Noah at 15 months

Our little Noah Bug has officially crossed over from “baby” to “toddler”. It’s hard to believe that his 1st birthday was 3 whole months ago! I know it gets old, but holy molies, time just flies!

It’s fun to watch Noah “get in there” with his big brother and sister. He is leaving behind his role as observer and working hard to be an active participant in all of their shenanigans… sometimes to their delight and sometimes to their frustration. One of my most uttered phrases lately is “Well, then, put it up high.” Anything not “up high” is fair game for little N.

These are some new things that Noah has been doing these past few months:

- LOTS of walking. He has become very steady and is getting around great.

- Drinking from a sippy cup. We’ve completed the transition of warm breast milk or formula in a bottle to cold whole milk in a cup. I am SOOOO happy that battle is behind us!

- Saying a few words in context: ball, hi & car

- Eating really well. He will shove anything in his mouth. This presents a problem since he still only has 8 teeth (and all in the front). He pretty much swallows everything whole, so if he gets a piece in his mouth that’s too big or too many pieces in his mouth at once, he will gag. If he gags, he starts throwing up and he doesn’t stop until he’s completely emptied his stomach. This is very inconvenient. We’ve learned to keep an empty “puke bowl” at all meals (at home or out) to contain the mess.

- Sleeping really well. He is a night owl, like his Daddy. We still put him to bed early, and he goes to sleep quickly when he’s in his crib. However, if we keep him up late for some reason, he doesn’t get as cranky or fussy as B & G used to. He is also NOT a morning person… again like his daddy & unlike B & G.

It’s hard to believe that Noah was a teeny NICU preemie at one point. He seems to have completely caught up to where any other 1 year old would be.

Noah likes:

- Being outside

- Climbing (stairs, toy chairs, the train table)

- Playing rough (he likes to wrestle with Ben and he likes to throw himself onto the back of Ben’s red stuffed chair until it flips over).

- Splashing in kiddie pools and in the bathtub. If you take him out of the bathtub before he is ready, he will make a run for it and dive back in. No exaggeration. See above comment about “playing rough”.

- Music. We have another little dancer on our hands. He has a great little bounce move.

- His Daddy. He is a Daddy’s boy ALL the way and will cry if I’m trying to hold him while Brian is in the room.

- His blue blanket. He holds it while he sleeps. Sometimes he goes back to his crib to get it after he wakes up. He is my only kiddo that is attached to any sort of “lovey”.

- Balls of any size or shape. They are his favorite toy.

Noah does NOT like:

- Being held – he is pretty independent and likes to be moving about on his own.

- Diaper changes.

- Being left at his new Mother’s Day Out. He was very comfortable with Miss Janie & Miss Queta at Grace Point ~ he would walk right into class with no problem. He is having a harder time adjusting to his new school & teachers. Overall, he has more separation anxiety than Ben or Grace did at his age.

- Wearing shoes. He takes them off at the the first opportunity he has. I have stopped putting his shoes on before we leave the house. I just throw them in my purse and put them on when we get where we’re going.

Noah is an interesting addition to the Barrick mix. I feel like Ben & Grace had a lot of similarities as toddlers, but he is 100% his own person. I consider it a gift, because although I’m experiencing all of these stages for a third time, it’s a whole new ball game with Noah. I love his mischievous little grin. I love how he’s so serious all the time and he really makes us work for those smiles, laughs, and snuggles. It’s so rewarding because when I get one out of him, I know I’ve EARNED it! :)

Happy 15 Month Birthday, Noah Bug! I know that God placed you in a silly & crazy family. Thank you for tolerating us and giving us little glimpses into your world. We love you bunches, and for your sake, we’ll try to tone it down.