for the love of july : Tanner Ross || 15 months

ah my TANNER boy!!

goodness gracious how we love you.

we've already had a whole 15 months with you and somehow it feels like you were born just yesterday, and yet as though you've been apart of our little family for always and forever.

you are so dear to us all and have the absolute sweetest little spirit. you've surely got some fire in ya when you get worked up/upset about something (daddy says one day you'll use that on the football field) we shall see!! ;) but along with that you are also the happiest. so calm. love your family. the best cuddle giver. so easy going, just like your daddy.
your dad and I have talked how we just LOVE this stage you're in. this 'toddler boy, looking cute as can be, running around to always explore' stage. it's my favorite. and you somehow keep getting better & better the more you grow.
I love watching you as you become yourself and your personality shows through more and more.

we go in for your 15 month check up in about a week and half and I can't WAIT to see how you've grown and just how much you tip that scale :)
you little stinker, you! we love you so!!

E A T
a little bittersweet to me, but we are all finished with nursing. we stopped around 14.5 months. we were slowly slowing down, and were down to 1-2 times nursing a day (first thing in the morning and/or before bed), then the flu bug hit our house. initially we thought tanner had made it through without it, but the day after harper was done, tanner got hit with it. and with that his appetite was slim to nothing... and i was nervous of milk making his tummy upset... so with that it seemed to be the right time to be done.

this boy eats, and he eats, and he EATS! he's such a big eater and always has been.

i don't even want to think about what he's gonna be like ten years from now! having good eating children is something I am so thankful for yet, I also make sure to follow their cues and trust them on when they decide they're finished. no force feeding!
with my background in nutrition, I've learned how important it is to not overfeed children. as mom it's my job to decide what they are eating, where they are eating, and when they are eating. and it's their job to decide how much. it is also so soooo important to limit distractions during meal times. in our house when we eat the tv is off and toys are not to be played with.
meal time is about meal time. :)
((obviously we are human and there are exceptions to this too))
ok, off my soapbox now!

S L E E P
sleep is top notch right now. and thank heavens for that.

NAPS:: 10:30/11-12:30/1 & 3:30/4-5:30/6
that's been typical and usual, but isn't always quite that structured depending on what we have going that day. BUT we're getting to where that second nap is getting a bit too late for bedtime to still happen on time. so I think we're actually gonna start trying to transition to one nap more seriously and see how that goes.

BED:: 8:00pm-7:30am
no wake ups in there either, hallelujah!!
((for most always at least))

I have found though (and it was the same with harper at this age), the better he sleeps in the day for his naps, the better he sleeps at night. recently there were a couple afternoons where tanner wasn't able to get his late afternoon nap in and both of those nights he woke. it didn't take much to get him back go sleep, but still a mama would rather it didn't happen! ;)

so with that.... I REALLY strive to make sure naps happen. cause we are ALL much happier that way ;) and Lord know he needs it and I need it.

P L A Y
not a whole lot to say here, cause it's just plain + simple.. this boy LOVES.TO.PLAY.
I mean what 15 month old doesn't, BUT gosh he's into everything and has become quite the little friend and companion to his big sister.
it's non stop on the go every second he's awake.
favorite 'toys': the broom, mop, & duster. my spoons & spatulas. books. the stack of dvds in the tv stand. cars. balls. the play kitchen. the computer keyboard. dad's golf clubs.