Right Now....Quinn Edition

I'm not expecting Quinn's update to be as long as Kanyon's, but who knows. Once I get started I might not be able to stop!

Quinn is a almost 15 months old and a little chatter box. Granted, most of his chatter is jibberish but its pretty cute. His most commonly used phrase is "dig-o dig-o" Say that really fast and that is what he sounds like. Not sure what it means, but it comes out of his mouth a whole bunch. He can say "baa" for ball. That was his first word, I think. He can also say things like "light" and he sounds JUST LIKE KANYON!! He has a few other Kanyonisms that he says and its funny to hear his little voice sound just like Kanyon. He will usually attempt saying any word we try and over the weekend learned to roar like a lion and really loves to roar now! He makes a barking sound when he sees a dog and really pretty much any other animal. He has a very keen eye for animals....real life or pictures. He gets so excited. We may have a little Jack Hannah on our hands!

He can eat the house down. If he likes the food. He's sort of a picky eater and I've had to just keep giving him foods I want him to eat over and over and over until he will eat them without spitting them out. He's finally decided to like some of them, but is quick to spit out just about any new food. BUT if you give him something he likes, watch out!! I usually just have to stop feeding him because I can't imagine how any more food could fit in his belly. He loves any fruit. Particularly blueberries. There is no telling how many blueberries he could eat. We still have to coat some things in flax to try to convince him to eat them, but we aren't using it as much as we were. If he sees food he PANICS like he hasn't eaten in months. I think its obvious that we feed him.

His temperament contradicts itself. He is so smiley and happy and giggly unless he's not. And he's NOT. He likes mama and daddy and prefers to be on their hip. I tease that I MAKE him cry. He'll be fine until he sees me and then he starts crying. I just have that affect on him. If other people are around its better if I just completely leave his sight and he'll be fine. I guess that means he's better without me! :) If I'm not holding him, chances are he's at my feet "begging" to be picked up. That means grabbing on to my legs and grunting, or whining. So, I have a leach on my leg trying to keep me from moving. I joke that its kinda like swimming in the pond at home. If you are too still, the fish will bite you, but if you just keep moving you'll be fine. If I stand still too long, Q will "bite" aka cling to my legs for dear life. So I just have to keep moving!!! If he is told no, put down, or not allowed to play with something he wants (i.e. cell phones, Kanyon's glasses,Kanyon's sippy cup that he's always been obsessed with) he is UPSET. He cries SO SO LOUD and he has recently started throwing for real fits. Arching the back, grunting, screaming AT me, you know....fits. Yuck. He is in to EVERYTHING and can not be left alone! He's having to learn what is OK to touch and what is not. I'm sure if he could talk he would say there are WAAAY more things that he can't touch than things that he can!! He has no boundaries....and he thinks no one around him does either. If he sees something he wants to play with he just tries to grab it. He's having to learn the hard way that you can't just take stuff away from people. He can be a bull dozer if something is between him and whatever he wants. I'm sure this determination will be an asset someday, but for now its just a constant annoyance to his big brother....and to his mom who has to teach him that this is NOT OK!! :) We are definitely in an important and demanding time for teaching him.

Quinn has a very good relationship with his crib. He is happy to go in it, sleeps good, and wakes up happy. I love love love love this about him and it makes my life so much easier. Especially when I hear him in the morning, I can have a few minutes to wake up myself or get ready to start the day without him screaming his head off first thing. He is finally sleeping later, usually til about 8, and I am SOOOOO glad! He still likes to go to bed around 8:30. He needs 2 naps, but our crazy schedule doesn't always allow it. Sometimes he takes a big 3 hour nap in the morning so he won't always take another one. Not sure when he'll transition out of the 2 nap thing, but I he's still needing both so far. He has always been a crazy sleeper, all over the place and in crazy positions. Anytime he's starting to be sleepy and go to sleep, he kicks one leg. He has done this since we brought him home from the hospital! Even if you're holding him and he starts to get sleepy, the leg will start kicking. A funny little Q thing!

He is a speed crawler and cruiser and i can hear him panting all over the house. I guess when he takes off crawling he gets excited because he just pants the whole time. It sounds like a little puppy in my house. Its pretty much music to my ears! Not walking yet and I don't feel like he's very close. We are pretty sure that the main reason for not walking is because that would mean he would have to let go of us to walk! haha. Just last night Kory got him to stand up without holding on. He got a kick out of us cheering for him, so he did it a few more times today!

Since turning his car seat around, he talks non stop in the car. He and klp are usually "talking" back and forth copying each other or laughing at each other. q thinks its so funny when klp shakes his head back and forth. He laughs which makes Kanyon laugh and keep shaking his head. Who needs a radio when two bros are laughing in the backseat!??

Quinn's favorite thing to play with is a ball. Any ball. He loves to throw them and hold them and say "baa" over and over. He has at least one in his hand all day long.

He's had constant ear infections since November, so we're getting tubes Monday. Because of all the infections, medicine is one of his favorite things. He cries wanting more. He'll be sorely disappointed after he gets his tubes and isn't on antibiotics all the time! :)

I am happy to report that he can now handle someone sneezing or coughing! For the first year of his life, he would FREAK OUT if someone sneezed or coughed. Ironically enough, now he dies laughing.

He is most commonly called Cheeky Bull. We have called him that since he was tiny. Not sure how that got started.....we'd just seen the movie Austrailia (they use that term in that movie) and Q had big cheeks, so I guess that was it. He is called lots of forms of Quinn and unfortunately I call him Quinny a lot. I don't like it, but it just comes out. Kanyon calls him Bubba.

Its beyond my comprehension how strongly I can love my boys. Quinn is a joy and a treat to be with and I'll gladly carry him on my hip until he figures out I'm not really all that great! :) Being his mom has done nothing but make my life more full of every good thing.

Which reminds me of miracles. I have some thoughts on miracles and you can read them if you'd like. Kanyon has always been the "miracle" of the family. Rightfully so. I don't deny that at all. But since the day I had Quinn, the word miracle has come to my mind millions of times. Watching Quinn move seamlessly from one little milestone to the next has been miraculous to me. It blows my mind how intricately we were created so that each step leads to the next and our bodies and minds just know what to do. From the first miracles like his first cry and the first time he nursed, its been incredible to witness him grow and develop without me having to teach him what to do. Child development has always been fascinating to me and was my favorite part of my job as a teacher. So, to watch MY children develop, each in their own ways, has been the greatest thrill. So, "lucky" me. I have 2 miracles!! :) This whole world of motherhood is full of miracles. Praise GOD!