the Stories of Us: 12 Months!!!

My sweet baby has turned into a little boy in what seems like the blink of an eye. It was another milestone month in our house and I am so very thankful to be witness to it all!

we run together.

Zach has been loving his push cart since late December and delights us with his giggling self as he goes from room to room! He will pause before a doorway and wait for me to turn the cart and then cruise on ahead, moving quickly and running over whatever happens to be in his way!

a gift from Papa and Nana!

About 2 weeks ago, he started taking tentative steps on his own - a pivot step here and there, but this past week, he decided to go for it. He walked from his Nana to me and back again on Monday the 30th! He was so excited and we played the back/forth game till he tired.

I have long-awaited Zachary's acquisition of /m/ and it's finally here! This Sunday, on our way to church, he blessed my heart by saying 'mama, mama, mama.' Yes, friends, it melts my heart and is so, so sweet.

i can hardly handle his sweet face. <3

Zach still loves putting lids on things and has started to investigate different toys. We have a toy barn and there is a spot to put farm animals inside- he prefers to use other toys- a truck, ball, shoe, etc. to see what will fit and what gets stuck.

here he is wanting me to help with with Bert's buckle.

he really wants to do it himself. :)

Zach still loves to scream. Ear piercingly loud screams. We tolerate these as best we can. And sometimes we have to scream too, just for fun. :)

We have loved Baby Led Weaning and just as the name suggests, Zach is weaning himself from Mommy milk. We still have a good amount of frozen milk, so we'll continue to use it. Gone are the days of 8oz/feeding. He is down to about 15-20 oz a day and of course, he's increased his real food intake. :)

loves to eat bananas

Zach's grandparents recently commented that he seems so happy when he eats. He will indicate whether he wants the offered food by holding his hand to it. Without this signal, we do not put it on his tray. He loves smoothies through a straw, berries, pasta, sauteed veggies, bread, etc. And at his birthday party, he consumed his entire cupcake. (more on that in a different post)

with his bestie, Sophia

Zach loves to dig in these drawers and pull out food. chew on it. throw it. and go for more.

Zachary has started using sign language to communicate with us, which is a HUGE thing for me! I love knowing what he wants and I love that he's able to express himself. At this point, he only signs 'milk.' I chose not to teach the typical 'more' 'thank you' 'please' but instead teach functional vocabulary, like the names of foods: cereal, pancake, milk, water, drink, eat, etc. and am looking forward to him being able to talk with us via sign language.

he knows that he wears shoes, so he puts various shoes on top of his foot :)

Also, sometimes when Zach is frustrated, he screams. (also, when he is happy, bored or mad) I'm teaching him to say, 'mama' or 'dada' and use the 'help' sign instead of just screaming. He has started to use our names to call us (after I model). I'm hopeful he'll be able to do this instead. :) Unless of course, he just feels like screaming. :)

he was given a chair that makes racing sounds (see the shifter on the arm)

loves.it.

Zach still sleeps through the night consistently. He goes down around 7:30 and wakes up between 6:30 and 7 in the morning. Naps are shifting as he gets older- we're still doing 2 a day, but the morning nap is becoming less consistent. Afternoon nap is typically 2 hrs long.