A Year and a Half!!!

I'm 18-months old today. My checkup isn't till next week, so I don't have any new stats. But I figured I'd at least start on an 18-Month Update...

MOVEMENT: Mommy says I've regressed as she'll often find me crawling around . . . pretending to be a cat or cow, "meowing" or "mooing". But mostly, I run around to get from place to place. I'm getting quite proficient at hopping and jumping. When I want to be silly, I like to spin and twirl around. I especially like it when mommy or daddy spins me around. I like to help mommy sweep and wipe my hands & clean my tray when I'm done eating. I can climb onto the couch and into my parents' bed.

COMMUNICATION: I've been working on my 3-word sentences these past few months - "I get down.", "I got it.", "I broke it.", "I want it.", "Where is it?", and most recently "I love you." I say a new word or two almost every day. I like to repeat whatever words my parents say, especially when daddy is driving in annoying traffic, much to his chagrin. I say "thank you" often. I still sign some words quite frequently like "milk", "airplane", and "more". I've created my own signs for "help" and "spin" which I use quite often, too. I can identify several more body parts now like mouth, teeth, lips, chin, hair, fingers, hands, knees, and feet. I also like to make animals sounds when asked "What does an X say?" like horse, cow, cat, dog, duck, sheep, chicken, sea lion/seal, chimpanzee/monkey, pig, bird, lion, and frog.

EATING: I've had 16-teeth for most of the last 3 months. Mommy doesn't have to cut my food as small anymore, but sometimes she forgets. I'll eat almost anything, especially Chinese. My current everyday favorites are hot dogs, broccoli, cheese, and rice. Still like noodles of all kinds, especially spaghetti and mac-n-cheese. Apples right off the core have become my favorite fruit. I enjoy eating my Cheerios in milk without any assistance. Yogurt is also quite tasty for breakfast. I'm eating two breakfasts, lunch, and two dinners with snacks in between these days. I've pretty much given up milk before bedtime.

PLAYING: Not much has changed in this arena. I still like playing outdoors and will whine & fuss when it's time to come in. Balls and balloons are still my favorite. I'm getting really good at throwing overhand. I can even aim what direction to throw at. I've been practicing with our next door neighbor. I'm also getting good at playing with other kids not just around them, like taking turns on the slide or playing bumber cars at daycare. I can cruise quite quickly, forwards and backwards, on my riding toys and even steer, although often I just muscle it. My current favorite book is Baby Einstein's Jane's Animal Expedition. I like all the animals hiding behind the flaps.

SLEEPING: I can climb in and out of my crib with ease. These days, I prefer sleeping in the big bed next to my crib, but I need mommy or daddy to keep me company until I fall asleep. Once I fall asleep, I'm usually out till morning.