaning to write other posts besides the monthly milestones, but life gets in the way! Wilder is  active and fun these days. He's currently trying out all kinds of sound effects, from "vrooming" and rasperries, to soaring vocals, sounding like he got punched in the stomach and roaring like a lion. He's really meticulous, and gets frustrated with himself when he can't stack his blocks perfectly or precisely pop his toy frogs. But most of the time he laughs and smiles. Life is fun when you're Wilder Dean, and we enjoy watching him explore his world. We love his snuggly, sweet hugs and his laugh lights up our days.

This month, Wilder:

• Weighs 18 lbs 15 oz (5th %). Last month he had clothes on and a full diaper, so he didn't lost weight or anything. Height: 30 inches (12th %) and head 45 cm (8th percentile). His pediatrician says he's doing great!
• Still wearing 12M clothes, but shirts are getting a bit short.
• Still sporting 8 teeth
• Stands up, squats and rotates from the hip while freestanding. He pushes his lion walker fast around the house for long stretches of time. He's moved to the tile where he can really fly! He's also learning to turn it on his own.
• Says "mama" "mimi" "dada" all the time. He'll respond to questions like "where is papa" by pointing at the right person in photos or in the room. He connects illustrations in abstract form like whales in a book and on his wall. You can ask him to show you things in books like "where is the lion? Show me the blue truck? Where is the goldfish?" and he'll point them out.
• Loves to play outside as long as you'll let him. He'll stuff mulch in tree stumps, pluck bark off the tree, dig around in his sand box and his favorite is hunting down fluffy dandelion flowers to squish.
• He uses silicone-handled metal forks and spoons really well. He eats a ton! Yogurt is still his favorite, but he loves homemade stir-fry and rice.
• Still nursing, but no more bottles
• Likes to pop anything like a tiddly wink, from garbanzo beans to blueberries to his toy frogs. He's really good at it.
• He wakes up between 7-7:30 am, naps around 12 for 90 min-2 hours, and goes to sleep around 7-7:30 pm. He usually wakes up once in the early morning, but sometimes sleeps through the night.

Here are more photos! This was Tuesday, with our "snow." We went out with Mimi to check it out! He thought it was cold and very slippery. :-)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today would have been my mom's 60th birthday. She's been gone nearly 4 years, but somehow it seems much longer. So much has happened since then. I still miss her every day, and especially now as I'm also a mom.

Today, I sat in my mom's rocking chair and sang to my baby the same songs she used to sing. I thought about the early memories I have of my mom. Her denim dresses, her comforting arms, her ready smile. Her mischievous pranks. The way I always knew she was in my corner.

I wonder what memories Wilder will have of me. Will he know how much Zach and I love him? Will he know I will always support his dreams? Will he know that my arms are always ready to hold him?

So many questions I would ask my mom about parenting. I imagine the way my mom would love Wilder to bits. How she would hold him in her arms and let him show her everything he discovers. How I'd probably have to wrestle him away for nap time because she would just want to hold him one more minute.

Days like today, I miss Mom most of all. But I'm so thankful to see her in my baby's squinty early morning smile, and his easy laugh. Even his stubby baby feet remind me of her. And tonight, I'm going to make one of my favorite dinners she used to makeL She used to call it "Garbage" (Garbahj all fancy) and it's just ground beef, veggies and pasta cooked in a skillet, but I loved it. Thanks Mom.