James is 15 months old and has transitioned into what I affectionately refer to as a "toddler tornado." He is constantly on the go, mostly crawling still, with short walking (+/- 10 steps) distances . He goes from one forbidden activity to the next and keeps me completely on my toes and often cleaning up messes or putting things back together as I follow closely behind him.
Jack was a challenge as we moved from parents of girls to parents of a BOY, but James is certainly exceeding the challenge level that Jack brought to us. My little boy that was so adaptable and went with the flow (4th child) is now pushing limits and does it with such ease. There is nothing malicious about him though; it's more curiosity than anything.
Getting into the (messy/staining/greasy/difficult to clean up) cocoa powder from the baking cupboard:
Honestly, it was an epic mess to clean up. James had to be placed in the tub immediately (and then supervised while he was in there), leaving me no time to sweep/vacuum and wash the floor until he was out of the tub and dressed. The boys were hungry for lunch and my prep area was right where the mess was. His clothes had to be rinsed thoroughly before washing and the rug had to be washed, as well. Ugh.
Oh, and this incident was mere days after he got into some paint in the girls' room (one of his favorite locations to escape to) and proceeded to drag it through the hallway upstairs when I called for him to come to me. Thank goodness for good-quality rug cleaners.
James has completely mastered any stairs now. He knows how to go both UP and DOWN them. That means that the bench has been moved back to its original position by the front door; instead of blocking the stairs. He prefers to slide down on his belly -- so quickly -- just like Jack did.
He took his first steps on April 24, 2017, just two weeks shy of turning 15 months. Both him and Sam were my "early" walkers. Jack walked at 16 months and Sophia didn't walk until 17 months. I am excited to see him continue to take more and more steps, and gain confidence too, because it will make for an easier summer for us. He won't be crawling though the grass or the sand; I can just let him walk around outside and have a little more freedom.
He can almost get on his turtle by himself, hoisting his leg over the top and then sitting on it. He's pretty proud of that little feat.
We've made grand strides in the eating department this last month too. He self-feeds on most anything (unless I deem it to be too messy). He has all of his teeth now, but two of them. The two-year old molars are not in yet either, of course.
He uses a fork perfectly (no spoon yet).
And finally holds his own sippee cup. That one took him a long time, for some reason.
He easily drinks 30-40 oz of organic whole milk per day and I am making sure that he gets some extra water in there too, especially with the warmer weather coming.
Oh, and apples! He loves them. And he loves them even more when I let him eat them whole. Skin and all. (I have to stop him before he tries to eat the core and seeds, of course).
His hair continues to stay very blonde (Jack's, Sophia's and Steve's were all blonde too at this age). It is getting slightly wispy at the back and a few spikes are forming on the top. I am wondering if it will be curly like Jack's was ... only time will tell.
Jack and him and the best of friends still and Jack often asks to take a bath with him each night. Sometimes I encourage a shower with Jack (because it is quicker and Momma is tired), but on the nights that they bathe together, it is the most adorable thing.
Jimmy still takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap and is in bed by 8 pm every night (sometimes a little earlier). He is the first one to get put down and then we make our rounds tucking Jack in downstairs and the girls in upstairs. Jimmy typically sleeps until about 7:30 am.
And when he sleeps, he sucks his thumb.
He doesn't use very many words right now and certainly none on purpose, only when prompted. I have no concerns about his limited vocabulary at all because he does follow directions very well and takes directives. He can also "give you five" and clap.
I would say that he is very similar in size to Jack, but he is not scheduled to head to the doctor until July for his next check-up. By then, his vocabulary should be growing and he will definitely be walking. This summer is going to be so much fun with him!
