Case - 18 Months Old

Case,
I can't believe you are 18 months old!  Time has gone so fast!  A lot has happened in our world since my last update.  The biggest change... you've gone from being the baby to the big brother!  Your little brother Ty joined our family on 3/17/11.  You've been such a great big brother already and I have a feeling that isn't going to change.  I hope you and Ty will continue to grow closer and closer together the older you get.  It already melts my heart every time I see you loving on him or trying to help him when he is sad.

meeting Ty for the first time

You were about 2 weeks shy of 18 months at your 18 month appointment but I had to schedule between your 18 month and Ty's 1 month so that we only had to make one trip to see Dr. Freeman.  Talk about a strange appointment for Momma having two kids but not to worry I called Daddy in for reinforcement so we all made it!.  The doctor checked your brother out first and while he was jotting down some notes you and I were playing and the doctor commented on what a great laugh you have... AMEN TO THAT!  I can't think of a better sound than your giggle!  Here are your (two weeks shy of) 18 month stats...

Weight:  27 pounds 7 ounces (76th percentile)
Length:  34 inches (95th percentile)
Head Circumference:  48.5 cm (75th percentile)

You are my TALL boy!  I think you are the tallest baby in Baby Jam and you seem to be keeping up with most 2 year olds.  I'm not sure where you get this height from but let's hope it gets you a basketball scholarship someday!  I read an old wives' tale the other day that I had never heard before... they say that if you double your height at 2 years old that is how tall you will be when you are full grown.  I wonder how tall you will be at 2!

Talking:  The "Paper" (you know the one with all the development info on it) says that you should be saying 20-50 words.  I'm not thinking we are there yet but it seems like just in the last week you've started saying a few more.  Here's a list of what you are saying so far (I'm sure I'm forgetting some):
hi, bye, please (not without some bribing though), no, Ty, Daddy (you'll notice Mommy is STILL not listed here!), CoCo (for your Aunt Courtney), here you go, Scott (Grandpa would prefer you call him Grandpa but after making such a big deal out of not wanting to have a "silly" name we're all getting a kick out you calling him Scott), see, bird, go, bad, hot, got it, cookie (you know... the essentials), dude.  Last night I had my first night out with friends, while Daddy stayed home with you and Ty and he said you stood at the bottom of the stairs yelling up "BaBa", which he is convinced is what you call me.  At this point I don't think you'll ever say Mommy so I'll take it!

You are wearing size 7 wide shoes (I think you got Uncle Ben's wide feet but the length of your feet is probably as big as Uncle Ben's right now:-) and mostly 24 month clothes but can still wear some 18 month pants as long as you don't have a cloth diaper on.  We are still cloth diapering you and Mommy is about to take on Ty in cloth diapers as well.  We'll see how all that goes.  When you wear disposables they are a size 4 but I think you're ready for a size 5 (we have several 4's though so you'll be in those for a little while longer).  The doctor says you probably won't be ready to start potty training until you are 2 or 3.  He explained that it is important for you to go with Daddy and I when we go potty, I explained that Mommy hasn't gone potty by herself in at least a year!

You are NOT a fan of the nursery at church at this point.  I hate it because I want you to like it there so bad.  Last week you screamed (a VERY high pitch scream) for about 45 minutes when I put you in the nursery.  This was VERY hard on Mommy because it was our first time to church with you and Ty and I was on my own because Daddy was working in the sound booth.  I had to sit right outside the sanctuary so that Ty wasn't disruptive but then I could hear you screaming the entire time.  It broke my heart!  I hope that you learn to like it in the nursery soon!  The good news is that when Daddy dropped you off this weekend you didn't cry at all so I'm starting to think that you think I might not come back or something.

Eating:  You eat a pancake and an egg every morning for breakfast and you love when I put a handful of cereal on the table for you to just walk around and eat.  You still drink mostly milk and water, however the doctor says it's time to give you a cup of juice each day.  Some other sure things are Gerber meat sticks (DISGUSTING!), anything sweet, Cinnimon Toast Crunch, Gerber Yogurt Melts, Goldfish Crackers of any flavor, blueberries, bananas, Kiwi, Colby Jack Cheese, Num Num Rice Crackers, Mac and Cheese, pizza (I don't know where you get this) and grilled cheese.  You are usually a really good eater at one meal each day and then the rest of the day is iffy at best.  You'd much rather graze all day long!  Anytime you are in the stroller you start begging for a snack... I guess you think it is like your second high chair or something.

TV:  A whole new world of TV has been opened up to us now that I've started finding kids shows on Netflix.  We watch Backyardigans, Leap Frog Alphabet Park, Blues Clues, Curious George, Word World, but Sesame Street (especially Abby's Flying Fairy School... again Daddy is so proud) and Cat in the Hat are still your favorites.  You don't sit through a whole show of anything but you like for the TV to be on, I guess just for the background noise.

For Fun:  You are a total climber!  As I type this right now you have used one of your table toys to climb on then onto the top of the desk... I guess it is time to move that toy!  I think you have climbed on every toy or item on the floor at one time or another.  I have a label maker that you like to get down and stand on all the time.  You are a very resourceful little boy!

You've learned to climb into chairs now too, which is

something you spend a lot of your day doing now!

You LOVE music still, which makes Daddy and I very happy!  You love to dance and I think your dancing gets funnier and funnier the older you get.  I LOVE it!!!

Ty gave you this MP3 player

You are ALL about electronics!  I could kick Grandma every time she gets her iPhone out because you have an all out meltdown every time she puts it away.  You love to play with all the phones and it makes your whole day when we get home and you hear the beep of the answering machine.  You love to hit any button you can get your hands on (elevators, phones, stereo, etc.).

You LOVE to be outside!  It is never a good thing when it is time to come in!  Now that the weather is finally getting nicer we have been able to go to some parks.  You are a huge fan of swinging and going down the slide.  Grandma and Grandpa felt that you were being totally mistreated by having a backyard with no swingset in it so they fixed that.  Now you spend a lot of time standing at the back door just staring at it when you can't be out there playing on it!

Daddy has you in training a little early... I
think mowing might rank higher than potty
training on Daddy's agenda!

You love "helping" me with the laundry.  I usually take a basket into your room and sit on the floor to get it all folded.  This has become your invitation to climb in and out of the laundry basket over and over again, all while handing me one piece of clothing after another, saying "herego".  You are so darn cute!

Sleeping:  You are still a good sleeper at night!  YAY!!!  You go to bed between 8 and 8:30 most nights and you sleep until about 7:30.  You like to take your time waking up in the morning so I usually don't get you out of bed until about 8.  You are in between 1 or 2 naps each day.  It sort of seems like you are getting more comfortable with 2 naps again but it still depends on the day.  We are outside quite a bit so I think that wears you out more than when we are stuck in the house.  You are CRAZY when you don't get a nap!  You are definitely a kid that needs his sleep!  When you get tired I think you run through a mental checklist of things you aren't supposed to do and you do each and every one of them one right after the other!

Teeth:  You are finally starting to get some more teeth!  You've got at least 4 molars coming in right now and one of the teeth that the dentist thought might be missing has broken through!  Yay!  At this moment I think you must be working on at least 6 teeth.  Poor guy!  You seem to handle it like a champ though!!!

Case, you are such a fun little boy.  I can't believe how much bigger you seem now that your brother is here.  I still sit and watch you in awe as you learn new things everyday.  I'm so thankful that God chose me to be your mommy!  I love you Case Case!!!

Love,
Mommy