January 2, 2016
You took your first crawling “steps” today! You were over on the playmats and got up on your hands and knees like you’ve been doing for a while, then as you were rocking back and forth you scooted your knees in an actual crawling motion. Then you flattened down onto your stomach, like you had always done until this point when you got up on all fours. We saw you do it a couple times, and every once in a while you’d just kind of hop/scoot your knees forward under you instead of a crawling motion. I’m counting it, because I know it’s a matter of days now until real crawling begins in earnest!
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January 6, 2016
You are currently rolling, scooting, and “crawling” around on the blanket on the playmats with your toys, and you just got up on your hands and knees then pushed yourself back into a full sitting position. Great job!! You are definitely getting the hang of this movement thing. Then we’re in trouble! You also know your name. I keep saying, “Morrison, don’t play with that,” and you look over when you hear “Morrison” and give me your little baby grin. Stinker. I think there are also 4 big teeth across the top getting ready to come in, which could explain your even worse than usual sleep the past 2 nights. Which is saying a lot, since you sleep like crap anyway.
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January 8, 2016
Yesterday I checked on your top teeth that are getting ready to come in, and 3 of them are starting to poke through at the same time! The front 2 and the one next to the left front one. Then the one next to that one appears ready to burst through, too, as does the one next to the right front one. Yikes. Also, you are now an expert at sitting. Instead of putting you down on your stomach as I usually did so you could roll or scoot around to your toys, I put you down sitting and you just stay there upright playing with everything. You can even reach all around you now to get your toys without toppling over like you always did.
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January 10, 2016
I lied. The tooth next to your left front upper one has not broken through yet. So just your upper front teeth are coming down right now, but those on either side of both are definitely coming soon. I’ve given you infant’s ibuprofen at bedtime the past 2 nights because of these teeth, and I think it’s helped. Last night you slept from 7:45 until about 4:45, then I gave you your pacifier which only lasted about 10 minutes, so then I changed you, fed you, and put you back to bed; you slept until 8:00. Awesome!! And the night before last you slept from 7ish until 4:23, then “pacifiered” back to sleep until about 6, when I changed and fed you, then you were up. Progress, my babe. Definite progress. I’ve put you in sleep sacks those 2 nights as well, so whether it’s that, the ibuprofen, or you just learning how to finally sleep, I don’t know. But I’ll take it, whatever the cause.
***
January 13, 2016
So I was totally and utterly wrong about turning the corner on sleep progress after your 2 good nights last weekend. This entire week, which has been 3 nights so far, has been a nightmare. You’ve fussed, cried, and screamed for literally hours each night. I can’t believe teeth are causing this much misery in that little body, but what do I know? Maybe they are. I just keep telling myself that this will pass, because if I don’t, you might get flushed down the toilet pretty soon. I can only run on minimal sleep for so long, my dear, no matter how much I love you.
***
January 20, 2016
Well, lovebug, I think your days of Mama’s milk are numbered. I nursed you 2 days ago (Monday, January 18) for your first feeding of the morning, and I don’t think I’ve gotten any more milk since then. There’s really only been milk on 1 side for a little while now, but the other side was still producing enough for 1 nursing a day. But I’m afraid that’s now over. This is the first time my milk has stopped naturally and I haven’t had to force it to stop. This was much less painful, so for that I do thank you. We do have 8 more bags of frozen milk downstairs so you’ll get a couple more feedings from that. I’ll give you 1 a day, which was how much you were nursing for weeks now. It’s not the 12 months I’ve aimed for (yet missed) with all 3 of you, but it’ll be almost 8 months, which is pretty good. Now, about that sleeping thing…
***
January 25, 2016
You are now full-on crawling, little one. Look out! Your 3rd tooth poked through today, too – top left, right next to your front one. Also, you nursed again this morning, but I’m pretty sure that will be the last time. I could tell there was just a little left, so I let you nurse it out instead of pumping it or seeing if it would go away on its own. And finally, last Friday (January 22) you clapped your hands for the first time! Well, that I had seen anyway. I’m pretty sure it was about the first time, though, since you’ve started doing it now regularly, as if it’s a brand-new experience. Big doings going on here for you, my love!
***
January 31, 2016
Happy 8 month birthday, my sweet! You are smiley as ever, and this has been a pretty big week for you, actually. You have completely taken off crawling, and I pray I don’t jinx anything by saying this out loud to the universe, but you have slept through the night for over a solid week now. I don’t know what has made it happen, either. Whether it’s the crawling or teeth coming through or not nursing at all anymore (even though it had been only once a day with you barely getting anything from it for a while, but who knows) or what, but I’ll take it, whatever the cause. I cannot even describe how much better you and I get along now that I’m getting at least some sleep, and you obviously have no idea what that even means, but to me it means the world. And you are having so much fun literally bounding around the house. It’s so funny to watch you get started crawling, because you get so excited you pounce forward and take off. Ah, little one, you are adorable.
***
February 3, 2016
Well, that’s it. Today was your last bottle of breastmilk. I thawed the last bag I had saved since December, so you made it 8 months with getting at least some breastmilk almost every day. Not too bad. Oddly bittersweet, though.
***
February 7, 2016
Yesterday you were standing in between Daddy’s knees when you let go and, for a split-second, stood on your own before falling back to the floor and doing a face plant. Woah.
***
February 19, 2016
Something nasty is getting you, lovebug. Your poor little buns have never been so raw and red before, plus you pooped liquidy every time I changed your diaper today. I switched to using Aquafor instead of regular diaper cream, too. This just started today, after you were up for over an hour and a half in the wee hours this morning. Little did I know you had a giant load in your drawers then, which I’m afraid started this all. I did spy the tip of another little tooth getting ready to break through, though, so I have a feeling that might be the culprit.
In other news, you can now pull yourself up to standing on things. Look out! I saw you do it yesterday in your playpen, and you grabbed the top of your playpen walls like you were trying to do a chin-up. Then today you did it on the coffee table, too. I have a feeling you will be walking before we know it, since you also like to do your little tripod/baby downward dog.
***
February 22, 2016
I am so sorry, my sweet boy. You fell off my and Daddy’s bed today. Ugh! I put you on there to play after your nap, and you immediately rolled over and started to crawl to the other side. I assumed you would at least pause if you got to the edge and figured I need not rush around to the far side in case you got close. As you approached that opposite edge, however, I realized I’d better grab your leg just in case, but I was a half second too late. In literally the blink of an eye, you disappeared off the edge. And unfortunately, our bed is really high, so you had quite the tumble. Oh, my stomach dropped, because I knew the immediate wailing was about to begin. Fortunately, I know that means that you are probably 100% ok, as I learned after your sister Lana fell off the changing pad when she was a baby and I thought I gave her brain damage. Thankfully you were totally fine, just obviously shaken; you don’t even have a bump or anything. Daddy’s side of the bed is pretty close to the wall, too, so you may have even pinballed a little on your way down. God, I felt miserable. All 3 of you have now had nasty head-first spills as babies under age 1 – Della went head-first off a hotel bed, Lana fell off the changing dresser, and now you plunged off our bed today. I, apparently, have not learned my lesson of leaving babies on top of high places. I’m so sorry, my love!!!
***
February 26, 2016
Tooth #6 is finally in. I saw it poking through in there today, and it is here to stay this time. Upper right, next to your front tooth. And your diaper rash and raw patches of skin are infinitely better, thankfully. I got a jar of Triple Paste last week and have been using it on you religiously, and that stuff is pure magic. I have a feeling that stinky little tooth had something to do with that and all the pooping.
***
February 29, 2016
Happy 9 month birthday, my sweet boy! You kicked off the celebration by sleeping entirely through the night last night for the very first time in your whole life. You didn’t even squeak once for your pacifier. I couldn’t believe it when my alarm actually went off this morning (without me having gotten up about half an hour before it to tend to you and turn it off) and it was the first time I’d awoken since I went to bed. Crazy!
***
March 5, 2016
I saw 2 more teeth today! The bottom ones on either side of the front 2 are now actually starting to poke through. I saw your left one almost there a few days ago, but now they are both officially through. Also, here are your 9 month stats:
- Height: 29.2″ (82%)
- Weight: 20 lbs. 3 oz. (59%)
- Head: 47 cm (94%)
- BMI: 17 kg/m2 (46%)
You now can pretty much feed yourself full meals, too. I still give you oatmeal and applesauce or bananas for lunch most days, but since the last batch of mashed sweet potatoes ran out I’ve been trying to find more finger foods for you. So far you’ve done an excellent job eating steamed mixed vegetables, cheese, cut-up blueberries, cut-up black beans, cut-up canned sweet potatoes (gross, but you enjoyed them), Cheerios, veggie sticks snacks, and next we’ll try eggs and pancakes or waffles. You’re getting so big!
***
March 25, 2016
So you are pretty much a baby genius. While giving you your bath a little while ago, I swear you started saying “moo” when I asked you what your little cow bath toy says. It sounds more like “mah,” but I’m totally saying you know. Also, you’re currently saying “ch-ch” while playing with your little train. And that equals “choo-choo,” duh. You’re brilliant!
I forgot to note it the other day, but on March 23 you started standing by yourself. You crawled over to me, got up on your hands and feet in kind of a tripod, then just stood up and stood there. You will definitely walk the earliest of the 3.
***
April 4, 2016
Happy belated 10 month birthday, my love! I didn’t write this on your day because we were out in Tucson on spring break. But that week before 10 months was pretty eventful for you. You kept working on your standing alone, and it is now second nature for you. You are also eating like a horse! Out in AZ you amazed us all with your devouring ability. At Easter brunch you ate 4 scrambled eggs, plus a serving of mixed fruit. At other meals you ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a half, one and a half hot dogs, 2 pieces of pizza, and endless Cheerios, pieces of fruit, etc. My little chow hound!
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April 10, 2016
A momentous day at Grandma’s house – you climbed all the way up the stairs with Daddy right behind you, and you finally drank your bottle by yourself! You’ve been able to tip your sippy cup up and drink from it for a few weeks now, so I’m happy you finally figured out that you can do it with your bottle as well.
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April 12, 2016
I just gave you your afternoon bottle after your nap, and afterwards you snuggled up onto my shoulder and just stayed there for a few minutes, all nestled in. I loved it!
Your dancing today has also been hilarious. Lana’s new favorite show on PBS is Ready, Jet, Go! and you apparently love the theme song. Every time it comes on you instantly start bouncing up and down while standing and pointing at the tv. You are such a goofball!
***
April 13, 2016
Another step! Today you took a step toward me with one of your little trains in hand while I was standing in front of the changing table dresser in your sisters’ room. Getting closer to walking!
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April 15, 2016
I ordered your last round of formula yesterday, hooray! After these 6 cans, you should be close enough to 11 months to be able to drink whole milk.
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April 25, 2016
Yesterday afternoon I was changing your diaper before your nap, and you peed all over your head and right into your mouth. So disgusting!
And you are so close to walking. A couple days ago you started taking 2 steps at a time, and you’ve continued that often. So far it has stopped there, but I’m sure you’ll be walking soon, little one.
***
April 26, 2016
We’re getting closer! This morning you took a handful of steps toward me in the dining room. You were heading from the kitchen toward me in the little hallway before the living room, and you kept plopping down and standing back up, plopping down and standing back up, plopping down and standing back up, instead of your usual plop down and take off crawling right away. I’m not sure if it was because I’d taken your pants off before lunch so you were bare legged and didn’t like that feeling on your knees or if it was because you had poop in your diaper that you didn’t want to keep plopping into. But finally you stood back up and just came my way. Of course then I tried to get it on video, and you did the usual crawl at light speed.
Also, you’re still pretty much a genius. This morning as I was getting you dressed on the changing dresser, I had you in a sitting position to put your socks on. You took one of your socks from me and put it on top of your foot, like you know where those things are supposed to go that you love to just pull off and shove in your mouth. So smart.
***
April 30, 2016
Happy 11 month birthday, sweet boy! I can’t believe the next one is the big 0-1!
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May 9, 2016
You can now officially walk across an entire room, as you walked to me across the kitchen yesterday after starting next to the wine table in the dining room. You do still, however, prefer to crawl, as you often drop down in the middle of a walking stint and just take off crawling wherever you’re going. You like to walk sideways, too, like a little side step. Silly little boy.
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May 11, 2016
Yesterday you really took off walking, and your side step has given way to a belly-first quick step. It is so cute!
I saw your next tooth this morning, too. Upper right, fourth spot back. So there is one space between the 4 you have in front and this one. But I now see why you’ve been kind of chewing on that side of your mouth.
***
May 13, 2016
Last bottle of formula this morning. It’s all milk from here on out, beginning with organic whole milk. So far, so good with no bad reactions.
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May 17, 2016
I love watching how much you enjoy doing things. This morning you were playing with the Peppa Pig playhouse in your sisters’ bedroom, and I heard you making little noises below me as I was standing at the dresser. I looked down, and you had one of the characters sitting in the Peppa Pig car, and you were pushing it along while making these little sounds. It was so cute! And pretty incredible that you know that’s exactly what it’s for and that’s even what it sounds like. You also love to put things in other things, and you especially love to drop everything into or out of your playpen, depending on which side of the cage you find yourself.
***
May 31, 2016
Happy 1st birthday, Morrison!! I cannot get over calling you a 1 year old now, but I guess I’ll have to. Where have all my babies gone?? This has been an incredible year. Our 1st with a little boy, and it has been much less frightening than I imagined. You are the sweetest, funniest little ham, and I could enjoy your snuggles forever. You are a wonderful part of our family, and I can’t even picture it without you anymore. We love you so, so much, sweet boy. Here’s to many, many more happy birthdays!!
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June 3, 2016
I just discovered last night that you have 3 new molars all coming in at the same time! So now you have the 8 teeth in front (4 upper, 4 bottom), spaces on all sides, then what I’m pretty sure are your first molars in all 4 corners poking through. That is crazy to me, since neither of your sisters’ teeth skipped spaces when they were coming in. And these 3 new ones must have all just cropped up, because I’ve been keeping an eye on your top cuspids that are just about to break the surface and I hadn’t seen any of these other molars until last night. Big doings for a one year old.
***
June 6, 2016
You had your first sick visit to the doctor this afternoon. You caught Lana’s cold a day or two ago, but your eyes are as red as a demon’s. I thought for sure it was going to be pink eye, but she said no, it just looks like something viral. Your ears were fine and really your only other symptom is a runny nose, but she prescribed some eye drops anyway.
And I can’t believe it, but I totally forgot to take your 12 month picture with the sign and your little measuring guys on your birthday! We took all the big birthday ones – presents, cake, height stick, family – but that one completely slipped my mind. Ugh! I’ll wait now to take it until your bright red demon eyes have cleared up.
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June 13, 2016
You can now open and close the bathroom door using the handle and are constantly reaching up on top of surfaces to see what you can find and grab. Stinker!
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June 14, 2016
Your top cuspids (i think that’s what they’re called – the pointy ones on either side of the front 4) are finally through. Still waiting on the bottom ones, though, now that all 4 of your first molars are in.
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June 28, 2016
Tooth #15 (!!) is now poking through – it’s your bottom right cuspid. The left one will be through any day, too. Also, I switched you up to the convertible car seat tonight. You’ll stay rear facing until at least age 2, but you were right at the top of height for the infant seat. It goes up to 32″ and you were 31.5″ at your checkup the other week. Plus Lana was too tall for the convertible now, so we had to get her out of there and into another booster. You guys are growing so fast!
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June 29, 2016
Yep, that last tooth is finally there. Bottom left cuspid. You now have your full set until your 2-year molars come in. 16 teeth all ready to eat more hot dogs!
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July 12, 2016
I’ve now seen you jump up with both feet off the ground, and I think your first official word (besides mama and dada, choo-choo, and ba-ba sounds) was Peppa. You were playing with the girls’ Peppa Pig doll last week and you said Peppa clear as day!
***
August 9, 2016
You finally signed “please” today! Hooray!!
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August 25, 2016
Today was day #1 of operation reduce pacifier. I’m going to take it out of your mouth when you wake up from the night and naps so you only use it for sleeping now. You’ve gotten to the point where you’d have that little plug in your face all day long if I’d let you, and I know you don’t need that. So now it’s for sleeping only and for traveling (walks, runs, car, etc.). And you did great! We hear a lot more chatter from you now that your mouth isn’t plugged up all the time, ha!
***
September 19, 2016
This evening you walked out of your sisters’ bedroom and promptly drew a line on my thigh with a green marker. What?! I asked them why you had a marker, and Della said she gave it to you so you could color. Yeah, no thank you. Fortunately we have pretty much all washable markers right now, so it came right off. Then you took my 5-lb. dumbbells out of the front closet, carried them into the dining room one at a time, and proceeded to rock and roll them around on the floor while doing a stand-up-clap-a-few-times-sit-down-lie-down-stand-up-and-start-over exercise routine. You are the cutest little nutball I’ve ever seen! Earlier today you took all of the little musical zoo animals out of the bag we keep that whole play set in, set them all up around the swimming pool piece, then set them all up in the cave and another road piece, then put everything away by yourself. You really are a wonder, and every day I am amazed at how well you listen to us and actually know how to do what we tell you.
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September 22, 2016
This is hysterical. Tonight as your sisters and I were singing happy birthday to their dolls (yep), you started trying to sing it, too! You were letting this little extended tone come out of your mouth, but each time you did it you started with a “haaa” sound. So it was definitely your rendition of happy birthday. Then a little while later, you took Della’s pink pooh bear, laid him down on the dining room floor, and started doing the same “haaa” singing. You were singing happy birthday to him, too! It is so fun watching you learn.
***
September 30, 2016
15 month stats (too bad we had your appointment less than a week before you turned 16 months old today, but whatever. that’s ok):
- Weight: 26 lbs. 2 oz. (86%)
- Height: 33″ (92%)
- Head: 49 cm (93%)
- BMI: 17 (68%)
You are growing!
***
October 5, 2016
You are such a ham, and such an endearing little kid. When you’re not clinging to and screaming at me, that is… Your vocabulary is expanding daily, too. Here’s a list of your current “words”:
- Bucky (buh-buh)
- Excuse me (kind of a “coo muh” sound)
- Ding-dong (dih-daw)
- Pumpkin (puh-puh)
- Lana (ya-ya)
- TV (dee-vee)
- Please (mee with the sign for please)
- Baby (ba-buh)
- Football (very similar to Bucky, buh-buh)
- Elmo (bah-bo)
- Cookie (as in Cookie Monster – dee-dee [say what??])
I know there are more, but, as always, they escape me as soon as I begin typing. Your other new favorite tricks include some serious dancing (complete with head bobbing, foot tapping, stomping, and full-body dipping), jumping with 2 feet off the ground, and singing your version of Happy Birthday. The twinkle in your eye mesmerizes me, kid. I just can’t even get enough of you sometimes. But then others, you’re on the verge of being put in the yard with a “Please Take” sign for the gypsies. I guess the twinkle is winning, ha!
***
October 6, 2016
I forgot some of your favorite sayings yesterday:
- Banana (na-nuh)
- Choo-choo
- Goldfish (go-go)
- Nigh-night
- Poop (poo; and you like to point to your diaper and nod your head when I ask you if you’ve pooped in your pants)
- Knock-knock (while knocking on a door)
- Giving your cute little sideways grin when I tell you to do your “crinky” face
- And of course you’ve been saying Mama for a long time, usually screamed at the top of your lungs
I forgot to mention this yesterday, too, but today is day 3 of no morning naps. It wasn’t really planned, but a few days ago we got home from school dropoff a little later than usual, so it wouldn’t really have made sense to put you down for a morning nap since by the time you got up it’d be time for lunch and to go back down again. So I just kept you up, and it’s starting to catch on. You are definitely ready for your afternoon nap earlier so I’ve been trying to get you and Lana fed lunch and down for naps about an hour earlier than we had been, but your afternoon naps haven’t been as consistent as I would have hoped by doing this. The first day you woke up after about an hour, which was way too short, so I was able to snuggle you a little on my bed and get you back down. Yesterday you slept great. Today you woke up after about an hour again, and you needed a drink of milk because you didn’t want to snuggle at all. So I gave you a drink, then tried snuggling again, and you instantly put your head down on my shoulder. It felt and sounded like you fell totally back to sleep, so I put you back in your crib after a few minutes. I would have loved to snooze under you for the rest of the afternoon, but unfortunately I had a ton of stuff to do today. You cried when I put you down, which I expected, but then you slept great. I actually had to wake you up to go get Della after school, so it ended up being a 2.5+-hour nap. We’ll see if this holds, because I know how much you love your morning naps.
Tonight you were being such a goofball with your sisters at dinner. Then in your bath, you were actually pretending to go to sleep. You curled up on your side and did fake snoring and all. Of course Della was sitting on the toilet watching you, so you were totally performing.
***
October 14, 2016
Yesterday Lana was showing me how she could snap her fingers, and you started trying to do it, too. You got the exactly correct motion, except you do it with your forefinger and thumb so it really doesn’t make any noise. I was hugely impressed, though, that as a baby of 16 months you could do that!
***
October 18, 2016
You are absolute magic, my little man. And I keep telling myself daily to remember that and cherish it, every single second of it. Even though your new favorite activity is screaming. Literally opening your mouth as wide as you can and letting loud, high-pitched sounds just come barreling out. Sometimes accompanied by running wildly and flailingly through the house. Pure magic.
***
November 12, 2016
You are such a goofball. Tonight while you were eating your dinner of half a bunless cheeseburger and some pickles, I walked past your highchair into the dining room and heard this little noise. I turned around to look at you, and not only had you eaten all the cheese off your burger, but you were giving each little bite of it pretend sips from your milk cup. Ha! You’d pick up a little chunk, hold it over the spout of your sippy cup, and make a “ssp, ssp, ssp” noise. Totally unprompted, and your sisters weren’t even at the table yet from whom to mimic. The way your mind works often amazes me. I was watching you playing with some of your sisters’ building toys the other day, too, and the precision with which your little hands work is quite fantastic.
***
November 15, 2016
This morning you’ve had plenty of time to play since Daddy took Della to school and we didn’t have to walk, and your first toy of choice was a handful of Shopkins and animal erasers out of Della’s pencil box. You did an amazing job emptying and refilling that pencil box with all of those erasers and her pencils while I was getting ready in the bathroom. Then you switched to playing with Shopkins on the couch next to Lana. You dropped a couple on the floor and they rolled under the couch. I told you you could go get them when you looked at me with a very worried look on your face, so you did. You wriggled your way under the couch, then got a little nervous when you thought you were stuck and tried to peek out at me. I got down on the floor and showed you that you were totally fine, then you thought it was a hilarious place to play and scoot around on your tummy. Unfortunately, when you tried to actually slide out, you couldn’t. You tried to get up on your knees and couldn’t figure out how to turn your head and get flat enough again to slide all the way under, so I had to lift up the futon edge and get Lana to help coax you out instead of just lying there crying while my arms were breaking from the weight. And now you are on to playing with stickers. You are the funniest little thing! Oh, also, the way you say gobble gobble is hysterical. We have a shiny turkey hanging on the wall in the dining room, and when I ask you how the turkey says gobble gobble you just flick your tongue in and out and make a silly little noise. Too cute!
***
November 30, 2016
Happy 18-month birthday, little one! Tonight we were on the way home from picking up the truck after having some work done on it, and your sisters were making up and singing a silly song about a horse. After a while of Della’s meandering verses, you had apparently had enough and said, “Shhh!” Ha! Talk about perfect comedic timing. You sushed your big sisters!
Also, tonight was the second time I gave you a shower with your sisters. It’s pretty hilarious and has so far been surprisingly easy. You just love to play with the bath toys in the back of the shower while I get them all washed, then it’s quickly your turn so I can get you all out before you freeze. If this trend keeps up and I don’t have to give a baby-bathtub bath anymore, I could be pretty happy with it.
***
December 16, 2016
We had your 18-month well check today, and here are your official stats:
- Height: 34″ (90%)
- Weight: 27 lbs. (82%)
- Head: 48.5 cm (78%)
- BMI: 16 kg/m2 (47%, healthy)
Everything looked good, you got 2 vaccinations, and Dr. Cafaro was impressed with how much you were “talking.” Surprisingly, you had your plug out of your mouth the whole time.