1.5 Year Mark - Our Feisty Fella

It has been a year and a half with our special guy! The Duke and I were looking back at pictures and videos of him a year ago and were blown away with the changes - physical and personality. He has grown so much. Check this out- a side-by-side of his baseball get-up. You can just see the change in his face! (Yes, exact same shirt and hat from a year ago!) His dependence on Mom versus his newfound confidence are also evident in the two photos. It used to be tough to catch a photo of him not being held. Today he runs and plays all by himself!

Oh, this is too fun. Let's do more.

A year ago a moment when he would allow Dad to hold him was rare and exciting. Now, as soon as The Duke gets home from work, wrestle time has begun! Panda has so much more confidence in his relationship with each of us. He is willing to separate from Mom (when at home) and is no longer intimidated by Dad. He soaks up every moment with his Daddy.

Sibling love? Still awesome. A little more disagreeing than before as he has found his little voice and opinion, which is a good thing. 

Mr. Panda has gotten extremely funny and feisty - even more than before. Man, that kid's sense of humor is amazing. He loves playing jokes on everyone, and it is just about impossible not to laugh!

Funny story: We had just boarded a plane on our way to visit my brother and his family, when I looked over at Panda and Ladybug. They had both casually taken the safety brochure out of the pocket and were intensely studying it. It wasn't long before Panda yelled (he has no low volume) "Mommy Mommy! Look! The airplane is going to land on the water! Yay!!!" Quite a few of the surrounding passengers stirred. Haha! I answered with a simple, "No, buddy, hopefully not. We will land on a runway." It took a while to convince him.

Quick list of updates:

Growth: Thank God for modern medicine! Our little guy has grown 4 inches in the past year since beginning his treatment. He is still wearing 12-18 month clothes, but the 12 month shirts are beginning to get tight! His feet have grown 3 sizes already. So get this - one of his favorite things in the world is shoe shopping for himself. I hadn't even thought of this, but he's been through multiple seasons of shopping for Ladybug but never himself. (Because he hasn't been growing.) When we finally went to buy him a new pair of tennis shoes, he was beyond excited! He ran up to each person in the store to show them his new shoes and then proceeded to do a very touch-down-esque victory dance. I can't wait to see his reaction one day when we take him shopping for actual clothes. 

Sleep: Still in his Panda Cove in our room, but he is consistently napping upstairs in his own room. This means that during the day he now feels confident Mom isn't going to leave! We are constantly working to build that feeling of safety. His nightmares are always dependent upon what he is currently experiencing during the day as his anxiety manifests itself in his sleep. A couple of weeks ago he had a traumatic doctor's appointment, and thus a few weeks of nightmares. 

Language: Panda is becoming easier and easier for others to understand as his pronunciation is improving. I would venture to estimate his language skills are similar to that of a young 3 year old - full sentences but still a struggle to comprehend for people outside of the family. But due to his age his word choice is unusual for his size. It's hilarious. I went to wake him from a nap and I got a "Oh, hello Mother! Nice to see you." Yes- he calls me Mother sometimes and thinks it's the funniest thing in the world! It kind of is. He has great comedic timing - he doesn't overuse it and waits until it is least expected. 

Physical Development: Panda runs, climbs, and jumps like a wild animal! He's so energetic and adventurous and loves to be as active as possible. Most of the time you'll find him running around the house singing at the top of his lungs with some sort of toy in hand. He has become less sit-with-mommy focused and more play-and-explore focused these past few months. To the point that I will pick him up and he'll wiggle and ask to be put down. This is enormous for him - and a proud moment for this mom! I wish I could insert a play picture right here, but they always just come out as a little blur across the screen.  

Panda has received more responsibilities around the house as he's gotten older, and he takes a lot of pride in it. He loves being a part of the family and contributing just like everybody else. He sets the table, helps put away laundry, and cleans up after he eats. We have figured out a way to move all of the kids' dishes to where he can reach, all of his clothes are within reach on the ground, and we keep a stool by the sink for just this purpose. It has given him an amazing sense of belonging and purpose, so we work hard to accommodate him and anything he needs. 

Three words that would wrap up this month with Panda are rambunctious, inquisitive, and mischievous. He's on the go, and you never know quite what he's up to! He almost never crosses the line into actually getting into trouble. He more just flirts with it, and you gotta respect that. I love his spunk.