Better late than never, I guess, huh? I think you all know Noah turned ONE two weeks ago. And I still can't believe it! He does new things literally everyday, and I am just amazed at how "toddler-esque" he has suddenly become. It is bittersweet for sure:)
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Noah's personality has really blossomed in the last month. While he still most definitely has that infamously-inherited temper, he has become so incredibly sweet and loving. He loves to give out hugs and kisses almost as much as I love receiving them:) He is also very affectionate to other close family members (like my mom and dad), our dog, and pictures of loved ones. He can often be found picking up pictures of various members of our family and giving each person kisses....so sweet!
Noah also remains INCREDIBLY active. He goes and goes and goes until he literally crashes for a nap or at bedtime. Often, a car ride or a walk through the neighborhood is the only way to get him to settle down enough for sleep. And while this is usually okay, sometimes his overflowing energy gets the best of him, making for a cranky little man! I actually mentioned this at his one-year wellness visit, and the nurse practitoner very cautiously thew out that this could be a very early sign of ADHD. But of course, it is WAY to early to make even any assumptions about something like that...and the NP assured me that him being active is a good thing. And I know that, and am beyond thankful and blessed....I just get tired sometimes:)
Speaking of his wellness visit...Noah's weight was 27 lbs 13 oz, length was 33 in, and head circumference was 50 cm, putting him above 98% for length and head circumference and at 97% for weight. So yup...he is still a very big boy, but seems to be stabilizing a little in physical growth:) He is wearing 18-24m or 2T in clothing depending on the brand, and I actually think these will last through the season (a first)!
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Noah remains to be a really great eater, and eats three good meals with several snacks each day. He is trying new things all the time and very rarely finds something he doesn't like. He doesn't each much "baby" food either, meaning the packaged fingerfoods and such. I try to feed him fresh foods as much as possible, but with our hectic schedule, that unfortunately isn't always possible. But I'm doing my best:) Some of his favorite things to eat right now include:
-chicken, salmon, steak (very small pieces)
-mac-n-cheese, spaghetti
-bananas, strawberries, plums, blueberries, raisins, dried cranberries, apples, pears
-steamed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, zucchini, peas, etc), avocados, potatoes
-bread/sandwiches, oatmeal, crackers, waffles
-yogurt, cheese, homemade smoothies
-MILK (he LOVES whole milk...he drinks around 4-5 cups per day!) and water
Noah also really loves the recipes on Weelicious...I love that they are quick and easy (because I am NOT a good cook!). I've tried several of their recipes for Noah, and he has loved them all. But his favorite from them are veggie pancakes...I try to make a batch (which lasts a couple of days) about every 2 weeks. I'd do them more often, but I don't want him to get burned out on them.
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If you read my tot school post from last week, you know that Noah took his first steps this past weekend! But oddly enough, he hasn't done much walking since....he walked the entire length of the hallway unassisted at my mom's house several times on Saturday night, but now won't take more than 4-5 steps at a time. And it is like pulling teeth to get him to do that! I think he just prefers crawling because he is so speedy! He was reluctant to crawl at first too, actually, even though he was more than capable of doing it, so I'm sure that he'll be up and moving more in no time:)
In other motor skills, Noah is doing well too. He loves to climb, and can make it up the whole stairway at my mom's house without stopping. He also likes to reach for things, and given his height, this gets him into trouble sometimes...especially when he's reaching for the stove or television! He also still LOVES to dance, and continues to do so any time he hears music. He has particularly become fond of dancing in the car, and I can often look back and see him feet kicking and hands clapping along to the beat:)
He is also doing very well with fine motor skills. He loves activities like putting objects through holes (like straws in a parmasean cheese container) and has long been skilled at feeding himself fingerfoods. A funny, but related little "quirk" Noah has is finding little specks of fuzz and such on the floor. He loves to collect these and bring his findings to me or Jimmy. So not only is this a great display of his fine motor abilities, but he is also helping me clean! I'm teaching him well:) ha!
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Noah's language has exploded in the past month! He has consistently (more than once on more than one occasion) said a total of 13 words so far, which the NP at his wellness visit was very impressed with. His vocabulary so far consists of:
Hey/Hi/Hello, Bye-bye, Momma, Daddy, Papa (my dad), Pete (our dog), dog, book, yeah, no, hug
And he is otherwise very proficient at communicating his wants/needs through pointing. I am so proud of his language/communication skills! I know without a doubt he is going to be a big talker:)
Still, I must confess I have not been as diligent as I intended on teaching him sign language, but I'm hoping to pick back up on it in the immediate future! I don't want that whole year of ASL I took in college to go to waste!
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Like I mentioned before, Noah's personality has really begun to shine lately! While he remains the super silly little man that loves to make you laugh with an impromptu dance or sneaky tickle, he has also become the most loving little guy, always ready to give out a hug and a kiss:)
I am amazed daily at how fast he is growing, learning, and becoming a "real" toddler! But no matter how big he gets, he will always be mine and Jimmy's little "bubba bear" (you're welcome for the future embarrassment, Noah! ha!) and we love him more than anything:)
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