The months surrounding the one year mark have got to be some of my all-time favorite. Levi is just so stinkin' darling! I think I die of cuteness overload a hundred times over every day just watching the way he smiles, talks, and toddles around the house. And ohhh, those cheeks! I can't quit smooching them. Levi is still definitely my baby.
So in honor of his fifteen months of life, let me tell you a little about our cute little man.
(Note: This is purely for my own documentation.)
:: Levi is the happiest and most smiley child ever to grace the earth. Really, he cheeses it up all. day. long. He even performs for the camera! I'm such a proud mama.
:: Levi has been taking steps for a few months, but didn't really start walking till he was a little over 14 months old. I think Levi would have walked sooner if it weren't for his big brother knocking him down all the time! (Really, my patience rubs raw when Jed does that over and over.)
:: Levi is so smart! It's fun to see how much he really understands. Whenever I say "bath", he books his chubby little legs to the bathroom chanting, "Baa! Baa! Baa!" And whenever I say it's time to brush his teeth, he takes off excitedly exclaiming, "Tee! Tee! Tee!" He loves baths and he loves his teeth brushed.
:: Levi's 7th tooth is making its appearance
:: He is a bottomless pit. The kid eats and eats and eats and eats! Among his favorite foods are bananas and raspberries and cottage cheese.
:: All animals are known as "Tyke".
:: I cannot get enough of his long lashes, pudgy little fingers, or round tummy. Every physical attribute about him is just the cutest.
:: Most prominent talent: emptying every drawer under three feet high
:: Strokes my hair for comfort
:: Though we cut his hair, I am thrilled to say that it still holds a curl! Those little curls make me so very happy.
:: I love how he holds his hands in the air in question, "Where?" Or how he holds them awkwardly straight out in front when he wants something, like the dog to lick him.
:: His favorite word is "Daddy". He says it for almost everything. But he gets truly excited when Bron comes through the door in the evening. Levi waddles as fast as he can squealing, "Daddee! Daddee!" and won't stop even after Bron picks him up.
:: I suspect an extremely stubborn and temperamental two year old is waiting to greet us in just a few short months. When Levi doesn't get his way, he tends to throw a fit by howling and smacking his forehead against the ground. However, if it's Jed he's ticked with, Levi tends to bite. Uh-oh!
:: Levi has never been as good a sleeper as Jed. He knows how to put himself back to sleep, but often wakes in the middle of the night screaming. If it continues on for a while, I pull my groggy self out of bed to check on him. Is he awake or not? I can't always tell. So I change his diaper, get him a drink of milk, and hold him for 10-20 minutes before sticking him back into his crib. Then he sometimes screams some more. For the sake of my own sanity, I have become a cry-it-out method kind of mom. He's over a year old, all of his basic needs have been met, and it's dark outside: It is time to sleep. I sometimes wonder if he'd do better co-sleeping. But since that just wouldn't work for me, I've considered moving him into Jed's room. I just don't know!
:: Levi copies his big brother. I've been teaching Jed how to wash his hair and body. Levi pretends to push the soap dispenser and then rubs his hair or belly too with his uncoordinated little hands. So, so cute!
:: Our little maestro has a love for the piano. He pulls himself up onto the bench and pounds away on the keys several times a day. The kid has rhythm too. He bounces and smiles whenever I turn on the music. I hope he develops some musical talent like his mama.
::Lullabies never seemed to work for Jed, but whenever I sing to Levi he immediately calms down and rests his head on my shoulder. I've been singing, "You are My Sunshine" every night. That song couldn't be any truer! Levi is my little ray of sunshine and I'd be heartbroken without him.
I love you so much, Little Man!
^^This video taken one morning when Levi woke up and couldn't find his favorite person.^^
