All my needs are met

L needs milk.  We sometimes run out and that is so sad.  Today he was asleep when I bought more.  He had seen that there was none in the fridge and cried so piteously.  Then when he woke up he asked for some.  I said "yes" and took him to the fridge.  When he saw the 2 gallons in the fridge he cried out "Ahdoudga!" 

He asks to watch signing time at night. 

I'm so grateful that he's picking up the sign language to let us know what he needs.  He can now sign dog for dog, fish, for fish, and bird for all other animals, including birds.  He signs "Come" and I follow.  He signs "please" and "thank you".  He signs "ball" and "balloon" because he knows the difference.

L is always doing whatever the older kids do.  In the morning he grabs a book of Mormon and sits down with it open on his lap, just like everyone else.  He loves to play catch with a ball and has an ability similar to G's at this age, very accurate.

He's a sweet boy and I'm so glad he is part of our family.

early bird

L has been waking up earlier and earlier.  I took a walk every day last week and most days I needed to take him along.  Today he was up at 7 when 9 was the old usual as of a few months ago.  But I guess a bottle of milk isn't able to get him to go back to bed so well.  But he did fall asleep on the way to church and slept through half of sacrament meeting.

We figured out with B that small bottles save you a lot of mess.  There is only 4-5 ounces of milk in them and baby can chug that down.  Even if they throw a bottle on the floor, it's less likely to be full enough to come out and ruin the carpet. 

L loves balloons.  His "please" is getting very good because he really wants the things he wants; milk and balloons. 

He's rather territorial and will push the other children off my lap.  : (  But they all adore him.  I'm so grateful to have children that love one another most of the time and the baby all of the time.  They love to take him to nursery and pick him up.  I love to find him with them toddling down the hall.  It's always a sweet reunion.  And I'm beyond grateful that he goes to nursery with no fuss and stays the whole time.  I love my kids.  None of them have had a problem with that separation.  It probably helps that it is their first separation, rather than something they have dealt with since way too young.  But I know other stay at home moms whose children refused to go to nursery.  So I know it is just a mercy and I am grateful for it.

the one who sleeps

L is our youngest independent sleeper.  I am so grateful that he has been sleeping on his own and through the night.  He weaned at 17 months old and then started sleeping on his own pretty quickly.  It's so great.

that cute

He's so cute.  He's old enough to fall asleep watching Signing Time now.  He loves to sit down and read a story.  He loves to sign "bird" for all animals, and "ball" for everything else.  It's great.

Yeah!

L is weaned and now drinking about 16 oz of milk a day and lots of snacks.  He has the most emphatic way of saying "Yeah!" while he nods his head and his whole body affirms with excitement.  He signs please on my chest when he wants a bottle.  It's like he knows what please is, and when he really wants something, he signs it on me.  He's such a darling boy.

in love with books

Today L fell in love with books.  We sat on the couch for 30 minutes as he flipped through the same story collection over and over.  He got used to manipulating the pages, then he started pointing to elements and asking me to tell him about them.  "Da?"  he'd say and look at me.  I would say the word and sign it.  "Frog", "Bird", "Car" over and over.  It was awesome.  Then he tore a page.  But it was awesome.  Welcome to the world of books L.  I hope it is nice to you.  I hope you are nice to them.

need to sleep

My new years resolutions include keeping the counter clear and weaning the baby.  Poor L and I have not been sleeping.  L also has a cold.  So he's been on the nebulizer.  And we get no sleep.  I've tried weaning him at night several times but always go back to nursing him because of traveling or visitors and I have to keep him quiet.  Well, I need to sleep so I'm done.  Sorry baby.  I love you.