Sweet 16

July 18th marks Judah's 16-month birthday...can you believe it?! I know, I know~what they say is true...time really does fly as a parent. I know I will blink and it will suddenly be his true "Sweet 16" (years, that is). It's been a while since I've given an update on all things Judah. So for 16 sweet months, here are16 things we love about you, sweet Judah.

1. You love, love, love your "Dada." You constantly talk about him during the day when he is at work and get SO excited when he comes home. I've never seen a smile so big :-) You especially love when Dada "wrestles" with you, and Dada told me that he loves that you like to "rough-house."

2. We have lots of nicknames for you, the most prominent being "J-man" and "Judah-Bean." You are very aware of these names and respond to them quickly :-) 

3. You have recently begun to engage in "pretend play" and it is the CUTEST! For example, you always hold the phone (and other electronic devices) up to your ear (and by the way, it's always "Dada" who's calling). You use your toothbrush to brush your stuffed animals' teeth. You also "brush their hair" and give them their milk.  The best is when you pretend something is your spray-on sunscreen or spray-in hair product. Your sound effects when pretending to spray these items are priceless.

4. Speaking of play, you stinkin' love the playground/park that is near our new home. (I, too, admit that it's great!) You are FEARLESS and want to be just like the big kids. You even climbed up the largest slide only to then go down by yourself. Sliding is your favorite and I love that you say "wee" in anticipation!

5. You have a love-hate relationship with bath time. A few weeks ago, you were not a fan and wanted to get out as quickly as possible. Now, it is near impossible to get you out. You just stay in the tub and play, even when there is no water.

6. You have the same history with reading books. When you first began to walk, you really wanted nothing to do with reading because it confined you. I'm happy to report that you now currently love to read and will even independently pick out books from your bookshelves, and sit in your chair to "read."  I hope it stays this way :-)

7. In an effort to keep our sanity, your parents have allowed you to watch your first few television episodes as you transition from two naps to one~which sometimes causes you to become extremely tired and irritable during certain parts of the day. You've watched a few episodes of "Sesame Street" as well as "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." You LOVE "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and will actually sit still to watch it. You dance during the intro song, when Tootles makes his appearance, and especially when they do the "Hot Dog, Diggity-Dog" dance at the end. *(Confession: Your Mama really loves the "Hot Diggity Dog" dance, too, and loves to dance with you!)

8. On that note, you still LOVE to dance and your skills are really improving. Your new favorite music obsessions are Bob Marley and anything Bluegrass. However, sometimes you just dance to music in your head that is silent to those around you. I know you are just "feelin' it" when you start dancing to silence. I love that you dance on demand when I simply say "Break it Down, Judah." You are really staying true to your Northern Ethiopian roots, as the people of Mekele are known for their dance moves!

9. There is no way to describe the love you have for Shasta. Not that you need reminding, but everyone else may: "Shasta the Sheep" is your soft, cuddly "lovey" that you nap with and always love on. We have a rule that Shasta lives in your crib and doesn't leave your room. You are okay with this rule, but Shasta is no doubt your best friend. See for yourself.

10. You really enjoy the swimming pool and think you can swim with no floating devices. You sometimes get upset when Mama or Dada won't let you go freely in the pool. To help remedy this problem, your Mama has enrolled you in swim classes and we start in a few weeks. I think you will be a pro :-) And since you love the water so much, we also just bought you a water table. You have no idea how much fun we're going to have with this thing!

11. You have a budding friendship with Allie-dog and it is really sweet to see. You like to help take her for walks and you are learning to help fill her bowls with her food and water. You are also learning to feed her in different ways, such as sneaking her food from the table. She really likes you because of this.

12. Your communication is blossoming and we are so proud of you for that! Your vocabulary includes many words. Some of your favorites are ball, juice, keys, shoes, uh-oh, Shasta, and outside. I just love that you are communicating your wants and needs. Just last week when you cleaned your plate at dinner, you looked up and said "all gone, more." I got so excited when you did this that I scared you with my crazy loud cheers. And just today on our stroll, you threw your paci down and said "wa-wa!" (water). You also produce many animal sounds ("quack" is my favorite :-) and use several of your signs such as more, thank  you, and all done. Your Dada and I think it is hilarious (and sometimes frustrating) that  you've learned to generalize "all done" to something you don't want. For example, you will sign "all done" when we are changing your diaper. Ha! 

13. You are also not a huge fan of the stroller these days...at least initially anyways. You just don't like being confined/strapped in. So if you are abruptly placed in your stroller with no warning(s), you get really mad. We are working on this :-)

14. You still LOVE to climb. You try to climb up pretty much every piece of furniture, including your crib and high chair. And just this week as I briefly turned my back to load the dishwasher, you climbed all the way up on the kitchen table!

15. You are ALL. BOY. You think that all gross things are hilarious~ including burps, hiccups, flatulence, and nose-picking. Here is proof .

16. On the contrary, you are extremely affectionate and it is perhaps your father and I's most favorite thing about you. Your emotional perceptions and capacity for empathy are truly incredible for your age. You give us kisses out of the blue all the time, and you get concerned when other babies cry or when other children are upset. And you are extremely sensitive to your parents' emotions. This week when the shower curtain rod fell on my arm and I cried out in pain, you got very upset and immediately wanted to hug me. Once I picked you up, you hugged me so tightly and then gave me what we call "love pats" (gentle pats on the back) to let me know that everything was going to be okay. It was so sweet that your father and I both cried.

Dear Judah,
Your father and I could clearly go on and on about how much we love you, while listing all of the fabulous things about you. However, words could never capture the enormous amount of joy we have in our hearts just knowing that you are our son. You are such a treasured gift from Above, and we are honored to be your parents and watch you grow.
With all our heart, Mama and Dada