The Business of Being...Levi

Well I've been hanging around this world for  EIGHTEEN MONTHS now and here's what I think about things so far...That's right folks, I'm ONE AND A HALF YEARS OLD! 

The past six months have been busy but would you expect anything less from me!?! I've been doing some traveling and enjoying all the fun things around Boston with my parents, grandparents and friends.

Mom took her first trip overnight without me and I got to hang with Dad. She just went to New York for a cousin's bridal shower and came back the next night. Dad and I had a ball. He took me to a triathlon convention. We played at the park, and we even squeezed in a trip to the grocery store. I had recently transitioned to just one afternoon nap and I took an epic nap for Dad that day...it was over three hours. You're welcome...haha!

Of course that left Mom wondering why I don't usually take naps like that for her, but I've gotten better over the last six months when it comes to sleeping. As long as I have lots of fun activity in the morning, I usually take a good 2 to 2.5 hour nap each afternoon. I go to bed between 8pm and 9pm and I sleep through the night until between 7am and 8am. I think my parents appreciate that especially since my mom is exhausted from being pregnant with my brother.

Speaking of which, I am slowly starting to understand that I'm going to be a big brother in just a couple months now. Mom and Dad keep talking to me about this brother that I'm going to have and at first I was pretty clueless. In fact I would get a little jealous when they would hold other babies, but I've gotten better about that. I've even been known to give babies a little kiss and hug like my cousin Everette.

Mom and Dad love my hugs and kisses. They ask for them ALL THE TIME! Sometimes I like to play a game and say, "No!" but eventually I give in and show them some love. It's pretty funny. Other times I just come over and give them a kiss or hug because I feel like it, which I know they love even more. My grandparents were also tickled when I'd come over to give them a kiss or hug when we've visited.

I've gotten to spend tons of time with my grandparents over the past six months between visits to Boston for my first birthday, a really fun vacation to California where Dad was for school, as well as a visit around Easter, a couple visits for the funerals of my great grandpa and great nana, and then a nice, long two week visit to Virginia while Dad did his military reserve days and now one more visit while he's leading a missions trip to Colombia. I am so lucky to see them as often as I do since we don't live in the same city or state even!

With those trips to visit my grandparents and a trip out to Chicago for James' birthday, I've definitely kept up my jet setting status. I love to travel though I am a lot more antsy on airplanes these days. What can you expect...I'm a walking, almost running fool these days. I love to climb everything possible and just move around as often as I can. I definitely keep my parents busy being on the go.

All that moving around makes me hungry and I love to eat. I stopped nursing around 14 months on my own. I love fruit the most of anything...grapes, strawberries, blueberries, tangerines, apples, tomatoes and raisins too. I am pickier about my vegetables, but I will eat peas, corn and sometimes cooked carrots. I'm willing to try other veggies like broccoli and green beans but I don't love them yet. I do love chicken, turkey and marinated steak.  I've tried a couple bites of fish but didn't love it and the same goes for pork chops. I really really like to dip my chicken in ketchup or barbecue sauce. YUMMY! I've even been known to dip my peas in ketchup and of course I've dipped a few french fries as well. They're great for just dipping and licking off the ketchup. Mom and Dad prefer I actually take a bite of the French fry. I also LOVE buttered noodles. I'm not a fan of spaghetti sauce yet, but I love to eat buttered noodles and when I'm finished I love to rub my hands in my hair. I think it's pretty funny, but I know Mom wishes I wouldn't since that means I definitely need a bath, which by the way I LOVE!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking baths! They are so much fun! I still prefer my infant/toddler tub to the big tub because it sits up higher and I don't slide around. I have to admit I get a little nervous in the gigantic bathtub. It's so fun to splash and I've started saying the word splash and bath too!

I am really starting to talk now. Mom and Dad can count over 15 words that I now know how to say. It all started with Dada and Mama, but now I say "pease (please)" all the time and I sign that word too. I also say "thank you". Sometimes I sign "more", but usually I just let everyone know I want something by saying "please". One of my other very favorite words in the last month is "slide". I love to slide and Dad got me one that he set up in our living room for now. I think it's eventually going to go out on the patio, but right now I love watching Sesame Street perched on my slide. I still love Elmo and have started saying his name whenever I see him at home or even in stores. I say "M-elmo". I've yet to say yes, but I am a pro at saying "no" in fact it usually goes more like, "no, no, no". So those are all my favorite words and on top of them I say, "bird, woof, down, duck, nana as in banana, ball" and I've repeated "giraffe, waffle and big bird".

I love playing in water from the fountain/ splash pads around town to the frog pond and beach. Mom even got me a water table to play with on the patio. I loved the beach once I got used to the feeling of the sand. It was so much fun to dig and splash at the shoreline. I even got to play with a bunch of my cousins at the beach this summer! I'm not swimming yet, but Mom and Dad plan to take me to swim lessons this fall or spring. Oh and I took my first class this spring...it was an awesome music class and I absolutely LOVED it! I hope I get to take some more...hint hint Mom!

I've grown a ton. I weigh almost 24 pounds now. I am learning new things every day and showing off all kinds of new skills.  By the next post I'll be a big brother and have someone to teach all my tricks and play with, so I'll keep you posted with how I feel about that whole new gig! 

 Of course there have been many firsts...
             New words.
             New friends...Ethan, Sawyer, Jack to name a few!
             New classes and experiences!
             New foods to try.
             First two haircuts!

As you can see, I have also become quite the Daddy's boy in the last couple months. He's the best!

Overall,  in my EIGHTEENTH MONTH I've enjoyed the business of being CHATTY and ACTIVE!

Thanks to Amy Murgatroyd Photography for these handsome photos!