Gabriel - 14 months

Gabriel is a little over 14 months old now.

He's such a climber - can't hold still for me to snap his clothing.  I've got to catch him on the go.

He really, truly doesn't like toys.  He just wants the computer keyboard or the mouse, 

or the light switch or the bookshelf  or the phone or anything with buttons.

He has ten teeth and is in the process of cutting two more.

He hasn't been too hard of a teether - at least not in comparison to some of my children.
He says a few words, laughs a lot,
does so many cute things to make us laugh.

He wears 18 month clothing.  (I say this here because I haven't been too good at writing in his babybook or at scrapbooking.  I like to remember these things.)  

He loves to take baths, loves his siblings.
I can't imagine how it must feel to be SO adored.  :)

Often, I wonder what is going on in his head.  What does he think of having so many people around?

What, especially, does he think of having so many big people around?

He seems to clearly be aware of distinctions - when he's hurt or tired, he wants mama.

He saves his best smiles for when Daddy comes home at night.

When he grows up, I wonder if he'll think the big kids were more "sibling-like", or more "parental like?"
(There's 18 years between Gabe and Jake, 16 between he and Nick.  How will that play out, what will that look like when they are older?  I *think* that they'll be close, but I can't know that.  I'm fascinated by larger families where the kids are all grown - I run into people from large families all of the time.  The other day I at Gordon's Food Service the man that scanned my groceries told me that "You're just like us.  There were seven of us."  Yes, I always get asked if I'm buying for a business or for a family.  :)  And today, I spoke with an Amish boy who came from a family of nine boys and three girls.  People from larger families speak of themselves as "us."  I love that - it tickles me.  :)  We received a Christmas letter from a 95 year old man who had seven siblings.  All but three of them are gone now, but they remained close for all of their lives.  My daughter Emily caught me with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat over that one - "Oh, Mommy.......," she said. 
I'm so glad they have each other.

 (Finally got that kiss.  He's hard to pin down.)

Gabe still loves to lay between mama and daddy for his late night nursing - seems to settle him and give him such comfort to be able to reach out and touch both of us at the same time.

(And I'm so thankful to the Lord to be able to give that to him.)

Gabe is a fun, busy, wonderful little guy.  

We're thankful, every day, that he's ours - all of ours.  :)