Fourteen Months

Today is December 12th, and marks Cruz's 14th month of living---pretty crazy, huh.  When I glanced at the calendar and noticed that today is the day, my mind trailed off to a year ago, maternity leave, and a tiny little two-month old at Christmastime.  While our little newborn brought a cozy, peaceful feeling to our holidays last season, our rambunctious, active little soul will bring a whole new life to our Christmas break.  

Cruz is the light of our lives and lately, he seems to make us laugh now more than ever.  Here are the top 14 highlights of Cruz's 14th month (in no random order)...
 
1.  Cruz's go-to word is 'Hi.'  He says it on command when we ask him to, says it on the phone while we're talking to someone, and peeks around the corner when we're in another room and says 'hi' like it's nobody's business.  Now 'mama,' and 'daddy,' that's another story!
 
2.  Cruz still loves to dance, and he prides himself in his versatility.  The other night on the way home from work, I caught Cruz boppin his head and shaking his arms to 'Moves Like Jagger.'  He's definitely got some swag and can imitate Jay-Z's rap arm wave, however, he also knows just when to clap when singing 'If You're Happy and You Know It.'  My favorite is when the three of us get going together---our dance parties are something you can only see to believe.

3.  Last month, Cruz was walking, yet still chose crawling as his chief form of transportation.  Now, he's a walking machine.  We just recently started to let him roam around in public places---let's just say this opens up a whole new world. 
 
4.  Cruz's favorite place to play seems to be in the bathtub.  He's super content in there, and sometimes tries to 'swim' away when I get his towel. 

5.  Cruz thinks it's hilarious to rub his dinner in his hair.  Hence the frequency of #4 :)
 
6.  Yesterday, I caught Cruz steering one of his toy cars, making a 'vroom' noise.  The other day while I was cleaning the kitchen, Cruz took a towel off the floor and proceeded to 'wipe' down the lower cabinets with his towel.  He helps me dust and always puts away toys when I direct him to.  The things he figures out and picks up on simply amazes me.  

7.  Cruz applauds every time we get out of the car.  
 
8.  Cruz may not be the best listener when it comes to reading books, he is a BIG fan of my iPad.  He loves the interactive apps. and knows exactly how to navigate his way around.  His favorite apps. include this interactive fish tank that teaches the alphabet, numbers, and colors, 'I Hear Ewe,' which introduces the entire animal kingdom, and 'The Monster at the End of this Book,' which just happened to be one of my favorite books growing up.  

9.  Cruz loves to giggle, and is easy to make laugh, especially when you're eating his toes, surprising him from around the corner, or pretending to chase him.  He's also very ticklish, which makes changing diapers all the more fun.  
 
10.  Lately, Cruz has picked up on a new sound, a sort of 'ow' scream that falls somewhere in between James Brown and Little Richie.  

11.  Lots of new teeth this month, including four molars (two on top, two of the bottom).  Twelve teeth to be exact, and I think he's working on another.
 
12.  Like every other kid on the planet, Cruz is a fan of the McDonald's Happy Meal.  We haven't ventured to the hamburger quite yet, but he's a big fan of chicken nuggets and french fries!

13. Awhile back, I ordered a fur bomber hat from Baby Gap for Cruz.  I saw it in an ad with a pair of candy cane striped pajamas and just couldn't pass it up.  Cruz has made quite the fashion statement in his hat, and gets lots and lots of compliments.  I haven't decided if it's because people think it's cute or absolutely ridiculous.  Either way, it's warm and Cruz seems to like it---that says a lot when you're talking about a toddler keeping a hat on his head!
 
14.  Cruz gives the best kisses!  When he gives a kiss, he wants everyone to know it.