Today is your 15th month birthday! Happy fifteen months to you!!!

Because I never go back to read what I posted before, I apologize ahead of time if any of this is redundant. As quickly as the time flies by these days, I tend to get a bit mixed up about what happened when.

But...let's see...between Dec. 11 and Jan. 11 what's happened?

Well...xmas happened. It was your second one and Santa Claus was good to you again this year. He brought you a Brio train table with a Brio train set already set up on it! He also brought some big cardboard blocks for you to build with, two puzzles, an inchworm that zooms across the floor when you push down on his middle, a bathtub squirt toy, and a wooden push toy that makes tons of noise. Here's a picture of it all: http://zeppmusi.vshost.com/Family/2008_Christmas/

Then we celebrated New Year's eve. Peepa, Nana, and Aunt Liz came over. You went to bed at your normal time and we all ate dinner and then had foie gras and sauternes and on TV watched the ball drop in Times Square. Wheee!

Then your sister had her 14th birthday. It was relatively low-key this year. No ten girl sleepover or anything. I think she must be growing up! (She really enjoys you, I hope you know. And she's good with you. Appreciate her, 'kay?)

Then you had your first playdate. A friend I met from Triangle Mommies who also happens to work in my building has a little boy, Remy, who was born in December 2007. She and her husband, Jerome, and Remy came over for lunch and play last Saturday. You had a pretty good time--that is, until you started getting sick. Not sure where you picked it up, but suddenly you came down with bacterial conjunctivitis and we ended up spending our Saturday evening in the ER (as that was the only place open). Turns out you had infections in both ears, as well. They gave you drops for your eyes and an oral antibiotic to take for ten days (you finish up day after tomorrow) and you were much better the next day. Your second illness. I blame it on the shopping cart at the North Raleigh Freshmarket. But honestly, who knows where you picked it up. Luckily your little friend didn't catch it. (I was worried!)

In other news, you're getting much better at this whole walking thing. When I chase you around the house you even try to run--although invariably you trip and fall down, giggling the entire time. Yesterday you tried to climb up the slide part of little plastic indoor slide we have. That was a first. You're a tad bit behind (as compared with your brother and sister only) on your motor skills development, but you'll get there.

Your vocabulary increases daily. You can say "All done!" and "Bath!" and "Doggie" and "Bye-bye Papa" and tons of other words. Papa tries to speak to you mostly in French, and you seem to understand a lot of what he's saying, but you're not speaking in French too much. The only exceptions I've seen to this are when you "count" (using that term loosely because you're way to young to actually count, you simply mimic what we do), you will say "un." And then today when I asked you what the baby was holding in one of your books (he was holding an apple) you said "pommes."

A new thing you've started this month is grabbing our hands and leading us over to what you want or need. The fact that you can identify something that you want, and then work to physically encourage/manipulate those who can help you fulfill your goal is pretty amazing stuff to me. No need to sit around and cry about something when you can walk over and make the grown ups go see what it is that you want!

Oh, and kissing! You've become quite the kisser lately! You kiss everything. Our toes, your blocks, the trashcan. Name the object, you've kissed it! You blow kisses, too. Sometimes just with one hand but often lately with both, as though you're practicing for your Mr. America acceptance award. It's very sweet and very funny, all at the same time.

As far as your schedule goes, this is your "typical" day:

6-7:30 a.m. Wake up
7-8 a.m. Eat breakfast (Generally one or more of the following: eggs; oatmeal; Cream of Wheat; Wheatabix; yogurt; Cheerios. Plus a cup of juice.)
9-10 a.m. Morning nap
10:30-11 a.m. Snack
12-1:00 p.m. Lunch (Mostly whatever is in the refrigerator. You essentially eat our food now almost exclusively.)
2:00-3:00 p.m. Afternoon nap
4-4:30 p.m. Snack
6-6:30 p.m. Dinner (Same as lunch; although I do still give you chunky fruit bits and Gerber Graduate dinners)
7:00-8 p.m. Bath and bed. You really, really like bathtime! You're also quite fond of your "night-night bed" with Boomer Dog, Fargo Frog, and comfy-cozy blankie. Oh, and your "TV" (i.e. the sights and sounds music thingy).

I know I say this every month...but it's true...I don't know where the time goes. It's so hard to believe that last year at this time I was an absolute basket case about breastfeeding and whether or not to let you try putting yourself to sleep. On the one hand it seems like eons ago and on the other it seems as though it was just yesterday. You're growing so fast! Keep it up...but slow down, would ya?

Until next month!

I remain,

Your number one fan and someone who loves you without end,

Mommy