18 Months Old!

Brady, You are 18 Months Old, One and a half!

You are changing and growing every day!

Since I haven't done a monthly post about you, since you turned 1, there are lots of updates!

Stats:

As of October 4, 2012 your stats are:
Weight:  28.8 lb = 85th percentile
Height 32.5 inches = 50th percentile
Head Circumference 19.5 in = 85th percentile

Sizing:

You wear 12-18 month clothing and 6 1/2 size shoes.  You wear a size 4 diaper (Pamper's Cruisers).

Schedule:

This is a typical weekday schedule for you:

6:00 a.m.:  Rise and Shine!  Mommy wakes you up and we cuddle in bed for about 10 minutes.

6:10 a.m.:  Daddy changes your diaper and gets you dressed.

6:20 a.m.:  We head downstairs, where I fix your hair and you and daddy take Jordan outside.

6:30 a.m.:  We leave for school.

6:50 a.m.:  We arrive at school.  Mommy takes you to your room and you sit down for breakfast with your friends.  Mommy hangs out for a few minutes, since I hate to leave you, then kisses you goodbye, and I head to work.

9:00 a.m.:  You eat snack.

11:00 a.m.:  Time for lunch.

12:00 p.m.:  Nap time.  You sleep on a mat at school without a paci.

2:30 p.m.:  Time to wake up.  Your teachers tell me that they always have to wake you up.

3:00 p.m.:  Outside time

3:30 p.m.:  Snack time and mommy arrives.

4:00 p.m.:  We arrive home and play.  We usually take Jordan outside and play outside for a few minutes.

4:00-6:00 p.m.:  Mommy and Brady play.

6:00 p.m.:  Time for dinner

6:30 p.m.:  Bath time and daddy gets home

7:00 p.m.:  Play time

7:30 p.m.:  Sweet dreams.  Mommy and Daddy read you a book and then daddy leaves while mommy sings to you (I always sing "You Are My Sunshine" and "Jesus Loves You") and rocks you.  I put you in your crib while your still awake and you fall asleep within 10 minutes.

During the weekend, you wake up around 6:00.  Mommy wakes up early with you on Saturday's, so Daddy can sleep in.  When you wake up on Sunday's, Mommy gets you out of the crib to snuggle with you.  Sometimes you fall asleep in bed with us...I love that!  Other times, you are ready to get going on with the day.  Daddy will get up with you, while Mommy sleeps for a little bit longer.  I usually wake up around 7:00, and go grocery shopping. 

The morning consists of playing with mommy and daddy, a snack at 9:00, lunch at 11:00, and nap time at 12:00.  Mommy or Daddy holds you during nap time if we are home.  You've only taken a nap once in your crib.  We love holding you during your nap time.  You take about a 1 1/2 hour - 2 hour nap, then it's playtime again.  We usually get out for a little bit after your nap.  Then it's home again and we play.  You eat dinner at 6:00, take a bath, then in bed around 7:30-8:00.

Talking:

You can say so much, and you understand even more.  Here are the words you say on a regular basis without prompting:  ma ma, da da, dog, duck, hot, cheese, milk, mo (more), pease (please), moon (you also love to find the moon whenever we go outside and it's dark), ci (for paci), side (for outside), ball, tractor, book, up, no, yellow (whenever you see a yellow object), blue (whenever you see a blue object), phone, hello, mouse, house, baby, Brady, shoes, boon (balloon), bubbles, bath, oval, nana (banana), ight (light), eyes, nose, off, uh oh, choo choo (train) (I know I'm missing a ton more, but I can't think of them right now.)

You can say the following sounds dog (you stick your tongue out and pant), cat (mow), elephant (you stick your arm up in the air like it's the trunk), duck, snack (ssss....), monkey, tiger, lion, car (vroom, vroom), train (choo choo while holding your arm up), bird, (I know I'm missing a ton more, but I can't think of them right now.)

You understand so much too!  Tonight I asked you to close your closet door, and you walked right over to it and closed it.  I can ask you things, and if you don't want it, you will say "no".  You're REALLY good at saying "no".  You have an animals picture above the dresser in your room, and if we ask you, "Where is the butterfly?", you will point to the butterfly (and flap your arms).  If we ask you, "Where is the snake?", you will point to the snack and say, "Ssssss..."  You know most of the 26 animals on the picture.  When we read books, and I ask you where something is, you can point to it.  For example in the book Goodnight Moon if I ask you, "Where is the fire?", you will point to the fire.  Whenever we read a book with a flower or see one, you will lean down to smell it.  When we say "Touchdown Auburn", you throw your hands in the air.  You learned that in about 2 minutes.  If I ask you where your firetruck is, you will go get your firetruck.  Whenever we are out in public and someone starts talking to you, you will point to me and say, "Ma Ma."  It's like you are introducing me to everyone.  It's very cute!

Food:

You are a pretty good eater.  You definitely know what you like and don't.  For breakfast, you usually eat yogurt, bananas, eggs, or sausage.  I'm not very creative when it comes to breakfast.  

For snacks you like cheese, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, Veggie Chips, Baby Food Squeeze Pouches (I like these because you get a veggie and a fruit), Yougurt Melts, cookies, Ma Ma's pancakes (I use buckwheat flower and add bananas, blueberries, applesaude, and spinach.  You LOVE these.  They are probably your favorite snack.)

For lunch and dinner you like homemade chicken nuggets (chicken, italian and panko bread crumbs, and parmeasean cheese), homemade turkey meatballs, hummus and turkey wraps, pizza, mac n' cheese, and cheese ravioli.

You love blueberries, strawberries, edamame, peas, corn, rice, mandarin oranges, avacado, icecream, and sharing cheerios with mommy.

Favorite things:

Your favorite things to do are to read, play ball, play with your tractor, and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  You could read all day long, and I love that you already love it so much.  We read a lot of books at home, but your favories are (what you call them are in parentheses) Go Dog Go (Dog Dog), Goodnight Moon (moon), and On the Night You Were Born (moon).  You love to play ball and you have so many of them.  Whenever we go to somewhere, and they have balls for sale and you spot them, we usually end up buying you one.  You love them and love to throw them.  You also love to play with your tractor.  You love to push it around the house.  You love for mommy to play with you, so you will give me the dump truck.  You call it ma ma's.  If I try to play with your tractor, you will point to the dump truck and say, "Ma ma" and then point to the tractor and say, "Brady."  You don't like to share your tractor.  We push them all around the house, and you like to be the leader and have me follow you.  You LOVE Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  You call it "Dog Dog".  You pay really close attention to it and you will smile and laugh during it.  You understand so much of what they are saying and doing.  One day you were watching it, and they were teaching a bird how to fly.  Goofy said to hold out your wings and flap, and you did it.  On your own.  I never showed you.  I was so amazed!  You love the Hot Dog song and love dancing to it.  You really love to dance to any music.  Whenever music comes on, you will start dancing.  You are an adorable dancer! 

You also really enjoy puzzles and you are really good at putting them together.  You like to do your animal and shape one at the same time.  I'll ask you, "Where is the oval?", and you will pick up the oval and put it where it belongs.  You are SO smart!  You love to play outside.  You love finding the acorns and bringing them to me.  You also enjoy bath time, which now you've started taking showers in our shower.  You love to fill up containers with water, and transfer the water from the containers.  You also love to have the shower door closed and will sign please and say "peas" for us to close it.

You also love trains!  For your 18 month birthday, we bought you a train pass for 14 train rides on the train at the mall.  Whenever we go to the mall, you always run for the train.  Whenever you see a train, you say, "Choo Choo", while pulling your arm down. 

You love to make us laugh.  If we start laughing at something you are doing, you will get the sweetest grin on your face, and keep doing it.  You make us laugh ALL the time.  You are such a funny little boy!


So Smart:
You are such a smart little boy!  Your teachers tell me all the time how smart you are and how quickly you pick up new things.  Speaking of school, you are now in the Toddler Room.

  You know the colors red, green, blue, and yellow.  You have a toy that comes with a wooden mallet and you bang the pegs down.  We take out the pegs (2 of each color), and I'll ask you, "Where is the green?" and you'll pick up both of the green pegs.  You do this for each color.

You know where your eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, ears, head, hair, belly button, toes, hands, and fingers are.  You love to find them on us too!

Brady, I can't believe you are 18 months old!  These months are flying by so fast!  I am so thankful that you are a healthy, happy, sweet, baby boy!  And that you are mine!  You bring so much joy to our lives!  You are just amazing!
I love you more than you'll ever know!
~Ma Ma