New and Noteworthy at Nearly 16 Months

Lesson learned: it just keeps getting better.

For about two months before my baby turned a year old, I was wistful and sad about the (rapid) passing of infancy. The sadness permeated every sector of my life and sort of "paralyzed" me for a few weeks as we careened toward December 12, 2008. It's another one of those things that nobody tells you when you become a mother: it's the biggest and most wonderful thing to give birth, until you begin to realize that your baby becomes more independent of you with every passing day. Because Zane will likely be my only child, my feelings about his transition from newbie, to baby, to infant, to toddler were particularly keen . How could it go so fast? (I know I was warned, but still...) Did I miss anything? I hope not... Remember when?...and the "when" was only a few weeks earlier. Sigh.

But, then, after the Big oh-1!...after marking the day with all of the pomp and ceremony befitting such an occasion, Zane was the same sweet angel baby he HAS been since the day of his birth. And I realized that my sadness was unfounded because it Just. Gets. Better.

Right after Z’s 1st birthday I had to travel for committee week, then it was Christmas, New Year’s, then six straight weeks of committee week (aka torture), and now Session (double torture). BUT, Zane is just great! Here is what's new with our little buddy:

He is still sooooooo super happy, and content, and the sweetest child ever made.

Zane has nine teeth: four front teeth on the top chopper, four front teeth on the bottom chopper, and one molar on the bottom that comes in very handy for gnawing and chewing the large bites that he prefers.

He has beautiful, long shaggy hair and, no, we are not cutting it (Sorry, Pappi!)

He officially started walking on January 11, 2008: Ed's birthday and one day shy of the 13-month mark. Now he is not only walking, but he is very nearly running.

Zane does not use words indiscriminately. He says "mama,” “papa,” “wass-dat?” “hey,” “oooooh nooooo,” “uh oh,” "moon," "car," and his newest words, as of this morning, "wowwww" and something similar to "yeah." And he uses them in proper context. A little genius...just sayin'...

He “blows” kisses and will actually lean in to give me a kiss on the lips and make the “muwah” sound, too.

His eyes are officially hazel blue.

He weighs 25 lbs. and is 31 inches tall.

He still loves his groceries - his favorites are yogurt (of course...), cottage cheese, apple sauce, curried lentils (I'm not kidding), black-eyed peas (again, not kidding), black bean burritos (the kid is a FOOL for Moe's), goldfish, Eggo Waffles (strawberry or blueberry, please...), OJ, green peas, peaches, mandarin oranges (duh), Honey Grahams, and...

He still has super long and thick lashes and sweet chubby cheeks.

He finally spiked his first fever about a month ago with a random, nondescript virus, but he is healthy, healthy, healthy!

He loves milk and water, and will drink juice if it’s diluted.

He loves a good slide, the Belly Button song, Good Night Moon, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

When he smiles and laughs, he crinkles his nose and eyes (see picture above..)

He can bend over from a standing position to pick up something from the floor and return to a standing position without falling over. He also cuts a mean rug...country music preferred, but any type of music will move him to tap his feet.

He gives full hugs upon request (and very frequently, unsolicited! Did I mention how sweet he is?) and Zane KNOWS how to give a good hug: he lays his head on your shoulder, holds you tight and pats your back. Word.

He laughs uncontrollably when tickled and smooched on his belly and neck and feet

He claps joyfully when we say "yaaaaayyyyy!"

He loves to help us rearrange our bookshelves, cabinets and coffee table. He also loves to "help" with laundry and loading the dishwasher.

He loves to brush his teeth. He smiles and knows to open up and say "aaaaahhhh" so we can properly clean his pearlies.

He is definitely a blanket boy, and a very sensitive child.

He still loves a good pacifier, but he has never sucked his thumb.

His favorite toys are any type of ball, the toy workbench with wooden pegs and mallet, blocks and, just like a man, the remote control. He loves Lookout (Build-A-Bear Teddy from Pop Boot) and Xzzzzz (Build-a-Bear Monkey from Mama), his cousins and his personal jungle gyms (aka Mama and Papa)

His fingernails still grow faster than mine.

He still reaches out and points to say hello.

He understands "gentle touch" and shares well with others.

He loves the Kids Cookie Club at Publix and, let's be honest, that is a Mama's salvation at the grocery store.

He has taken to a sippy cup without issue (still our wonderful little adapt-a-baby)

He sleeps from about 8:30pm to about 7:30am (still our wonderful little sleeper), and he frequently laughs in his sleep. Good times.

He has learned to climb stairs, and I've taught him how to descend the stairs by sitting on his bottom and sliding down. PG was particularly impressed by his mastery of this skill.

Lesson learned: the well of love is bottomless, and with every passing day it becomes deeper.