Clayton at 14 Months

Our sweet baby is fourteen months!  What a joy Clayton is...really!  He is always so easy and happy.  He brings us all so much joy!  We are beginning to see his personality more and more each day, and I think we have another silly one on our hands!  Clayton will make the silliest faces and just laugh and laugh.  He absolutely loves to be "chase" in the house.  If he hears you say, "I'm going to get you" he takes off running and squealing very loudly the whole time.  And boy is he fast!  He's such a great walker that he's really running and speedy now, although he still takes the occasionally tumble to the ground.  He loves being chased by me, John, or his siblings-probably his siblings the most.  Clayton really brings great joy to his siblings as they love playing chase with him, and now that he's beginning to really watch their every move they are overjoyed when they can "teach" Clayton something!  They will show him how to use a toy, and he will copy-then they beam shouting "I taught Clayton how to..."  It's so sweet!  Clayton watches their every move though, and I'm convinced he thinks he's somewhere around their age and size the way he plays.  If someone is in his way he has started pushing (semi-gently) to get them to move out of his way...especially if they are between him and Mommy or Daddy.  
Daddy is still his very favorite name to say, although he will say Mama, and has said words that sound like Dawson and Carter.  Every time we come down the stairs I always point to each person's picture on the wall and say their name.  This month Clayton has started saying "KATE" as soon as I say Nora Kate, he probably only does this 25percent of the time, but it's still sweet.  Nora Kate is the absolute sweetest with him.  She really "mothers" him like he's her live baby doll.  She kisses, pats, cuddles, and snuggles him all the time.  She will always say, "I'll watch Clayton for you Momma!"  Carter loves to show Clayton silly things or play "rowdy" with him.  Dawson loves trying to teach Clayton to do new things and use new toys.  Speaking of playing rowdy with Clayton, he has started a new thing where he will throw himself down and spread out on the floor on his tummy when he's wanting you to play rowdy with him.  It's so funny how he gently throws himself down.  He does it for John and the boys the most.  So funny!  
He loves playing with all his Little People, his cars and has gotten into trains this month, loves the ball pit, and his outside ride-on car, and he still loves being read to.  When I pick up a book he comes and works his way onto my lap (even if NK or Carter are already there).  He uses his sweet little round fingers on his little dimpled hands to point to things in the books.  
We have a few adorable "lovies" that I was hoping Clayton would get attached to as his comfort item, but he has really taken to a random, but soft baby blanket.  He loves sleeping with it and will look all around his crib for it, if it's not in there.  We had been having a big problem at church and not been being able to stay for Sunday School and church because Clayton was getting so fussy in nursery, but the past two Sundays I have sent this blanket and he's been great!  I'm hoping this blanket is the key!
The biggest change that happened this month was weaning.  Clayton is now completely weaned.  He will now drink cows milk and water from cups.  He nursed for the last time on May 12th, and we only had a few rough nights, and then he started sleeping through the night a couple of days before he turned 14 months old.  I'm missing our sweet time of me holding him while he eats, but it is going to be so nice to sleep through the night and I know I will still sneak in cuddle time with him-especially since he's so happy to sit on my lap and read.
About half way through Clayton's 14th month, he got strep throat-Yes, again! :( It's uncommon for babies to get this unless they have older siblings, but this time (unlike last time) Clayton was the only one sick (until he passed it to me).  He had been a little fussy for several days, but he hadn't had a fever, had been eating great, and fussy for his isn't really fussy at all so I didn't think anything about it until he woke up with a rash that looked just like the rash he had a couple months ago with strep.  I took him to the dr, and sure enough he tested positive for strep.  UGH! I felt horrible that he had had it for several days probably to have already developed the rash.  Thankfully no one else got it other than me.  I still can't believe he's had this twice now and is only 14 months old.  So, he didn't have a check up this month but he ended up seeing the dr. anyway because of this.  We will go back at 15 months for his next official check up.  
Clayton is such a good sport and happy baby about just going with the flow, so he attended lots of fun things this month-a couple trips to Dollywood, meeting up with some friends in Pigeon Forge who were in town from Alabama, end of season soccer party, lots of playdates, park outings with friends, walks in the neighborhood in the nice weather, and lots of playtime in the playroom.  He's really enjoying anything he can play with on the train table and has learned how to push cars and trains across it or the floor making "car sounds." So sweet!
Oh, I could just go on and on about our sweet boy.  Our Mr. Baby (as we all still call him, I'm sure one day he won't be so thrilled his big sis gave him that nickname), but our Mr. Baby really is an absolute joy!
Here's 14 Month Old Clayton...

Our sweet Mr. Baby had a little bruise on his left cheek when I took these pictures, but I love all his little expressions I captured.  He loves playing outside.