Babies Make Four: 14 Months

We've been in our new house for almost a month now and it's been 2 months since Luke's 1st birthday. Time seems to just fly in leaps and bounds with a little one in tow.

Luke has really started to "grow up" in the last little bit it seems. He's now walking almost completely unassisted. He's still not sure of his movements and balance, but starting on Wednesday, I started letting him walk himself into daycare. It takes a little bit longer, but I'm enjoying the moments of him being little and still learning. The day he walked into school, my heart could have shattered. I can't believe that he's growing into this person. Does that sound weird? I mean, I guess when you find out you're having a baby, it's kind of hard to look past them being a baby and into becoming an actual little human.

Every morning, on my way to work, at 6:55, Garrison Keillor does a short segment on the radio, and he reads a poem. This past week, he read this poem and it just tugged at my heart.

Spelling Bee

by Faith Shearin

In the spelling bee my daughter wore a good
brown dress and kept her hands folded.
There were twelve children speaking

into a microphone that was taller than
they were. Each time it was her turn
I could barely look. It wasn't that I wanted

her to win but I hoped she would be
happy with herself. The words were too hard
for me; I would have missed chemical,

thermos, and dessert. Each time she spelled
one correctly my heart became a bird.
She once fluttered so restlessly beneath

my skin and, on the morning of her arrival,
her little red hands held nothing.
Her life since has been a surprise: she can

sew; she can draw; she can read. She hates
raisins but loves science. All the parents
must feel this, watching from the cheap

folding chairs. Somewhere inside them
love took shape and now
it stands at the microphone, spelling.

"Spelling Bee" by Faith Shearin from Moving the Piano. © Stephen F. Austin State University Press, 2011.

I know that Luke's not in a spelling bee, or even close to being able to even color with crayons, but for some reason it resonated with me. Is this how all parents feel?

In the past few months, Luke has become extremely independent. No longer can I feed him with a spoon, because he must feed himself. He doesn't want to be carried many places, because he wants to walk or crawl there himself. We were finally able to get out the little lawnmower that blows bubbles this week from Aunt Glenda and when I tried to help him position it in a way that he could walk further, we almost had a full meltdown, because, by golly, he could do it himself! I think he must get this from Dillon, because I've never been so independent, even now as an adult.

Luke's appetite has also grown. He likes pizza and peanut butter crackers. Milk is his favorite drink and his go-to dinner is still lo-mein noodles. I found out that I can get him to eat veggies, but they must be deep fried (okra and squash, just for an example), otherwise they're thrown to the floor.

He's a good little fella. We have some good trips coming up, ones where I hope he has fun and enjoys getting to see new things. We'll just have to wait and see what the 15th month brings!

One of the ladies at the Chinese restaurant we go to absolutely LOVES Lucas. Our last visit, she brought him his first sucker (which was more like taffy). We let him test it out, and he seemed to like it!

And Luke in the big boy chair. I'm an emotional mess about him right now. He's walking, sitting in big boy chairs, and becoming a little boy in general!

This is Luke and one of his friends at daycare on water day. Every Friday they are to dress in swimwear and they let them play in water. He LOVED it. I think this is one of the best photos ever because they are just so flippin' happy!