12 Months

This is a little late, but here is what Eli has been up to this past month.

One of my favorite new tricks of his is dancing.  I don’t know where he learned it, but it’s so cute.  When we sing “dancing… dancing…. dancing…” he turns around in circles.  I love it!

He has learned to climb stairs.  He loves to climb and will go up and down over and over.  The problem is he wants to walk down.  He hasn’t learned to go down on his stomach or bottom.  It’s quite scary!

Reading is one of his favorite things to do.  We do it before each nap and bedtime.  I line up several books and ask him which one he wants to read.  Then he’ll reach out and grab one.

I continue to be amazed at how much he comprehends.  He is great at following directions. 

Eli is obsessed with opening and closing things, taking lids on and of bottles, putting things together and pretty much anything mechanical.  He’ll work on one thing for a while and then will get frustrated if he can’t figure it out.

One bad habit Eli has is pulling hair, pinching and grabbing faces.  He doesn’t do it out of anger or aggression, just curiosity I think.  It has been challenging to get him to stop.

He has recently learned to point and he loves to do it.  I love seeing his chubby little finger pointing something out.  My favorite is when we ask him, “where is the moon?” and he points to the sky.

Eli loves to play with other kids.  He thinks he is capable of much more than he is.  He is very adventurous and isn’t afraid of anything.  At his birthday party, he had no fear of the jumpy house or slide.  George would take him to the top of the slide and let him dangle, and then would release him.  He slowly slid down and laid completely still, arms still up, until someone came and got him.  It was so funny.

Currently he is 25 pounds.  He has been that for a while now.  I think he is now growing more up than out.  He can fit into a few 12 month and 24 month clothes, but mostly wears 18 months. 

Eli babbles a lot, but still isn’t saying any words.  He says mama, but still not relating it to me.  Experts say kids in bilingual households often start speaking later.  I think that will be the case with Eli.

Fun month!

(Turn my back for one minute and see what happens!)

(He kept begging for the lime despite this happening every time!)