Eli Grey!
My how you've grown!! I can't believe you are 15 months old! Where has the time gone? My once cuddly, snuggly, itty bitty baby has become a toddler. And yes, you still like to snuggle with me, but now it's only when you're sleepy, sick, or tired from running around non-stop!
At our last appointment with the doctor, right before Christmas, you were 23lbs 8oz and 32 inches tall! I don't know how you've gained all this weight, you hardly eat anything!! Your favorite foods are fruits: Bananas, mandarin oranges, pineapples, and especially grapes! You also like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ravioli, chicken alfredo, mashed potatoes, and of course "fry fries"! I can't get you to eat many vegetables unless I hide them in your food, but even then sometimes you spit them out! You do like sweet potatoes though, especially with brown sugar and butter! Some days you hardly eat anything besides some yogurt, crackers, and a few bites of dinner! Other days you are like a bottomless pit!
You still drink your milk from a bottle too. For some reason you WILL NOT drink milk from a sippy cup! I have no idea why? You drink everything else from a sippy cup but when I put milk in there you take a sip, look at me funny, and giggle! One of these days I am just going to have to take it away!
These past few months you've had lots of ear infections, but you are a trooper! I don't know how you stay so smiley and playful when you are sick but I guess I shouldn't complain! Since you've been so sick I've let you sleep in bed with mommy and daddy a little bit... boy are you a bed hog! You spread out and sometimes hit us in the face with your feet or arms! You practically push me off the bed! My favorite moments are in the morning when we wake up and snuggle in bed together... that is, until you try to jump off the bed!
So far you've had two haircuts and I've cut it both times! I've had to distract you with the tv! Your hair is beginning to grow in really blonde underneath, but I hope you still keep some of the "strawberry blonde" color like me! The texture is just like your daddy's hair, really thick and wavy! ...Everyone still always says how much you look like your dad. And that's okay because he is a pretty handsome guy!
Your personality is really shining through lately! You get so many comments on what a sweet and happy little boy you are! It's true!
Even though you are still so little, you have such a big heart. When other kids cry at school you bend down and hug them! While we were at Gram and Paps last weekend, every time baby Daycey cried you would get very concerned and make sure that we all knew something was wrong with her.
You also love to give hugs and kisses! A lot of times throughout the day you come up to me and hug me so tight. You wrap your arms around my neck now and squeeze really hard, but that's only for mommy!! When you hug other people you pat them on the back. Your kisses are always really slobbery and you open your mouth as wide as you can to give them.
You are also such a friendly and social boy! Where ever we go, you always seem to find a friend. More than once you have walked into a strangers arms babbling away. You still love older kids and try to play with them all the time. You especially love your older cousins! Last weekend you three wrestled every day together!
You have always been very social and expressive, which is why I think you are talking so much lately. Over these past few months you have learned so many new words and you are constantly chattering away! You repeat almost everything I say or at least you try to! You also still babble a TON and it seems as if you have your own little language sometimes because you definitely speak as if we should understand you! You use a lot of words regularly and are starting to use a lot of phrases as well. Here are some of your more common words:
Mama, Dada, Boo, Puppy, Kitty Cat (if you don't know the name of an animal, you call it a kitty cat!), Lion, Fish, Lights, Trees, Water, Juice, Bottle, Eat, Please, Thank you, All Done, Down, Milk, Uh Oh (and then you drops what you have... ), Eyes, Ears, Belly button (pronounced "beddabudda"), Mole (I have one on my cheek that you love to try to touch and feel), I love you, Kisses, Hugs, Ready to go, Hi & hey, Bye & see ya later, Dunk it (learned from your uncle Sean), Hi buddy, Yes & No, What's this/what's that, Grandpa & nana, Night night, and your favorite word is "WOAH!!!" (which you said a lot this Christmas).
You REALLY love music. I think most babies do, but you love everything about it!
You got two instrument sets for Christmas, your favorite pieces are the drum and drum sticks. You also love pianos and keyboards. When ever you start playing music you always look at me to make sure I can hear you. Believe me, I can!
You also love to sing! You always sing along in church, making everyone around you smile! When the whole congregation starts up on a new song your eyes light up and you join in! It makes mommy really happy to see that you love to sing!
Now dancing, that's your TRUE favorite thing to do right now! Anytime ANY type of music or beat comes on you start dancing! It's great! You have all kinds of moves and just a couple months ago you learned how to spin in circles. You really love when other people get up and dance with you!
This past weekend, I discovered that you like to color! So today we have been coloring a lot and learning the names of colors. I don't know if yellow is your favorite or if you just like to say the word, but you always request "yeyo". I am impressed that you hold the markers the proper way and not just in your fist like most little kids do! You thought it was really funny that you had marker all of your hands when we finished! I kept showing you your hands and you would giggle!
Eli, you are such a joy in my life! No matter what is going on, I can always look at you and find my center! Being your mom is one of the greatest blessings God has given me and I hope to never take it for granted! I love you with all of my heart baby boy!
"Well, I don't want the whole world
The sun, the moon, and all their light
I just want to be the only girl
You love all your life"
