13 Months

So I've decided to keep going with the monthly updates...for all of you, but mainly for us. I was able to make a special photo book on one of the photo sharing sites using the monthly pictures and notes from each blog post. Since I am not the scrapbook type, this has morphed into our baby book. The final product turned out great even though it wasn't what I originally had in mind. So on we march into the second year!

Milo is a talker! Well, he still babbles quite a bit. Recognizable words include cat, dad and ball. He can also repeat several words after I do, but he does not use them on his own or in context. I've been a little slack in the signing department, but he uses the sign for eat quite regularly and has his own version of all done. Overall we have seen a much better communicator evolve in the past month - whether we are just finally getting his meaning or he is more adept at conveying his wants is up for debate.

Crawling is still Milo's main mode of transportation and he is fast! He does great pulling up to stand and cruising the furniture. When the mood strikes him he will walk with me holding onto my hands. Each day he can stand on his own not holding onto anything for longer and longer amounts of time. He can also climb the stairs, which he first discovered at the playground and was quite pleased to see we had a set in our very own house.

Although my kitchen tools are still his favorite toys, he is tuning in a bit more to actual toys. He is able to do some of the shape sorter and knows what toy pieces go which toys. Books are still a big hit, especially his touch and feel kitten book and his Elmo's colors book. We read each morning and afternoon before nap times.

I'm continuing to wean the little guy, who has good days and bad days with the whole idea. We're down to one nursing before bed and usually one sometime during the night. This past week he has had a stomach virus so we loosened up on the weaning a bit, but are still aiming to be done breastfeeding totally by June. Taking the place of all the nursing is a lot of cuddling. Milo loves to be held and close. He's great at wrapping his little arms around necks and giving the sweetest hugs. All the people he loves most regularly earn hugs, but so do a variety of stuffed animals and the Boppy pillow. He's a giver.

This past month having an official one-year-old has been lots of fun (other than the week long stomach virus we just lived through - which the picture is from this time period and he wasn't feeling well). I look forward to watching his sweet, silly and fun personality develop even more throughout this year.