15 Months Old

Brock has another clean bill of health from the Doctor! He is now 20lbs12oz. and he sprouted two inches since his last appointment. He is 30inches tall! I know I am constantly reflecting on how time seems to be on warp speed - how is my baby so big?! Each day is a new adventure and we are loving every second. Despite my vent in the last post, Brock really is an easy going, happy, little kiddo - with lots of spirit!

Brushing his teeth! There are four now!



Brock playing with his good buddy Annie - she is 9 months old and sooooo sweet!

Pinch me...

I must be dreaming! Cory and I are in complete amazement over Brock's recent change in sleeping habits. After over a year of night time madness (a bad night = up every hour, a good night = up 3 times), Brock has decided to give us a break. Anyone who has had us as visitors, stayed at our house, or seen us in the morning has witnessed the complete exhaustion! Brock was the WORST sleeper! Well, the other night I thought I had brought home the wrong kid from the park when, after our bedtime routine (bathing, milk, story, brushing teeth) Brock said to me, "nigh - nigh" and pointed to his room. Cory and I looked at eachother in confusion, but thought we would give it a shot. So, I walked him to his room, kissed him good night and put him in his crib - not a peep until morning! He has been doing this every night since, he usually asks for "mimi" his blanket (not sure why he calls it that) and then says, "nigh nigh" when he is ready to go in his crib. I was sure that I would be rocking this kid to sleep until he was in junior high so this is a pleasant suprise!

On another note, the terrible two's have arrived! Brock is on a quest for independence and he sure let's us know. The energy stored at night is being used during the day to keep up with him! I knew it would happen someday - Brock had his first public outburst in Home Depot when we wouldn't let him climb on a power washer! It wasn't a full on tantrum, but it did involve screaming, crying and arching the back! Luckily he is small and managable. It was partly our fault for keeping him up way past nap time and letting him down in Home Depot - a perfect recipe for disaster. We are learning!

Snow!

We had more snow last weekend. It is always fun to play in the snow although I think we are ready for Spring! My tulips and daffodils are starting to make an appearance this week. Brock has fun in the snow - primarily eating eat - I think he has a mouth full in every picture. I would be pulling him along in the sled and he would take a dive off the side to get more snow to eat!

No Means No

I know most of you could never believe that Brock is anything but angelic at all times. But the truth is we have our battles - so it is no wonder Brock has learned and mastered the art of saying "NO". In fact, he gets great joy from saying it to almost every question we present - I think he is just testing its power! Last week, as I was saying goodbye to Brock before work I said, "Give mommy a kiss", and he replied, "NO". Now wait just one second - I thought they didn't refuse kisses until high school! Of course, he knows this response gets him smothered with kisses and tickles!

Another Feeding Feat!

I think I mentioned a while back that my little junkie was addicted to breast milk and refused any other milk including cow, goat and I even tried formula. Well, the weaning process was slow, but I'm happy to report my little boob-aholic (Brock) is officially weaned from breast milk and now happily adjusted to cows milk. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. No tears, just gradually nursed less and less - we haven't nursed at all for 7 days. I was giddy the day I packed up the pump at work a couple months ago - no more dairy cow sessions while trying to type, read, or answer a phone. Don't get me wrong - breast feeding was a wonderful experience, challenging, but well worth the effort! Brock had an extremely healthy first year and I'm giving breast milk all the credit! I'm sure this is way to much information for most of you, but I just had to share one of my proudest mommy accomplishments - breastfeeding for almost 15 months!

Spoon Please

Brock has taken to using a spoon! Cory and I started to encounter great resistance when feeding him, but we soon learned to give him a spoon and he gobbles it all down. He just wants to do things our way! He does really good with things like apple sauce, yogurt and oatmeal (things that stick to the spoon). Notice in this series of pictures, I put the bib on AFTER he has already spilled on himself - that is usually how it goes - just call me super mom!

Third Tooth!

Brock may be advanced in his speech, but he is severely behind in the tooth department! Just last week one of his top teeth popped through. I could see a shadow of it for weeks, but it took its sweet time and a few rough nights to arrive. That makes tooth number three for those of you who are counting!