Dear Baby Jack: 14 Months

I would say that at 14 months and walking we have officially been thrown into the pit of toddler-hood. It is a deep pit, with lots of pointing which is immediately followed by fussing/tantrums. I would say the biggest change in the past month has been your ability (and still some lack thereof) to tell us what you want through pointing/gesturing. I now know that when you go to the fridge and repeatedly bang on the fridge doors, that it means you would like a glass of milk, please and thank you. Who needs that baby sign language we were working on when you can use caveman techniques? You still are a very good eater and have more than once decided that my food is more appetizing than your lunch. It should come as no surprise that you have developed a sweet tooth, and I would say Shipley Donuts are a fan favorite right now.

You love being outside now more than ever. If we give you a stick and a pot of dirt to play with you can easily be entertained for 30 minutes. There have been quite a few time that you have voiced your displeasure with your "early" exit times from the backyard to go eat lunch or go take a nap. We took you to the arboretum to see the pumpkins (pictures are MIA....perhaps another post?) and you were people watching your heart out. More importantly, you saw a squirrel up close for the first time and you were more excited than I've seen you in awhile. You even pointed the squirrel out to strangers (who normally you hide from), as if you were saying "HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THIS?". I feel okay now about not taking you to the zoo yet knowing that the squirrel watching has been top notch so far.

All of a sudden your dancing skills have shot through the roof. I would like to think that it is from all the dancing I do while preparing your meals, but the head banging you do seems to be a dance move you've learned all on your own. You and your dad sit in the mornings and watch music videos while you flail around your arms (rhythmically, of course), spin around in circles, and bob your head. More than a few times you've led myself or your dad to the computer room and pointed to the chair so that we could play you some music. Your Baby Einstein music player is now one of your favorite toys as you push the button over and over and over.

Your favorite household appliances (I swear this is real) are the dishwasher and the washer/dryer. I'm not sure what it says about us, as entertainers, that you will stand and watch the dryer, but it has gotten you out of a crying fit more than once so I can't complain. You love playing with Oliver and your speed, now that you're walking, has really helped the chase not be so one-sided. There were a few times you even did a sneak attack on him and you were able to get his toy.

All in all you're a pretty happy kid, and as long as I let you stay outdoors as much as possible you seem to be pretty content. It seems like all of a sudden we turned around and you were an honest to goodness full-fledged toddler. Even though you're VERY opinionated (surely that's from your dad...), it has been fun to find things that you enjoy and that make you happy (even if those things include playing in mud).