Stanley at 13months

13 months is such a wonderful age. No matter what happens at work, I love to come home and have a little boy giggling when I walk in. In the last week, Stanley has become ticklish. We will need to take a video of him laughing. Tonight, it kept putting his foot on my hand while nursing so that I would tickle him.


Upside down Stanley

He has also gotten very stable on his feet. He has no problems getting up from the floor to walking and he doesn't mind when he trips and goes back to his hands and knees.

He has also become more independent these last few days. When we get home or in the evening, he enjoys playing with his toys or looking in the cupboards for the citrus juicer or the LeCrueset heavy pans. He will play and babble to himself for about 15 minutes.

He also loves to read. Let me say, he really loves to read. However, ever since he started reading to himself at around 6 months old, he always turns the book to face out. At first I thought it was just a random occurrence, but it is quite clear that he prefers reading upside down. Oh well, for now, whatever makes him enjoy opening and looking at a book.


Stanley has also been very good at giving things away. The doctor suggested we use the term "Have it" when we want something. Now if he knows that he should not have something he comes walking very quickly towards us to give it to us. He also gets a great big smile and laughs when he gives it to us. He loves to do this with the glass bottles in the recycling bin, the little pieces that hold our pot lids nicely in the cupboard and a few other random items.



Stanley playing with the recycling

The doctor also suggested at the 12 month visit we try doing sign language. The first sign he learned was "all done", he know milk, more, and water. He mainly likes the water and all done signs, the rest he uses only when he really has to use them.

 

Stanley also surprised both Steve and me yesterday with his ability to serve himself water from a cup. It was doing very well, till I made the mistake of saying 'Yay'. 'Yay' to Stanley means clap your hands. As a result, he put down the cup to clap.

 

Stanley is very fond of clapping. When he knows we are proud of him, he will clap his hands and wants us to clap with him. He wanted to walk down the stairs like big people, so finally when he went back to feet first, we would clap at every stair. This is good and bad; now he will go feet first and stop at each stair and make sure we clap for him. He also joins in with the clapping.


Stanley loves
- Walking!!!!!
- Clapping for himself
- Drinking water
- Playing with the poof
- Peter & Halima
- His CAT truck to sit on and push the noise buttons
- The big dummy bike
- Running around before a bath naked
- "All done" sign
- Getting tickled
- Laughing with mom and dad
- His mom and dad
- His bath. He could stay in there for an hour even when the bath water is cool
- Drinking bath water. If we use soap, we now use it at the very end.
- Going to bed. He just loves getting in his crib at night and chatting with his animals till he falls asleep.

Stanley dislikes:
- eating. He is not such a foodie as I had expected a 1 year old to be.
- Having a diaper put on him. It has become a difficult task.
- When mom or dad leave him with someone besides Halima or Geoff or grandparents
- Sleeping through the night. I'm not sure if this is dislike or he just doesn't do it.

Stanley can:
- walk (he gets more steady every day)
- Pick small grains of rice up with 2 fingers
- Slither out of the grocery cart harness
- Run when he wants
- Play the harmonica and enjoys playing a real piano
- Stand on a box or stool to get up higher
- Use an umbrella to take and break a picture frame (dad enjoyed this clean up adventure)


Foods Stanley likes
- Beef pasta sauce
- cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Tofu
- Mom's milk
- Ice cream
- Water (still and sparkling)
- Cheerios
- Puff cake (our tried and true way to get him to eat food)
- Hummus
- Cottage cheese mixed with yogurt
- home made pizza with red sauce, spinach, cheese, and mushrooms