He had his doctor's appointment, and he continues to grow and develop well. He was about 23 1/2 pounds and 30 1/2 inches tall, which puts him around the 30th percentile for weight and 25th for height......and that head is still around the 80th percentile. Typical in this family. (They don't get that from me!!) He has finally outgrown his 6-12 month clothes and is wearing 12 month or 12-18 month. The 4th molar made its debut late last week, so he now has 10 teeth.
Jude's language skills have really taken off since his first birthday. He can say over 20 words (my favorites include: cookie, cracker, Eli, and blueberry) and signs over 15 words (favorites are: train, shoes, baby, stars, and please). With this combined vocabulary of nearly 40 words, he is becoming quite the little communicator.
Jude understands so much too. He knows when I'm finished tutoring and walks the students to the door....as if to say, "Bye! Give me back my Mommy!" He walks to the bottom of the stairs when you ask if he is ready for "nigh nigh." He will pucker up for kisses, give high fives, and wave good-bye when asked. I honestly am so in awe of how well he understands and follows directions. He knows how to get his point across. Now if we can just break the habit of yelling (screaming?) to get our attention.
Jude adores animals and loves to "read" books about them. He will point out the animals and make their sounds or sign what they are. This Star Wars loving family is proud to say that Jude's second official animal sound (right after "woof woof" for dog) was Chewbacca. Awesome, right? When he puts the Darth helmet on, he "doo doo's" the first few notes of Darth Vader's theme music. The latest Star Wars sound is a Yoda voice. Cracks us up! These days, Jude can be heard trumpeting like an elephant, pounding his chest and hooting like a gorilla, or quacking like a duck. He loves to sing "Old MacDonald had a Farm" and even does the E-I-E-I-O. Too stkinkin' cute!
Speaking of music, we have another fan. Eli was such a big music fan and had a sense of rhythm very early. Jude is following in his footsteps and plays the drums more than Eli does lately. He asks for music using his own created sign. His dance moves are incredible and he has such a variety: spinning, picking up his feet quickly, swaying, the "Stevie Wonder", swinging his arms, kicking, and of course, the booty bounce. We are all fans, but Eli might be his biggest fan.
Along with "Old MacDonald," Jude likes to do the moves to "If You're Happy and You Know It." He will clap his hands, stomp his feet (my fave!), and pat his head....it helped teach him these body parts. (He also knows the parts of his face and his belly/belly button.) When fussy, "Hey Jude" and "You are My Sunshine" are often all he needs to hear to calm him down.
Besides music, Jude loves to play outside. The sandbox is his favorite place, but any playground or yard will do. He loves to explore and wander. Running as fast as his little turned-in toes can take him; always trying to keep up with big brother. Jude still thinks the world of Eli and wants to play with whatever Eli is playing with at the time. The boy can find a ball anywhere! He is very into pouring and dumping anything and everything. Loves books too! He will look at them a lot...doesn't always want to hear the story, but loves to look at the pictures, point things out, and turn the pages. And of course, he loves all non-toys too....throwing clothes out of dresser drawers, emptying kitchen cabinets. He leaves a disaster wherever he goes. Paper and pencils are favorites right now. This might have something to do with me always using them to tutor students each day. My walls are in trouble.
Sleep is still rough. He will sleep through the night one week, and not the next. This week, he has become a party animal and wants to stay up for at least an hour each time he wakes up. Mama is TIRED!!! Jude loves his bedtime routine....especially bath time. He has told us several nights that it is nigh nigh time and waves good night to Eli. I love it when babies tell you they are tired!
Check out that cute booty up in the air! This is Jude's favorite sleep position. We have been tinkering with the bedtime routine; having Daddy actually put him down, in hopes to help him sleep a bit better. It was working last week, so hopefully he will be back into a better sleep pattern again soon. In addition to the sleep issues, he is still super clingy and loves his Mama. To say he's a "Mama's boy" is putting it mildly. Cooking dinner is tough when you have a rug rat pushing on your legs with all his might to get you to back away from the sharp knives and hot stove to pick him up. He's feisty and determined.
We have begun to see a stubborn and naughty side to Jude. There are mini tantrums starting and some mischief making. Today, he threw himself down on the hard floor at the public library....twice. Such a mess! He thinks it is funny to whack people with toys like drum sticks or kitchen utensils. I have to admit that I find myself giggling when he is being naughty. It is still *kinda* cute at this age. He had his first timeout last week for hitting. He was clueless as to what was happening, and it did not prove to be effective.
Jude loves to eat and is quite an adventurous eater. He eats a much larger variety of foods than Eli does. Give him a fork, and he's a happy boy...willing to try anything. His favorite foods seem to be: pears, tofu, black beans, blueberries, crackers (esp. goldfish), and cookies. He loves to drink water and hates whole milk. I have tried some flavoring his milk with vanilla....no luck. Next I will try to warm it a bit. This means that he is still exclusively nursing, and most days I am perfectly fine with it.
I can't get enough of this kid. He has my heart in a big way. And he's got Dada wrapped around that little finger too. Every night, when Jude hears Daddy's keys in the door, he runs to the door yelling, "Dada!!" What a way to be welcomed home! So thankful that our family was blessed with, not one, but two precious little boys. We are so lucky.
Why do they have to grow up? Will someone, please, make them stop?
Ack! He's so big! Hope the amber necklace is helping with the teeth! Lub!
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