These are some of my recent "iphone journal" entries about Blake, and our experiences with him, starting after turning 1 year old:
- Nov. 25, 2010- 2nd Plane trip to MI for Thanksgiving, 1st time seeing snow flurries, 1st time around big dogs. Met Randy, Jamie, Denny, Rick. On last day reached out for Gma and melted her heart.
- Nov. 29, 2010- 1 yr dr. checkup- 22lbs (39%), 31" tall (86%), BMI 19%, head 19" round (93%).
- Dec 01, 2010- 1st time Blake got a stuffy nose, likely due to all the Flue and other shots he got at his Dr visit.
- Dec 05, 2010- forgot to say, Blake has been able to clap for about 3 months now, he also waves hi, he also can now throw his toys, started drinking real milk at age 1 (but has been sharing my protein shakes earlier!), now has forward facing seat, still loves to dance to all music. Is very fast at cruising and non stop active, but still waiting for first steps. Still sleeps thru night with 2 naps in the day. Can now say Dadda, Momma, and Book. Loves playing with his bath toys. He has been reaching for people for 3 weeks (makes you feel great!). Also first time laughing at a tv show, funny thing it was at an action Tom Cruise movie. Blake also shares / offers pieces of his food to whoever is feeding him, and yesterday for the first time he actually took his spoon, put it in the food jar and put the spoon end right in his mouth, very coordinated!
- 12-23-10: Blake stood up 2 times in a row all by himself while playing with Meal. From kneeling to standing then holding for about 2 seconds ea. time.
- 12-24-10: in addition to being able to say "dada", "mama", he can "sort of" say "book", "Blake, and "dog". He will say "blay" if u ask "what's your name?
- 12-26-10: First blood injury, playing w a new toy truck he slipped and the truck hit his mouth and he bled from his inner cheek or lip.
- 1-01-11: Blake went from kneeling to standing and stood himself for solid 5 seconds. He now loves to say "ah ha", he's learned to "push" toy cars and makes a vroom sound with me. He sometimes will pit his head down on a stuffed toy or you to rest, so cute! He now has 3 upper teeth and 2 lower so he really bites his food. He still loves to wave hi to everyone and give high five. He will clean his hands himself with a wipe after dinner.
1-02-11: we made the Reading Room into his own Playroom today, going to be so fun!!
2-05-11: Blake is starting to expand with and experiment with his vocabulary. New words include: spoon, hi, bye, balloon, dog, also when asked if he wants water he'll say "aqua", and when watching Dora she asks what is your name and he'll point to himself and say his name like "Blay". Also he recently now will point to me and say Dada! Also says Cow, Bird, Apple, Bailar (dancing in Spanish). He can point to any ball, in book or real and point and say the word Ball.
02-20-11: First steps all by himself by standing up then 2 steps by himself!
02-25-11: He is officially walking now! Can walk across a whole room. He can also say just about any word that he hears.
03-05-11: He is walking all over the place now and prefers it to crawling now. Blake is able to say so many words now and many more by recognition, like eye, nose, hair, apple, bailar, cow, Mommom, bird, car (one of his favorites), no, hi, bye. Two weeks ago was his 1st visit to a Park with swings and slide. He loves to play games like hide and seek and is starting to show "boy" behavior where he throws himself backwards repeatedly laughing historically just by doing goofy boy stuff!
03.22.11: Blake will make hand movements when singing "the itsy bitsy spider" song, so cute. He also can recognize and say / point to all face features, including hair. And my favorite is that he will come up to me and give me a hug an rest his little head on my chest or cheek. He also regularly says hi and bye to everyone now! And he can point to Dadda, Momma, Elizabeth and Auntie Milos if you say "Blake where is" then say their name.
4.04.11- first time both Melissa and I were away from him for more than a day (we went on vacation for 16 days to Brazil for Charlie Kemper's wedding. Tammy an Elizabeth watched him together).
4.04.11- according to reports from Tammy, she has taught Blake to say his 1st sentence - "I love you"!! How great for a first sentence!
4.25.11- Blake had so much fun interacting with all the kids at the Easter egg hunt at the Grand hotel last weekend. While we sat down he walked really far away without any fear or nervousness and at first watches other kids play, then started playing hula hoops too. Melissa thought it was so great so she started taking him to the kids play center at PAC while she swam. He seemed to love it and by the end was calling 2 kids by their names.
Easter Photos:
4.27.11- Dr appt. - Dr. said he is 95% in height, and 25% weight meaning he's tall and lean. Also said his language skills are extremely good, most kids can say 15 words by this age. Blake can say easily 50, and he also understands them and recognizes things by name (i.e. not just repeating like a parrot). Recently learned the word cold, when he gets out of the pool, or a cold breeze comes he'll say "cold"! We are going to start potty training soon since he can understand the words. Also will say "heavy" when lifting certain larger things.
5.11.11- Weight on 5.10.2011- 25.7 pounds. He can say so many things now, and when book reading if u say "what's that" he can say: apple, banana, dog, baby, car, horse, bird, bunny, and others. Also when he wants something he can ask for some things now like: milk, Dora (cartoon), swimming (to watch a phone video of us swimming), he'll say bear for his stuffed animal and agua when he wants to drink, and shake when he wants some of my protein shake. Oh and he likes to say button, and he say bum bum and pee pee which sounds hilarious, he kind of says it like "pe pe". One funny one is when Melissa calls upstairs for me, she calls loudly "baby", then "Wyatt", so Blake now will say at the top of his lungs, while looking upwards: "baby!!", and "Wy-dat"!! Which sounds hilarious.
-5.15.11- 18 months old!! Today he actually weighed 24.1 lbs. So many things he can do. He is now completely aware if one of us is in another room. Like in the morning if I get him up and go downstairs he will walk near the stairs and hell "mommy" upstairs. I tell you, it's getting more difficult by the day to leave him to go to work in the mornings, he is always is such a great mood and having so much fun that you just want to be near him to experience that joyous energy for yourself too. Lately he's been "joining" me when I work out in the home gym, he'll pick up some things and say "heavy", or he'll count as I do my reps, sometime joining along with some squats of his own!! He still eats practically anything, he loves grapefruit (all fruits), salmon, eggs, toast, milk, water, once he bit into a tomato and ate it like an apple! Basically Elizabeth makes him whatever we eat for lunch and dinner, just cut up smaller, all natural healthy stuff. Loves plain Greek yogurt with "manana", or bananas.
Photos of him "working out" with me, he was saying "heavy" each time, and helping me count reps:
Post workout shake!!
Photo of Family Fun Day at our Athletic Club:
