18 MONTHS

Growth & Appearance:

You seem to never gain weight, just get taller and taller.  Somehow your feet and legs keep getting bigger and bigger, but you have worn the same size nappy since you were ten months old.

Your mullet has gotten longer. Justin wants me to cut it, but this hair at the back, you have had since you were born. It may be silly of me, but it is the last baby thing you have left. My baby is no more, even asleep your face looks more mature.

My ever smiling boy with his long long legs.  

Eating:

You eat and eat and eat. Most days I am putting food in your mouth every hour that you are awake. There is nothing you do not like from Indian to Korean you gobble it all down. Though you do hate onion, if even the smallest bit is in your food you spit it out. Each night you have two courses for dinner, around 5ish you have a thick vegetable puree that I make fresh and then you have dinner with us.

You have had your first real taste of ice-cream and it is like a drug to you. You will run between Justin and I begging for another taste from our bowls. Looks like you have your Dad’s appetite and my sweet tooth.

First course of the evening

Talking: 

You finally have said Mum. Okay it is more like Mumumum, and it is in no way directed at me, but finally a form of Mum has come out of your mouth. You “talk” all of the time to me. You chatter away in grunts. The house is now filled with your noise.

Sleeping: 

You mostly have a nap in the morning from 8:30 until 10:30 and then again in the afternoon from 3 until 5pm. Bedtime is around 8:30 at night and you are Justin’s alarm clock waking every day at 6:30. You will sleep in your cot each night until some time between 12 and 1am, and then you come into bed with us. I am not sure if it is the cold, or as usually you just love to be cuddled. If I try not to have you in the bed with us once you wake during the night you will wake every hour, only going back to sleep by laying on my chest.

Do we need to upgrade to a king size to fit you in? 

Development:

You have turned into a dare devil. You love your Dad flipping you over. You will lay at his feet and stick your feet in the air. Justin’s cue to pick you up by your feet and flip you in the air and catch you. You love it, laughing and clapping. I get nervous, but trust Justin’s strength to always catch you.

With Tamika you go up to her and stick your arms in the arm, this is her cue to swing you round and round until you are both too dizzy to walk.

You are still doing really well with toilet training, though you are better at telling me you need to go if you have no nappy on, and since it is now too cold to go bare butt you sometimes pee in your nappy.

I watch, but cannot find the courage to swing you like this.

You both then fall down laughing 

Favourites: 

This month you love books and your flashcards so much, you will get them and then bring them to me. If I am sitting on the floor you will do this cute back up to my lap so you can sit there while I read to you.

You love looking at photos of yourself on Justin's and my mobile, you will sit there for ages flicking through the images.

Teeth cleaning, who would have thought it was something you had so much fun doing? But I only have to mention it and you run to the bathroom. 

Anything to do with being outside you love. Digging in the dirt, trailing your gardening set behind you.

We still spend every day together; what ever I do you are with me. Yesterday for the first time you spent a half an hour without me, I dropped you off at your Dad’s work while I had a haircut.

 You love looking at yourself

 Teeth cleaning is fun? Who knew

How I am thinking/Feeling

I am feeling sad this month, eighteen months seems like such a milestone, definitely no longer a baby. Though I love how more connected we are. You and I talk and communicate. You understand all most everything I tell you. The only time you have tantrums is when you are trying to tell me something, and I cannot understand you. You reach up to me and put your hand in mine. Or even better, you cuddle me and give me kisses. I know from being Tamika’s Mum, how quickly the time passes, I have blinked and you have become such an independent soul. 

 I remember this walk well, you were holding my hand trying to make me swing you. Loving adventurous boy you are.