Transplanted: Samuel 15 months

A collage that Papa G made of Samuel's time in Illinois

I am way behind on writing these monthly update posts. I am going to try to "catch up". There are so many fun moments to remember. So I am writing this way after Samuel turned 15 months, but "better late than never"?

Height:32 inches
Weight: 23.6 lbs

We started month 15 in Illinois with Samuel's grandparents. And by the end of the month Samuel could walk (glory, glory, hallelujah!) It is so great not to have him tearing up his pants or knees when we are outside and he decides to crawl on concrete. And he is getting heavy to carry everywhere so it is convenient that he can walk. Now we just need to work on holding Mom or Dad's hand when we are in the street etc.

Dad took the day off on the 4th of July (!!!) and we went to
Target in the afternoon. Samuel insisted that we
share our Starbucks with him.

Samuel learned how to rub in lotion while we were in Illinois and he is obsessed (he is almost 19 months as I am writing this and he is still into putting lotion on and rubbing it in) Samuel got to see Great Grandma Ferguson (and try to tear apart her room) while we were in Illinois. Samuel also met his cousin BB while we were in Illinois. They are only a month apart in age and their grandmas are twin sisters.

Samuel celebrated his second Fourth of July. Last year we were in Denver and celebrated with our friends Dan, Sara, and Kath. This year we got to hang out with a family from church and Samuel had his first combine ride (thanks to wheat harvest). He was okay with it as long as Dad was with him.

Enjoying pancakes at John Paulding Days

Samuel loves to play at the park so I tried to get out early in the day and let him play. I would run around town and stop by the park and then we would run home (and eat breakfast). Besides learning to walk, Samuel also stopped nursing during month 15. I have a lot of words that I could say about nursing but I will say this - I was so glad to be DONE.

For the last few months he was only nursing 3 times a day (before naps and bed) but to feel completely independent and not have Samuel rely on me (and soley me) for something is so great. There were a few times that he would fall or get really upset and I would think, "Shoot! If we were still nursing, I could calm him down so quick" but we survived. I am thankful for the nutrition and immune support that he received but as I often tell Ian, "I am too independent and too selfish to be a good parent."

The kid thinks he is 16 (at the touch a truck event)

Samuel experienced his first John Paulding Days (so did Mom and Dad). He went to a touch a truck event with Dad and the Nices. He was a big fan.

He slept through the ice cream tent being outside his bedroom window and he slept through the fireworks (which were so loud).

One activity that Samuel has gotten more and more into is playing in the kitchen with milk caps. I think I got the idea off of the internet. I have been collecting the caps off of milk jugs or juice containers and storing them in "Samuel's cabinet" in the kitchen. We have one cabinet that Samuel gets into every day and pulls everything out. I refer to the milk caps as "predecessors of Legos" They can get everywhere quite quickly and they do not feel good on the bottom of your foot if you step on one.

A boy and his milk caps

Sometimes Samuel likes to put the milk caps into an empty yogurt container (I cut slits in the lid). Sometimes he likes to fill up a cup with caps and dump them out. Sometimes he likes to put a lot in a bowl and stir them around. I feel like it is instances 512 of how kids like non toys over "real" toys. He usually wants someone to "play" with him but every so often I will catch a break and he will play with them while I do dishes.

We ended his 15 month of life with hosting some friends (from our Korea days!) who had 3 kids. Samuel loved having a big kids around to keep up with.