The one where I wonder how long it will last.

Well. I don't understand the forces against me. I should be able to blog people!! I'm creating family history here. Let me!!! 

I looked at a few other websites, but I hate change. I don't want to figure all that out!! I will if I have too, but for now, let's try this out. I posted one picture before this and it worked. I am praying this does too! 

If it does, I'll do as much catch up as I can before it hates me again. 

He was watching super why while I got ready for the day. 

I'm just going to do a Luca update for now. There are so many new things going on!! 

Luca is 14 1/2 months old now. I can't believe it. He is so big, understands so much, and communicates with me so well. 

He says so many things now, and will copy anything I tell him too--when he's in the mood. He says, mama, dada, papa, Jesus, pato (my sister in laws nickname), yes, no, please (peasss), stars, circle, thank you (it's gibberish still, but it's the same every time!), and likes to ask, this? (he asks what things are all the time--he watched a kid at church do it, and now does it constantly). 

He uses signs all the time now--please and thank you are his most used ones. He points to things he wants, and says yes or no when I ask him questions. Sometimes he just says yes to everything but most of the time he really is responding. I let him chose the things I can, snacks, clothes, movies, toys, Etc. 

If I'm across the room from something he needs he will come to me, tap me, point (and explain) whatever it is that he needs. Then I get up and he leads me over to whatever he just explained to me--whether it's to open the pantry door, get his drink from the table, or something else. He knows what he wants and can figure out how to tell me!

He is also a fabulous listener. I can ask him to shut any door--and he knows which one to go to to do it. Pick up his toys, go to the car, go upstairs, get his drink, turn the cable box back on (he turns it off all the time), turn on the music, turn off the lights, and so many other things, and he knows what I'm telling him and goes right to do it--usually. Sometimes he says no. We pick our battles. 

He has also started to say his own "prayers." During our bedtime routine mostly--probably because we kneel--when I ask him if he wants to say a prayer with me, he says yes and climbs down to sit and attempt to kneel on the floor, he folds his arms and proceeds to pray in his own little language for a bit. We pray together often--still not as much as we should--but love that he is catching on to those gospel principles. I want him to know how important they are. It's a beautiful thing to watch his little eyes light up when he learns or comprehends something new. 

This is him "folding his arms" and kneeling. 

He has hit the incredibly frustrating-I think I'm losing my sanity-the whining never ever ever stops phase too. It's my favorite. Clearly. 

A few weeks ago was the hardest week of mothering for me thus far. Luckily he has stopped doing it so constantly so I can remain sane most of the time. Apparently it is incredibly normal and I'm grateful for the women I have around me as examples and that can tell me that it will in fact end.  I am looking forward to it. And counting down those days. 

This particular time, I said "we don't need anymore chocolate," lovely. He is my child. 

It's a good thing he's so cute. 

One of his favorite things to do is to dump things out. Anything that is full. Plates of food, bins of toys, water, you name it. We got him a kitchen and shopping cart for Christmas and my in laws got him plastic food. I usually just stick all the food in the cart at the end of the day--it's easiest. But by 9:30 in the morning my house already looks like this. 

He pulls every book off the shelf and dumps the shopping cart over. I rarely pick everything up during the day because it's a waste of time--except when I'm having Luca help. So after he goes to bed is when I do my big clean up--but that's what my living room looks like the majority of the day. 

He has also been so into the show "super why" and I love it because it's just a constant learning show! I don't feel guilty letting him watch. He engages with the TV too. They ask, "are you ready to go on a reading adventure?" And he says "yes!" And if he is doing something else and they say "calling all super readers!" He comes running to the TV. It's hilarious. Thank you pbs. 

I can't believe how much he is learning everyday. He just soaks everything in. I love this time when they are so excited to learn!! 

Hopefully this continues to like me--and I can get some catch up done from the past month! Cross your fingers for me!