Marek at 1 1/2 years old

Marek has been a pointer, pointer finger hyper extended and longer than a railroad track, for about 6 months now! He uses his pointy finger to direct us, show us, investigate other children (their eyes at times), and a myriad of other activities. I love it! It is just the cutest thing ever! In May, we did a Mother’s Day photo session for Ganmommie and in one of our family photos (above), Marek’s pointy finger extended straight up to Jesus. Dustin determined that it was Marek’s way of giving God props for the great gift of family. I think that he is so right in that assessment!

 Marek is talking more and more these days, but is growing frustrated at his inability to communicate more! Some of the words we have heard him say on a consistent basis include:

·         Please

·         Momma

·         Dadda

·         Hollis (HaHa – for short)

·         Snack

·         Juice

·         Amen

·         More

·         All done

·         Knock (during knock-knock jokes)

·         Thank you

·         Sorry

·         Nana

·         G (for Big G)

·         J (for Aunt J)

Using sign language has been a strength of Marek’s since Jan. (right after he turned 1). He only uses 3 signs, but he uses them well.  Those three are:

-          More

-          Please

-          All Done

  

For several months now, each time everyone is seated at the table for a meal, Marek claps his hands to initiate our prayer time. SWEETNESS! He remains in his “prayer position” until the prayer is over (most of the time). He also helps us end the prayer with, “Amen!” This is so precious to me. I pray that he will have an ever increasing desire to talk to his Heavenly Father!

Baby Biter!

We never had to deal with the biting issue with Hollis unless it was someone biting him. He just didn’t have that tendency. However, our youngest definitely has the tendency to show frustration or get revenge by biting. So far, thank the Lord, he has done it with family only. Usually, it is his method of revenge with Hollis when they are wrestling and Marek has enough of his very big brother. However, there have been other times when he gets mad at either Dustin or myself and comes at us with mouth wide open!!! WHAT?!  We are praying that this habit does not extend to the outside world! That would be a mess!  Due to this, he has learned what time out is!

 

Sleeper!

Marek has ALWAYS, ever since we got him last summer, has been a CHAMPION sleeper! He goes down for bed between 7 and 7:30p.m. and we usually go into his bedroom at 7:30a.m. to find him just lying in bed so contently waiting for us to come and pick him up! What a SWEET baby! However, around the beginning of the summer when we started having the college and career students over for Bible study at 8:00p.m., we worried a bit that he would wake up due to the noise. So, we pulled out the sound machine that we bought when Hollis was little and started using it with Marek. WOW! To say that this boy loves his sound machine is the understatement of the century. He literally LAUGHS out loud when you ask him if he is ready to go to bed. “Let’s go turn on your machine!” we will say and he will DASH to his room.  He loves to go “Night-Night!” J