Motivation

....or lack of it.  I just recently noticed it has been over a month since I last wrote anything, and truth be told, I don't feel much like it now.  Sometimes, words just get stuck.

In trying to remember when I didn't feel like writing in February, I read over last month's post, and went,  "Oh yeah".  I had mentioned 2 blissful weeks of sleep.  Well, February hit, and it turned into almost 3 weeks of crazy nights, weird naps, and much frustration as to why all-of-a-sudden Isaiah wasn't sleeping good.  Which meant we were definitely not sleeping good either.  I don't like being tired, and seeing much of February was spent tired and sick from a few viruses going around, I didn't feel much like writing.

Ok, ok. I will move on.

Isaiah is walking! A couple weeks ago he just started grooving along, and now walks far more than he crawls.  He has this stiff-legged thing going on, which is quite adorable. It makes him seem so grown-up to be walking around everywhere.

This is such a fun age.  He just turned 14 months, and it is amazing at what he comprehends! He hasn't said any real words, but babbles and chats to himself frequently.  The last week or so, he'll spent 10 minutes in crib at each naptime, before he falls asleep, talking quite loudly, singing, and trying out various new sounds.  It's pretty funny to listen to.

I am remembering often the phrase about this age (and onward) that I read recently:

More is caught than taught.

Which means, it is more about what I do--how I act and behave and show him by example--than what I tell or try to teach him verbally.  I see this all the time:  If one of us playfully bonks him on the head with a spoon or what-have-you, the next thing he does is hit himself in the head with whatever is in his hand, with sometimes painful results.  If he sees us brushing our teeth, he wants to brush his teeth.  If we put something in the trash can, he will pick up little bits of dirt off the floor and walk over to the trash can and wait for me to open the lid so he can throw something away. 

I realize more and more, that as I am stating sentences, explaining what we're doing, giving instructions, or asking him a question....he is actually beginning to understand what I am saying! For so long I have talked and talked and talked just to expose him to vocabulary, help him gain understanding of what goes on around him, and teach him all the things a baby much learn, that it is very weird to see that he actually knows what I'm saying. I am having to be more careful about what it is I'm blabbering about, because no longer can I give him instructions and move on because he doesn't understand. 

Now comes the teaching, the training, the follow-through, the consistency of instruction.  It is the stage of teaching obedience, and ooh-la-la, can it be challenging!

I love this boy!

Isaiah is a sensitive little soul. (Which makes sense, as his mommy is too!)  Gentle correction is usually all that's needed - he does not like for us to be displeased with him, though he is obviously learning and testing his boundaries.  We saw this again the other morning - Andrew was praying with Isaiah before breakfast.  We hold hands when we pray, and Isaiah always holds Andrew's left thumb(it's very cute!). Mid-prayer, he leaned down and bit Andrew's finger!  Obviously, this startled Andrew, who sternly told Isaiah, "No, we do not bite. We do not bite." Isaiah was taken aback by this response, and began to wail, with huge tears rolling down his cheeks.  He looked so pitiful and sad, and it took a while before he could calm down enough to eat....and we're still working to get him to hold our hand again while we pray!  Andrew's correction was perfectly fine and not overdone, but I was just reminded at how much Isaiah does not like for us to be displeased with him.  I am glad we are aware of this now as we move into the correction/discipline age, so that we can deal with him as suits him best.

He is no longer a baby -- he is a little boy, and we see that more and more each day.  Today his first molar came in fully, with another close behind.  It has already been fun the last couple months to be able to feed him pretty much whatever we're eating too, so we are looking forward to him having in some good chompers so he can continue the discovery of yummy foods.

 I was trying to teach him what it means to take a 'bite'.
 He was giggling and proceeded to shove the entire piece of banana in his mouth...

It is the start of the sugar season in Quebec, which means the maple trees are all tapped and the sap is running freely, soon to become maple syrup.  Next week we will be going out for supper (with our co-workers and the students at the Bible School where we work) to a Cabane a Sucre, or "Sugar Shack", where they make the syrup.  Basically it's a multi-course meal where everything is doused in real maple syrup or sucre a la creme (white maple fudge) sauce, including the soup, main dishes, and dessert, followed by making maple taffy in the snow.  Yes, a total sugar overload.  Last year we took Isaiah when he was about 9-10 weeks old

In Quebec, they start 'em on the maple syrup young! haha...

This year he will actually be able to eat the meal with us (yes, we have decided to let him have a teensy-tiny bit of maple syrup too...he was born a Canadian, after all!) , which will be fun.  

Here are a few pictures as of late...I've been having trouble getting his cute grins in focus because he is always on the move, so I haven't posted many lately.

Sunday afternoon fun with Daddy: building a cardboard house/fort! Watching the knife action...

Playing hide-and-go-seek, our new favorite game for giggles!  Here he was coming to find me.

Watching the 'big' boys play in the snow fort

Weekend fun - family sled rides through the snow.

Isaiah saw the park and wanted to go swing!  But the swing are buried in 4 feet of snow....
Have I mentioned we have a lot of snow here?

Spring is in air! May you enjoy the warmth of March as much as we are!