Dear Baby Jack: 15 Months

15 months sounds so old! Like next week you'll be driving off to college while I sob on the driveway. Maybe you'll be the next Doogie Howser, M.D. and be graduating from medical school at the age of 2. (I just stopped to think about the premise of that show, and I can almost guarantee I would never trust a teenager to give me life or death medical advice.)

This past month you have started to shake your head yes and no. Not so much as an answer to a question but more of a copycat to when your dad and I shake our heads at you. Your favorite thing to do during meal time is to slowly put your foot up onto your food tray, shake your head no, and then lower it back to where it should be. We're very proud that you've been listening and know to not lean back like a neanderthal when you eat, but maybe you don't have to show us 50 times during dinner? You have become a little bit more picky in what you will and will not eat, but so far no flat out refusals of food. There have been a few times where you have decided to feed Oliver from your high chair, he definitely appreciates that more than I do. You have clearly deciphered the sound of the cookie jar or a box of crackers being opened in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure the snacks in our pantry should get all the credit for helping you learn how to run across the house. (The first picture below is you upset with me because I put the graham crackers back in the pantry....)

Lately you have started really enjoying putting toys or shoes into buckets or baskets and carrying them around the house. You just received a little toy lunchbox and have tried multiple times to fit your baby pumpkin from Halloween inside of it. I'm pretty sure a set of Russian nesting dolls will be in your stocking this year. During bath time you like to take your bath toys and line each one up on the edge of the tub until your dad knocks them off back into the tub. If we could just let you spend half your day in the bathtub and half your day outside, you'd be a happy camper. You found a huge stick in our backyard that has become your favorite thing to play with. Most of the time I find you at the back door pointing at the stick from the window. I have dealt with more than a few tantrums related to outside time being over, and I'm pretty sure our neighbors in a city over have heard them as well. We've started taking you to the park more to visit the swings and that seems to be a fan favorite so far.

We took a visit to Great Gram's house to celebrate her 85th (or almost 100th, as she says) birthday. You had two gigantic helpings of your Aunt Janet's beef stroganoff, which confirms you are truly your father's son. Your three second cousins (I think?) were there and you had quite the good time watching them run around the house. It was a great trip, and you had a good time playing with everything at Gram's house.

We found that your stranger danger is still in full effect when the mother's day out you attend had picture day. Your teacher said that you were VERY unsure of the photographer and even more so when she tried to talk to you and make you smile. She said there were a lot of tears involved, so I can't imagine we'll be buying those this year.... You were very unsure about the protocol for Halloween and kept watching the door just waiting for another spooky person to show up. We did not take you trick or treating, but thankfully Aunt Carol sent you a skeleton onesie so you could at least greet the other trick or treaters in style.

At your 15 month appointment we found out that you're in the 5th percentile for weight and height, which sounds small, but puts you BACK onto the growth curve! So exciting. You've been growing like a weed and soaking up everything you see, which will be very important when you're in medical school in a few months....