Just thought I'd better update the changes Mr. Jalen Andrew has been making as of late. He had his 12 month check-up last week. Got four shots - three were immunization, one was flu. He weighed in at 21# 2 oz (25%), with a height of 31 inches(85%), and a head circumference of 18 1/2 inches(70%). Though he physically hasn't grown much since his last check-up, developmentally, emotionally, and in areas of coordination and communication he has grown enormously.
He enjoyed his last bottle the morning following Thanksgiving, and he hasn't missed it. We're kind of sippy cup failures around here though. None of my kids have liked using sippy cups; they get frustrated because they can't get enough liquid out, and then if we take the little stoppage mechanism out of the cup, then they just pour, pour, pour it all out. So, in true Brewer fashion, Jalen Andrew just drinks out of a normal cup, with assistance, and does well with it. Yesterday he learned to sign "milk" with his hands, and its cute to see him open and close his little fists at me as he requests a refill.
Without his bottle, though, he sure is a hungry little guy. He woke up the other morning at 5:06 screaming to be fed. I tried milk. I tried Rice Krispies (He loves eating those. They're so small and require such dexterity to pick up. All other cereals just get thrown). But still he kept screaming. Finally I thought to cut up an apple. That worked. He sat on my lap, and ate and ate. Then drank and drank his milk. Then ate and ate the other half of his apple. Then signaled that he was ready for some Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Then drank some more. He ate for 2 hours straight - no kidding.
Though he didn't eat much for Thanksgiving - there were too many live targets to hit with flying food - he packed it in the next day. He ate a whole bowl of stuffing, 1/2 a can of cranberry sauce, a few black olives, and a few small pieces of turkey. Last night he surprised us at dinner when he ate a huge helping of coleslaw, and kept asking for more. The highlight of the meal, however, were the cupcakes Joseph made for Family Home Evening. There are still a few left, and all day today, when we walk past them, Jalen Andrew signals "Give me. Give me." (not official sign language - just universal baby talk) with his hands and starts smacking his lips.
We moved the kids and their belongings around again on Friday (funny that they've ended up again in the same rooms they started out in when we moved here 6 years ago). Anyhow, we left Jalen Andrew's crib in the girls' room (much to Christine's chagrin and Rebekah's delight), but as a consequence, he is sleeping so much better during the night. The girls, after all, don't leave their beds around midnight or 2 a.m. seeking the comfort of their mama. Thank goodness!
He has discovered joy in playing with different toys now. He really likes opening and shutting the surprise box. He loves carrying around his baby doll, and kissing it's head. And he likes putting the colorful coins into his toy piggy bank. He is also a little more patient sitting and listening to a story - sometimes, and bear in mind it's still only a one year old's patience.
He is a helper around the house too. He loves to pull the clean clothes out of the laundry basket as I hurriedly try to fold them. He finds the kids' spare socks and uses them to mop the floor. He likes to re-arrange the furniture, namely grabbing the leg of our entryway table and dragging it across the tile floor - oh, and also moving all the kitchen chairs to different locations in the house. He has discovered the broom, and how much fun it is to sweep the kitchen floor (I'm sure that he'll forget how much fun it is by the time he turns 8 years old). And though he was once afraid of the vacuum, now he follows along behind, carrying the cord and standing in one spot, never to move again. You try vacuuming a room that way! Actually it is cute!
His vocabulary still consists of the basics: Mama, Dada, JoJo (Joseph), BaBa (Rebekah), bye-bye, thank you, nana (no), wow, whoa, uh-oh, and ball. Though maybe it is still limited, he has no problem communicating. He uses his hands a great deal, to point out the designed course of where he wants to go, and if we should happen to interpret that wrong, he is more than willing to kick us with his legs to help us make a course correction. He has a great laugh which he uses to convey the message, "Yes, I know exactly what you said. I heard it, and understood, but I'm going to go ahead and do what I want anyway. Have a nice day!" He's a smart one, all right.
He's becoming a bit of a momma's boy, as of late - not completely - because he still ADORES his Dada, and is delighted by the antics and attention of his brothers and sisters, but he has really begun to cling to me. He often won't go to the others, and will bury his face into my shoulder when they try to coax him away from me. Rebekah asked me the other day why Jalen Andrew liked me better than he liked her. I tried to explain that parent-child connection, but she didn't quite get it. Or maybe she did!? She asked me at the end of the explanation. "So, if I start taking care of Jalen Andrew more than you, will he think that I'm more like the mom, and like me better than you?" Not quite - but sorta. It's funny, though, this change that babies go through. He's just with me all day long, and because of that, he knows that I know him better than anyone else. He trusts me to be able to interpret his cries, his motions, and his looks. He knows I won't drop him off with someone else (unless I really, really have to go to the bathroom); he knows I'll wait until he goes to sleep before I try to pick his nose; he knows I'll still take care of him even when I'm deathly tired or sick; he knows that I'm the mom, his mom.
And though he doesn't know it yet, I know that when he gets older I'll be the one he gets the most mad at and frustrated with, I'll be the one who understands and knows him when he doesn't act like he wants to be understood or known, I'll be the one who cooks him disgusting nutritious meals because I love him and his health, although I know I'd be more popular with him if I cooked tortillas or pizza every night, and I'll be the one who worries about him through the day and throughout the night while he's acting cavalier, and as if he doesn't need anyone's help (let alone his Moms!). And when those days hit, I'll look back at my memories of today and countless days like today, and will be glad that I've had this chance to stay home with my babies, and get to know them, day in and day out.
Just thought I'd better update the changes Mr. Jalen Andrew has been making as of late. He had his 12 month check-up last week. Got four shots - three were immunization, one was flu. He weighed in at 21# 2 oz (25%), with a height of 31 inches(85%), and a head circumference of 18 1/2 inches(70%). Though he physically hasn't grown much since his last check-up, developmentally, emotionally, and in areas of coordination and communication he has grown enormously.
He enjoyed his last bottle the morning following Thanksgiving, and he hasn't missed it. We're kind of sippy cup failures around here though. None of my kids have liked using sippy cups; they get frustrated because they can't get enough liquid out, and then if we take the little stoppage mechanism out of the cup, then they just pour, pour, pour it all out. So, in true Brewer fashion, Jalen Andrew just drinks out of a normal cup, with assistance, and does well with it. Yesterday he learned to sign "milk" with his hands, and its cute to see him open and close his little fists at me as he requests a refill.
Without his bottle, though, he sure is a hungry little guy. He woke up the other morning at 5:06 screaming to be fed. I tried milk. I tried Rice Krispies (He loves eating those. They're so small and require such dexterity to pick up. All other cereals just get thrown). But still he kept screaming. Finally I thought to cut up an apple. That worked. He sat on my lap, and ate and ate. Then drank and drank his milk. Then ate and ate the other half of his apple. Then signaled that he was ready for some Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Then drank some more. He ate for 2 hours straight - no kidding.
Though he didn't eat much for Thanksgiving - there were too many live targets to hit with flying food - he packed it in the next day. He ate a whole bowl of stuffing, 1/2 a can of cranberry sauce, a few black olives, and a few small pieces of turkey. Last night he surprised us at dinner when he ate a huge helping of coleslaw, and kept asking for more. The highlight of the meal, however, were the cupcakes Joseph made for Family Home Evening. There are still a few left, and all day today, when we walk past them, Jalen Andrew signals "Give me. Give me." (not official sign language - just universal baby talk) with his hands and starts smacking his lips.
We moved the kids and their belongings around again on Friday (funny that they've ended up again in the same rooms they started out in when we moved here 6 years ago). Anyhow, we left Jalen Andrew's crib in the girls' room (much to Christine's chagrin and Rebekah's delight), but as a consequence, he is sleeping so much better during the night. The girls, after all, don't leave their beds around midnight or 2 a.m. seeking the comfort of their mama. Thank goodness!
He has discovered joy in playing with different toys now. He really likes opening and shutting the surprise box. He loves carrying around his baby doll, and kissing it's head. And he likes putting the colorful coins into his toy piggy bank. He is also a little more patient sitting and listening to a story - sometimes, and bear in mind it's still only a one year old's patience.
He is a helper around the house too. He loves to pull the clean clothes out of the laundry basket as I hurriedly try to fold them. He finds the kids' spare socks and uses them to mop the floor. He likes to re-arrange the furniture, namely grabbing the leg of our entryway table and dragging it across the tile floor - oh, and also moving all the kitchen chairs to different locations in the house. He has discovered the broom, and how much fun it is to sweep the kitchen floor (I'm sure that he'll forget how much fun it is by the time he turns 8 years old). And though he was once afraid of the vacuum, now he follows along behind, carrying the cord and standing in one spot, never to move again. You try vacuuming a room that way! Actually it is cute!
His vocabulary still consists of the basics: Mama, Dada, JoJo (Joseph), BaBa (Rebekah), bye-bye, thank you, nana (no), wow, whoa, uh-oh, and ball. Though maybe it is still limited, he has no problem communicating. He uses his hands a great deal, to point out the designed course of where he wants to go, and if we should happen to interpret that wrong, he is more than willing to kick us with his legs to help us make a course correction. He has a great laugh which he uses to convey the message, "Yes, I know exactly what you said. I heard it, and understood, but I'm going to go ahead and do what I want anyway. Have a nice day!" He's a smart one, all right.
He's becoming a bit of a momma's boy, as of late - not completely - because he still ADORES his Dada, and is delighted by the antics and attention of his brothers and sisters, but he has really begun to cling to me. He often won't go to the others, and will bury his face into my shoulder when they try to coax him away from me. Rebekah asked me the other day why Jalen Andrew liked me better than he liked her. I tried to explain that parent-child connection, but she didn't quite get it. Or maybe she did!? She asked me at the end of the explanation. "So, if I start taking care of Jalen Andrew more than you, will he think that I'm more like the mom, and like me better than you?" Not quite - but sorta. It's funny, though, this change that babies go through. He's just with me all day long, and because of that, he knows that I know him better than anyone else. He trusts me to be able to interpret his cries, his motions, and his looks. He knows I won't drop him off with someone else (unless I really, really have to go to the bathroom); he knows I'll wait until he goes to sleep before I try to pick his nose; he knows I'll still take care of him even when I'm deathly tired or sick; he knows that I'm the mom, his mom.
And though he doesn't know it yet, I know that when he gets older I'll be the one he gets the most mad at and frustrated with, I'll be the one who understands and knows him when he doesn't act like he wants to be understood or known, I'll be the one who cooks him disgusting nutritious meals because I love him and his health, although I know I'd be more popular with him if I cooked tortillas or pizza every night, and I'll be the one who worries about him through the day and throughout the night while he's acting cavalier, and as if he doesn't need anyone's help (let alone his Moms!). And when those days hit, I'll look back at my memories of today and countless days like today, and will be glad that I've had this chance to stay home with my babies, and get to know them, day in and day out.
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