Race for the Cure 2008

October 11th was a very special day for me and my family, and for every woman in Little Rock Arkansas! The event of the day-Race for the Cure. I have been participating in this event for a few years now, but it means more now to me than ever. 2 years ago this May my mom suffered the enormous burden of learning that she had developed breast cancer. I was shocked when I learned this had affected her, and couldnt believe she was joining the women of the world who have also faught this disease. Luckily her battle was fairly quick and she is currently cancer free! :) Mom, I am so proud of you and your strength. To say the least, your strength is inspiring. And I love you, and look forward to this walk every year to come.

I was so thankful that my mom headed down for the weekend and we could do the walk together. This is the second year we have done this and it makes it so much more realistic and meaningful when you are really walking for someone who is close to you and who has faught this terrible battle.

To start off, we get downtown, got great parking, and didnt have to walk far at all. The morning started off good, because we were so on time, which is usually hard at this event, because of the large number of people. Little Rock is in the top 10 of Race for the Cure cities. This year there were over 45,000 women who participated in the race. And then not to mention the men who walked in the 3 miles of men, and all those supporters who were out there that lined the streets!

Last year it was pretty cold early in the morning, but this year it was just a little chilly. Chilly enough for a cold nose though!


First stop, spit for the cure. Elem cheered memaw on while she filled out paper work and did a little spit test. The Spit for the cure is an effort for research to determine if you can tell when breast cancer is hereditary.


After the Spit, we were off to find the bandanas! Unfortunately, the massive thick wall of women ready to walk was already formed and we couldnt head directly across the street. So we paused for some brief dancing-


And snapshots. Early morning baby, was not too excited to get his picture taken just yet... Here we are. We love you memaw.


Here is me, my mom, and Elem. Like I said, he was ready to get down and play!


We finally saw the race begin and the thick line eventually came to a drizzle. There were so many people that we couldnt even find any of my friends or mother in law or anyone! It was a mad house. So we just stuck together and off we went. We grabbed some bandanas and headed towards North Little Rock. The walk is pretty slow, due to the large number of people, but since we were at the end, it wasnt too bad. There were plenty of people with pink shirts on-those who have had breast cancer, and then those with white shirts are simply supporters. Elem started off in the stroller, but after we crossed the bridge, -about 20 minutes into it, Elem wanted a free ride. So I got him out, and held him for a little while. Which turned into the rest of the time! Lets just say I got a great workout holding an extra 20 pounds all the way through the finish line. :)

We snuck him into his stroller, and this was the best family pic we could get. Sweet, sleepy baby.



We headed home, a wonderful day, beautiful sunshine, great company, and raced for a great cause. We figured since we didnt get as many pics as we wanted at the race, we would take what we could get.

Me and my mom. :) So brave, and so inspiring.


And Elem and his Memaw.


And that was the day. A day of great energy, spirit, and overall belief in a cure for such a terrible and affecting disease. To all the women who have faught, survived, or been affected by breast cancer, hopefully with the funding from these walks one day they will find a cure. I love you mom.

6th picture in 6th folder

I read Britt's and saw that she had a super cute pic of Jilly located 6th picture 6th folder. Although Jilly was only 12 days old in hers-our folders play out a little differently, and Elems are from his 6 month. 6th picture in 6th folder is the one you see above. The breakdown: This pic was taken the very day Elem learned to sit up!!! As soon as I realized he was doing it, I took him outside to sit up and take a look around the world. He loved it. It was October, and right after I had tried to take his pic at the pumpkin patch in a basket, and he wasnt quite sitting up just yet! So I love these pics. Although he is still quite the baby, I can still see his current face in there somewhere!

I tag....Becky, Courtney, and Steph-6th picture in your 6th folder. Now go!!

I loved you Mr. Bot Bot........

A true connection they did have: Elem Zane and his bottle. Our child has proven to be quite the addict to whatever is providing the milk-be it my boob, or his bottle. :) And once his mind was made up that he liked Mr. Bot-bot, there was no turning back. Originally, I had planed to take the bottle away when he learned to say it, but it didnt work out quite that way. Little did I know that the bottle would be such a hit in my house. Lets just say, there were not many times throughout the day, when you wouldnt see my son with a bottle, or within 5-7 feet of one he could grab at any moment. However-I knew it was time to move on and let go to mr. bot ASAP, when I started hearing my baby say, I want my bot bot -wit juice. Uhm... too many words and too smart to still be sippin on that old thing! So, once daddy headed out of town for a night (the honest culprit trying to pacify a crying 17 month old) I put all the bottles away and simply said here is your cup. And that was it-way easier than I thought. Today is day 3, and currently night 3 of bottle free baby! He asked for it for about the first half day, then he really just accepted it, and now we are here. Happy, healthy, and chillin with the cup. What more could I want? That was my goal when I wrote his last month milestones, and I have succeeded. Go me!



So long old friend. Here's to you and your loyalty. You did me right, were there for me any time I needed you; and I will never forget you!

No Dairy Diet Update

My sis is correct in that I need to do a diet update! I have been sooo busy with work it is almost insane. Seth has been out of town and I just havent made time for my blogs like I usually do! So for the update, unfortunately, I have bad news. Elem has not been eating any cheese, dairy, drinking milk, etc. etc. Originally, it was looking optimistic with about one bad diaper versus 1 or 2 good diapers for about 3 days. However, that has sense ceased, and he has had just about the worst diarrhea he has had yet-today! It was awful, and for nauseating purposes, I will not go into details, but I will say, it is ridiculous. No babu should have to have whatever kind of stomach issues he is having. And currently-it is not dairy related, and not teething related. I feel certain of that. So...we begin again. Trying to rack our brains of what to do, what to remove from the diet, or what to try this time. For Seth and I, we will most likely be going to the pediatric allergist, and see if they can provide us with any answers. Something. Anything. We have not even begun to make the appointment or locate the one we will be using, although I am sure that process is not too difficult. Once we have made some progress I will update.

Whats in a word?

Daily I am surprised, overwhelmed, and in complete amazement at the words Elem Zane can say! Although there are about 50 bazillion I dont think anyone can understand, I have been wanting to document all those that I can understand, before he starts speaking in sentences and I forget where it all began. So today, I am simply jotting down for my own documentation- those words that I know he says often. It is a little tricky because he will repeat anything and everything you say, so I could go on and on. But I will stick to the words he says without me having to ask him to say very often. For the most part, this is his current vocabulary.

mommy. daddy. go. eat eat. wah you (for love you). bye. hey. ja-net. coo-kie. ca-cka (for cracker). sage. fu-ball (for football). shoe. papa. ayi (for ali). du-pin (for dustin). sissy. no. bottle. wa wa (for water). bath. bank (for blanket). trash. ball. big cruck (for big truck). ohhhh. wow. back back (for back pack). night night. out tide (for outside). two. three. me. bir (for bird). pane (for airplane). car. keys. baby. duck. cak (for quack). moo. tar (for star). pease (for please). tank you (for thank you). out. up. peepee. poopoo. potty. eyes. nose. teeth. hair. brush teeth. bocks (for blocks). bite. juice. yo yo (for yogurt). memaw. kecky (for becky). nana (for banana). vacoom (for vacuum). diap diap (for diaper). uh oh. ouch. i wan (for I want). yum yum. cow. lets go. com-on. bat-man. bear. boom (for broom). choo choo. hep me (for help me). sock. name. yite (for night lite). prite ( for sprite-thank the grand parents for this one). off. how (for house). ong (for songs). ice. toe. kiy cat (for kitty cat). dis (for this). that. side (for slide). cheese. bone bone (for sages nones). ba-be-ball (for basketball). poon (for spoon and/or uncle spoon). had (for uncle chad).

From what I can count, that is a total of 81 words that he uses on a regular basis. I know there could be more, but these are the norm around the house and when we are out. If I were to add every word he repeats, we would be here for days, so this is it for now! so cool to finally hear your baby start telling you what he wants or at least pointing you in the direction of what he is referring to or longing for. I think we are prepared for the talking, we really encourage it, and work with the flash cards and what not. once the talking back starts, I think we will have a different tune. :) We are really looking forward to seeing how these words change, and how new words come into his vocabulary over the next few weeks and months.

Counting is a marvelous thing

Counting to 3 that is! When you are only 17 months old at that! haha. Just this week, Elem has started doing some really grown up things. And I cant get over how they develop literally over night. We were driving on Monday night to Uncle Spoons house for his birthday party, and I had grabbed a ball from work so that Elem could have something fun to play with while we were over there. So I opened the package and threw it in the back of the car with him. I of course started counting, and going 1, 2, ...3!!! And he soon joined in. To where he was over powering my own counting! He has never counted all the way to 3. I was so excited for him. But he was even more excited to get to 3 than I was to hear him count it out loud! ha. Now, he doesnt really ever say one, but I do that to get it going. Still, it is the cutest thing I have ever heard. And his genuine excitement every single time he gets to number 3 is enough to melt your heart. :)

Also, please enjoy the end when he is throwing the ball-in my direction. Seth found it to be the best part of the video. And you will have to forgive Sage for her continuos barking. She was in serious need of some attention and I just wasnt giving it to her bless her heart. You will also see his recent, yet ongoing obsession with shoes. Big people shoes. He loves to put them on. No matter whose they are or where he finds them. Enjoy.

No Dairy Diet Day 6, 7, 8, and 9

Not too much to update on here, but more of the same. Elem has not been eating any dairy, or cheese, and no or little butter that I know of. We have been trying our best to keep it pretty much same foods every day, to keep it simple. He is eating mashed potatoes (as always), turkey sandwiches, crackers, animal cookies, waffles, bread, pasta noodles, etc. No milk at all, and no yogurt. But sadley, still about 2-3 diarrheas daily. I believe on day 6 he had a regular BM. Wahoo! Wahoo! But no latter than same time day 7, he was having a bad one. So maybe a good thing again maybe a fluke. He is feeling pretty good, still cutting those 4 molars. I have also tried to cut back on the juice, just to ensure it is not too much for him. I am trying to push water, and he has increased his H2O intake a little bit. Just trying to balence it out, no more of one than the other, since those are his only two options these days. I am hoping to see some sort of a change here in the next few days. The minimal results so far were as to be expected by me. By the end of next week, if there is no change then we will choose something else and most likely make an appointment for a pediatric allergist screening. Kinda drreading that one, since Elem is now super afraid of all doctors and their many tools. :) I cant imagine him sitting still for someone to do a bunch of little pricks on his back and or arms. We will see. I have many blog updates to do including Race for the Cure weekend, trip to the fair, Uncle Spoons Birthday, and some great videos of Elems newest tricks! So I will try really hard to complete one tonight, and the rest by the weekend. I have been swamped at work and need to complete a few more projects before I can have play time on the computer. :) Peas-

No Dairy Diet Days 4 and 5

Still on the no diary diet around out house. And it actually isnt that hard to follow, since we have been committed to it, BUT there is stuff like pizza, and cheese dip that come out around our house on the weekend, that I almost forgot and tried to give Elem. He only had about one bite of pizza with cheese on it, but other than that-nothing. No dairy at all. On Saturday, he did pretty well, and only had one diarrhea all day, and then on Sunday, he had one diarrhea and one that was half way normal. So I dont know if that was a fluke, or if maybe the dang dairy has been the cause of all of this. Still going to keep trying it, so we will see how it goes over the course of the next week.

Trip to Memaw and Papaw's

This past weekend, Elem and I made a special trip to Memphis to see Memaw and Papaw! It was an extra special trip because Aunt Becky and my nephew Wyatt had flown in from Rossville to stay the weekend too! I havent seen Wyatt or my sis since our wedding, so I couldnt wait to spend time with everyone and see how much little Wyatt had grown. Warning,this is a very long post, and tons of pics!)

As I pulled through my parent's neighborhood, I got extemely excited when I saw a HUGE garage sale only a few streets away from where they lived. (For those who do not know, I love love love garage sales, but never get to go!) So this was perfect timing. I arrived at my parents and said a quick hello, grabbed my sis, and headed to the garage sale for some toys and any other goodys I could find! haha!Of course, the entire garage sale was full of girl stuff. Pink and White EVERYWHERE. But needless to say there were tons of toys. We made out with a pink kawasaki riding toy for Elem (he picked it out himself), a tool bench with tons of accessories, a light up musical standing toy for Wyatt (although I think it went out before the weekend was over), several random toys, a high chair, and I even got a brand new super cool quilt for my spare bedroom! Talk about good deals. I was stoked! What a great way to start off the weekend. We finally headed back to the house for some actual family time.

Wyatt had just woken up from his nap, and Elem was ready for some outdoor play since he had been in the car for so long, so me, Elem, my sis, and Wyatt, memaw and papaw all headed off to the park for some play time and relaxation. Unfortunatley when we pulled into the park, we noticed there was an insane amount of people having some kind of festival.

Where's Elem? Anyone seen my kid?


It really wasnt too bad, and Elem was ready to play! Look how happy he is watching all the kids! And seeing so many slides.


Wyatt is not quite big enough to do any actually large motor skill play at the park, but he still was around the action. here is my dad, sis, and baby Wyatt.


He is such a happy baby! With all the red hair and pale skin, we are still saying he and elem are about as opposite as they come! I cant wait till they can run and play together! they will have so much fun. wlel, as long as Elem doesnt beat Wyatt up, cause he IS already starting to show signs of being a bully. We will see. here is baby and pretty mommy.


I tried my hardest to get some great shots, but elem is on the move non stop. He is so fast I cant catch him in a still position for even a moment. And when I do, his hair tends to be going crazy. he was having somewhat of a bad hair day that day if I recall correctly! This is the best I could get!


Run, Elem Run! He is fast as lightning I tell ya!


After a great time at the park, we went back to the house to put baby Wyatt down for a nap. We all headed back outside to keep loud man from waking him up! While outside, elem helped Memaw clean those garage sale tosy nice and clean. Here he is waiting patiently for his turn with the hose. See his pouty face?


This is my favorite pic. haha. My mom got a little carried away with the hose.


He finally got his turn and helped water the plants just like we asked him! Such a good boy! he really does follow directions well when asked to do thiings. It is so cute.


Workin hard.


Even though he hadnt seen me in a long time, he still loved me! He was so sweet, and so tiny. he is still in 3-6 month clothing and is 7 months old. I think Elem was already wearing like 12-18 months at that time! haha, maybe not quite that big, but always bogger than smaller than the months he was!


Happy with his mommy. Look at that smile.


me and Elem doing his Homework. Flash cards. He loves the dog one and the baby one the best. He likes to look at teh dog one and just say dog over and over. And he likes to say baby, and kiss the baby one. So sweet.


Did I mention Wyatt was super flexible. His legs were all over the place. even during dinner time, he didnt keep them still.


Eating and playing. Thats what he does best.


Bath time for the littlest one. He is sitting up all by himself. Wahoo. I know Aunt Becky is happy about that one.


Overall, it was a fabulous weekend. It was so great to see my mom and dad and Wyatt. Elem had so much fun, and did really great in the car both ways there and back. There were no major obstacles, he slept well, ate well, and was great the whole time. My sis and I even got to spend some time out having a nice adult beverage without the kiddies. I dont think I have done that in, uhm, like 17 months. Ahh the simple joys! Thanks for having us Memaw and Papaw. We love you. And cant wait to see you again this weekend, this time without the drive cause ya'll are coming to us. Much easier. We will miss you Becky and Wyatt.

Dairy Diet Day 2 and 3

To ensure I have a good memory, I am transferring my mental and paper notes to the blog. Maybe by doing this, someone else can lend me their insight to what they think the problem could be. So, no dairy anything at all for 3 full days. Day 2, no poop at all. Weird I know, but true. Day 3, 3 diarrheas before 11am. He has not been eating too much food at all. Just snipits of snacks here and there. Which leads me to another thought, he is currently cutting 4 teeth, and has been for like 2 months, maybe some of the diarrhea could be a symptom of teething, and I just overlooked it? Not likely but maybe a few of them, he? Okay so my friend karen mentioned that dairy would not be out of his system for about 2 weeks, so I will continue to document till then. And hope for the best! Other than the status of his bowels, he has been pretty fussy lately. He is easily frustrated in every aspect of the word, and honestly has resprted to terrible tantrums (to put it mildly). Not to mention, he grabs me by the neck, and squeezes as hard as possible, and scratches with his hands. he has figured out this hurts, and I have the scratches on my face to prove it. Either this is the early onset of the terrible 2s, or..he is not feeling good and is frustrated. Maybe a little of both. Stay tuned.

No Dairy Diet in the works

Yesterday, Seth and I came to the agreement that we would try our best efforts to figure out what is in Elem's diet that might be messing with his little tummy, all on our own, before we try going to an allergist or diecticion. So, for now, we have started with dairy. Yesterday was the first day, and we did really well, no cheese, no milk (which he hasnt had any of that in like a month), no cheese crackers, no ice cream, no macoroni and cheese, no yogurt. No nothing basically. Sadly cheesey foods and yogurt, seems to be Elems most favorite food and snack, so losing the cheese crackers, yo-yo (as Elem calls it) and things like that- will be the most missed for now. We'll see if the diarrhea slacks off a littl bit and I will keep ya posted. We will consider this Food Test Number 1.

And the results are in.

After many phone calls, and a few rude ones at that, I finally heard from Dr. O'Connor herself today. She called me calm and collected, and I knew immediately that everything was okay by the tone of her voice. She proceeded to tell e that they tested for celiac and all levels were normal, that the blood tests and levels all came back normal, and that they biopsy results from both areas of tissue were normal as well. No allergens in the blood, and as she stated before, nothing from the outside view looked anything but normal. So there you have it. All normal.

As much as I am grateful for the results to be normal, and for my child not to have anything that we can tell as of yet to be life threatening, my mind is still not at ease. More so, just plain frustration is taking over my every day thoughts. I appreciate the results, as that is what I was so longing to hear from her. that everything was normal. But it brings me back to where I was 4 months ago, with a child who has increasing diarrhea, and no test results to prove where the issue is originating from. So for now, we say thank you. Thank you for the positive results. That is what I am dwelling on now. At least for tonight. My child does not have any kind of cancer, intestinal deformality, etc. And for that I am truly blessed.

The end of the conversation with the doctor was my informing her that the diarrhea was increasing, and what should I do? Her direction, to do pro biotics (which we have already done on multiple occasions-with no better results in regards to stools)and to add Benefiber (which we have also done-and leads to our child turning away all foods in general). So no good suggested ideas for help as I see it.

Now I ask for direction as to what to do next. I have received all kinds of suggestions from friends , family, nurses, etc. Everyone has their own idea of what it possibly could be. But no one is certain. And we, Seth, and I , are at our wits end as to who to listen to. My sis, who is a nurse has suggested a bare diet, introducing foods one at a time, which sounds good in theory, but will be so hard to implement on a daily basis with a 17 month old toddler. My in laws think it is the milk, but yet they still give him milk products, as do I. My mom is a fan of the pro biotics, and the lists go on and on. All good ideas, just which one to follow. And then again, which one do seth and I agree on? I for one, and pro trying the limited diet, but without everyones help that will be impossible. I am tired of the pro biotics because they didnt work last time. Soo many options, and yet nothing to give me immediate results, which is what I am longing for. Some sign of cure, in the road straight ahead.

For now, we will deliberate, and I am trying to get an appointment in the near future with a pediatric allergist. Maybe they can direct me to some things he needs to stay away from? Lets hope. Medically, that is the next step I am taking, and I am simply doing that on my own accord. I for one am not willing to accept chronic diarrhea as the diagnosis. 4 months and still going stong is a little too long for chronic diarrhea for a 17 month old infant in my book.

So the search continues. Keep your ideas and suggestions coming. I am taking them all into consideration and your expertise benefits me more than you know.

Despite everything, Elem has continued to have a good outlook on life. He still giggles, and plays, and shows his love to us everyday. Although he has his moments of pain and discomfort, and frustration overtakes his body and mind on a daily basis, he still has a good time, and shows a happy face, the one that we love to see, every single day!
Here is Elem and sage playing together! Elem with the toy initially, tasting it even, to make sure Sage wants it.


Not quite ready to let her get it. even though he is squeaking it over and over to get her going crazy!


Finally, he shares. Her toy-with her!


They love each other, even though Sage would never admit that to anyone And he would most likely deny it too. But they do. And in times like this when I am so frustrated, little tug of war games like this are priceless! The giggles and the growls are so funny, and make me realize if he can find the lighter happy side of this on a daily basis, then so can I. We will find out what is wrong and we just have to put it in God's hands to point us in the right direction. :)

What's with the delay?

Can someone please explain to me, what the deal is with the lack of communication/return of phone calls from Children's Hospital to the parents of the children they are working on!? It is absolutely ridiculous. I kind of want to send a complain or something. This is the third time over the course of the last month or so that I have tried to reach a nurse-any nurse-in the GI clinic for a returned phone call, and I get nothing. It is more frustrating than I could ever have imagined. This whole process. All I want is for someone, anyone, to please show some interest in my child and in finding out what is wrong with him, but all I get is people looking at me like I am lying while in their doctor's office or hospital, and no return communication. It is just not fair. Last time I called was on Friday morning, at 8:30am, and no return call back. Not even to say, hey you know what we have no results as of yet. For an update, since Elem's procedure on Monday, his diarrhea has increased from about 1-2 a day, to 4-5 complete watery stools a day. Last I heard from the do in the consult after the procedure, hmm...it looks like regular poop. So something is not right here. Doesnt anyone have any compassion around there? I apologize for the downer of my mood, just a lot of overwhelming frustrations. That only lead my mind to wonder and then get more frustrated cause I cant get anyone to communicate with me. Elem is going on 17 months this week.

For the record, this all started when he turned 13 months. You can do the math-that is 4 months of straight miserable diarrhea. And still, I have no answers. I almost am consumed with the feeling of failure for my kid. No answers, no medicine, no sign of relief ahead. It is so miserable when he looks at me like he did today. He pooped and then screamed and ran into my arms. It is not fair for something so annoying as this to be in his life 4-5 times a day. And he doesnt even understand it. I'm sorry Elem for your pain, and for your discomfort. It brings tears to my eyes to see you in pain or uncomfortable. But I can assure you I am trying my best to get an answer. When I stepped into the role of mother, I assumed I would have most of the answers..especially with my background. I had no idea it would be so difficult, to entrust someone else with the care and diagnosis of your baby. I pray for results, fast results, healthy, and clear results. The frustration is overwhelming, and I am mentally and physically drained. :(

Oh and to clear up something Seth always brings to my attention. Elem is always naked because he is always having to have his diaper changed! he, like his mother, has turned into a fan of liking to feel free when in his own household! Can I get an A-man?The poor thing gets dressed and undressed so many times due to the insane number of diaper changes, I try to let him be free and naked when I can. Unfortunately, that tends to be when I get the camera out. And I get picks like the one above. :) Still sweet though.

16 month milestones

Much over due, but much needed. I cant go a month without posting these milestones people! SO I will do my best not to include anything that I know he had learned or super recently, because here in about a week he will actually be 17 months old! Does that sound fair? haha. As every month, I am astonished, when I type those few little words in the headers- " " month milestones! How in the world is Elem growing up so fast!? I really really feel like he is a little boy, more so than a baby, and now, more than ever I catch myself treating him like a little boy, rather than on the baby side. I of course, trying to turn him into an over achiever, still push him to limits just about every day, and really work hard to make sure he is learning good verbal skills, and has the opportunity to experience large and small motor skills every day. Even if I have to think up something silly, I do my best to keep him thinking!


Stats:
-25 lbs and 9 oz
-32 inches long
-head-I have no idea! I will have to measure that tonight!
-Shoe size 6 and 1/2-ready for a 7.
-Size 5 diaper
-18-24 months in clothes, and 2T


Large Motor:

-runs with complete confidence everywhere he goes-stays on balence very well
-loves to dance, his current "move" is where he claps and lifts one leg away, over and over again
-can clap and march in place at the same time
-climbs stairs while holding onto a rail(if low enough), or a hand
-does not go down stairs well at all, still doesnt understand that there is a step there (I am trying to work on this, but he will walk off a cliff if you let him)
-very tuff, when he falls or trips, he usually just giggles.
-still loves push toys, and walks around with the lawn mower, shopping cart, or vacuum any chance he gets.
-Goes down any slide. Big or little, and with no help.
-Always puts balls into the basketball goal. Loves to make it.
-Can throw far! With either hand.
-Kicks ball and can follow it and continue to kick it with out ever having to touch it with hands.



Small Motor:
-eats well with a spoon and fork. Always eats by himself
-colors with a crayon or marker
-can grasp anything despite its size, works easily with the finger/thumb grasp or whole hand
-stacks several blocks, 4 blocks is about it without assistance from someone else holding the bottom ones steady
-fills up and dumps out, as well as fills and pours into other cups, over and over and over. Loves to pour, pour, pour!
-Will hold play dough and manipulate it, but not too sure what to do with it.
-can put keys in the ignition of cars (not that we want him too, but he figured it out)
--manipulates and turns on any switch or knob throughout the house he can find-for example, the humidifier knob, the night light switch.



Mentally:
-knows sooo many words, I can not count them. And will attempt to "say" any word you ask him. New favorites of mine include: peease (for please), tank ew (for thank you), wa wa (for water), juice, sissy (this is super cute to hear), yo yo(for yogurt), co-mon, ayi (for ali), duto (for dustin), cacka (for cracker) and cookie! I wann baa (for I want a bath). Eat eat (when hes ready to eat)

-knows when he pees or poops and points to his diaper and says "peepee"
-after he has peed or pooped he goes to sit on the potty :) better than nothing right? but he will go on his own (I mean to sit on it)
-enjoys taking things to the trash when you are finished. if he finds something he thinks is trash, he will take it on his own.
-points to eyes, nose, ears, and says the associated words with pointing.
-goes to get in high chair when he is ready to eat
-remembers where things were when he first noticed them. For example..if a ball is stuck somewhere, and then we remove it, he will go back days later and say "ball?" He remembers and understands where the hamper is etc.


Socially:
-is pretty rough! he does not like to share unless he initiates it, and can somewhat attack in a matter of seconds. usually attacks are direct and to the point. haha.
-Only goes to close friends and family. Does not like and will not go to anyone he does not know.
-Loves to watch children playing, or people working outdoors, and is more likely to go to them if they are doing something interesting.
-very nurturing to small babies, always wants to kiss them and say hi and bye
-Says hi and bye and waves for both to pretty much anybody
-will talk on the phone to pretty much anybody.
-loves to play "around" other kids and gets excited and runs crazy if they are
-not fond of mommy holding or showing attention to other kids while he is in the room
-will giggle at children from across the room to try and get their attention



Likes:

-Waffles! he eats them every morning for breakfast! Our routine: We put the waffle in the toaster, we get the syrup out of the pantry, he runs to get in his high chair, I put him in it, get the waffle, tear it up into approximatley 14 peices, and proceed to put one drop of syrup on every peice as we count. :)
-LOVES yogurt!
-LOVES juice!
-Still enjoying anything with a motor. Wants to plug things in and make them go!
-Sadly, still addicted to that pesky little bottle.
-Likes riding toys, and things he can climb onto to play
-Enjoys cell phones, play phone, real phones! Any kind of phone. Or anything that looks like a phone. he consistently puts them to his ear and says, "hew-wooo"
-sweets! I did my best to avoid the sweets as long as I could, and to be honest, elem really doesnt get that many, but he does get a few. As seen below, a cupcake on birthday day at my school. :)

-animals-of all kinds, mostly cats, dogs, and birds around here
-harmonicas-he is soo good at it! he can play for ever!
-open and close doors around the house



Dislikes:
-his hands being dirty or sticky
-his yogurt getting on his tummy when he is eating it
-anyone telling him no for anything at all
-when someone tries to hold him that he does not know.
--waking him up when he is not ready. He becomes super grumpy, and you will regret it for at least 30 minutes
-still scared of elevators
-frightened to death of stethoscopes
-calling it quits in the bath tub-never ready to get out
-not a fan of getting dressed. Usually a challenge to get the clothes over his head and on his legs
-HATES having his hair brushed-unless he is the one doing it

This was sort of a rush, so not too much detail in this one. But I did my best. 17 months is right around the corner, so Ill update those normally and hopefully can think of some really god new milestones he has achieved. Like ...read his first book and what not. :)