14 months old

I literally had to stop and think for a minute before titling this post.

Let's see..... 12 + January equals 13, + February equals 14.

14 months old!

*sigh*

Why is it parents track kids' ages in months for like 28 months or something? Can we move onto the years marker yet?

And yet, I'm going to make you read about all the fun changes in Logan we've noticed over this past month anyway. So there.

Actually - we've noticed quite a bit. This past month has been momentous for us, mostly because, it feels like Logan has really "grown up". There are so many new things he's picked up that FEEL like they should belong to a 3 yr old toddler and yet our little kid works at them, his mind clicking away at rapid speeds, no problem.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, his school has moved him onto the toddler schedule. He's transitioned to one nap a day, and has taken to feeding himself with a fork or spoon as much as possible. And, if you forget to give him his fork, he'll make do spearing his cheese cubes with his pretzel sticks instead.

Good luck feeding him on your own - it's a constant struggle as he gets pissed off that you are trying to sneak a piece of pasta in his mouth without HIM putting that piece of pasta in his mouth. He'll mush it in his mouth, contemplating if it's worth eating, and usually spit it out. Then he'll look down at the same mushed up pasta piece on his tray and proceed to spear it with his fork AND THEN - yes, you guessed it - put it in his mouth to eat.

It can drive the most patient person insane.

So just imagine how Jon and I are doing right now.

He has picked up his walking speed a fair number of clicks - to the point that, I have to double check to make sure his classroom door is closed and not wide open when picking him up for the evening. It's happened on more than one occasion where I'll be packing up his stuff only to find he's bolted out the door and down the hallway. He's not yet running, but he's definitely quick and nimble on the feet now.

But, I think the biggest marker of him "growing up" for us, has been the incredible improvements with his fine motor skills. It's amazing to watch his little brain spin while his teeny hands work at solving the mystery that is Mom's water bottle cap. And within minutes he has figured out how to screw the cap on and off, entertaining himself for some time while on Mama's lap. He's quick to untie his shoes - even when I've double-knotted them! He even tries to put his shoes back on once they are off, but of course, gets very frustrated because he can't.

And, his favorite of all time, are his buckles. He helps me buckle himself into his stroller, his car seat, the airplane seat, his high chair. Unfortunately, he isn't strong enough (nor quite figured it out I don't think) that he needs to pinch the clasp together to release the buckle - so he gets extremely annoyed when the buckle won't release by just pulling apart the two ends. Although, it's probably better he doesn't figure out how to undo the buckles for now anyway.

To us, all of these developments feel so much more advanced than a 14 month old should be doing. Yet, he still doesn't talk or utter much of any word at all to be honest (except for perhaps "dog", "dada" and "mama"), so it just goes to show, what you read online is totally true (every baby truly is different and develops at their own pace). ;-)

Even though Logan hasn't started talking yet, he still is a very social and communicative little kid. Just the other night when we were having dinner with the Jodoins and Chouns, Jenn and I noticed Logan and Robert playing "footsie" underneath the table. And afterward, the two buds ran around exploring, hugging, chattering and overall interested in one another and what each was doing. It's great to see that sort of social activity from Logan - and luckily, we observe his outgoing nature in any sort of setting, day after day.

As for his communicative style - though he doesn't speak much at all, he gestures in volumes. He throws his hands up in the air or out to anyone he is interested in greeting. He'll rub his hands together when I get the lotion out, to help me lather him up. But more than anything else, he's really taken to signing lately, and because he's picking it up so quickly, we're trying to encourage it at home even more.

The three main signs he uses the most are 'goodbye', 'more' and 'all done' - but he's also learning 'yes', 'no', and just today, 'hat' (they were playing a game at school where they were trying on several different hats). He also understands 'up', 'down' and 'help' - although he's still having trouble doing those signs (inevitably, if he has trouble, everything becomes 'more' to him) :) And, I'm also working on the sign for 'dog' since he seems to know the word well, and once he gets that down, I think I'll focus on 'cat' next (since, at this point, he thinks all furry animals are 'dogs').

But best of all, Jon has taught him the word 'kiss' - so that our cutie pie will lean in with pursed lips close to our face to peck us on the cheek.

What more could you ask for?