14 months

Baylen Neal turned fourteen months yesterday. Can you believe it?

Here's a picture of my super-picky eater after devouring some farm fresh strawberries.

Fourteen facts about Baylen - one for each month.

1. B started walking when he was 7 1/2 months old, so by now he's obviously a pro. He's a pretty good runner and scary, crazy climber now, too. You definitely can't turn your back on him for too long. 

2. Like I said, he's a very picky eater. Some days I wonder if he's eaten enough to sustain himself. One day he'll love a food, and then the next day he'll turn up his nose at it. He's a big meat-eater though, chicken and bacon being his favorites.

3. He's finally a good sleeper. After a year of waking up multiple times at night, he's sleeping through the night about 6 days out of the week. He usually goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up between 6 and 7am. We'll see how he does after we transition to our new house...

4. He loves his big brother (and the feeling is mutual). He loves following Cash around, imitating his words and noises, and playing trains with him. I'm so excited to have them close in age. They will be best friends for life!

5. He says lots of words, but on his terms. Daddy, ball, ni-night, bu-bye, more, and Dada (Grandad) are his favorites. I've yet to hear Mama, but I'm thinking it's soon. Cash didn't say anything until he was 18 months old, so we're surprised to hear anything from B this soon.

6. He loves baths. He knows the sign for bath, and when he hears the word "bath" or the water start running, he does the sign while running toward the bathroom. He loves playing peek-a-boo behind the shower curtain, pouring water from cup to cup, and splashing his mama and big brother.

7. At his one year well-check (that happened to be last week), he weighed 18 lbs 14 oz, and I have totally forgotten how long he was. Terrible, I know, but his weight was so much the topic of conversation that I didn't write down how long he was. He's a thin kid, so much that Dr. Paul  wants to do a weight check on him in 4-6 weeks. I'll keep you updated. I'm hoping he'll start eating more and get above that 3rd percentile!

8. He's a mama's boy - in the very best of ways. He still prefers his mama when he's sleepy and hungry, but enjoys playing with anyone when he's in his happy mood.

9. We are loving his little expressions. His "I don't know" shrug is the cutest I've seen, when he gets in trouble, he could seriously trip over his little bottom lip (I'll post a picture soon), and when he sees something exciting he forms his little lips in a circle and has wide eyes. He's also started waving his little hands and arms (like big brother) when he gets excited. He loves waving to people; even the strangers on our shopping trips get a big grin and a wobbly wave.

10. Naps? He's not real consistent with his naps. Most days he takes a nap from 9:30 - 11:30 in the morning, and then again for about an hour sometime around 4 in the afternoon. It really depends on what we do in the mornings and how hard he plays after lunch.

11. He's a really good car-rider. We still have him sitting facing backwards in his car seat, which he loves because he can see big brother, who sits next to him facing forward. He plays with his feet, snacks, and usually naps. As much as we travel back and forth to Bowling Green, his laid-back personality in the car is a huge blessing!

12. Baylen loves being outside. When he gets in his grouchy mood, just saying "shoes" or "outside" puts a smile on his face and some pep in his step. He loves walking around, climbing Grammy's stairs, playing in the sandbox or with the water table, throwing a ball with Cash, riding the big wheel or tricycle - you name it. He is an outdoor-loving kiddo.

13. He has seven teeth - four on the bottom and three on the top. His eighth is coming in up top, but hasn't broken the gum yet. He's also getting more and more hair, and it's pretty thick. I definitely think he'll be blonde like Cash, but it's definitely not growing as fast as Cash's did - which is a good thing. Haircuts are expensive!

14. He's so very much loved by his mommy, daddy and big brother! He's also completely loved by a whole host of family. He's a special baby, and we are so very blessed by these past fourteen months with him in our lives.