Sweet Eloise Jane, today you are 18 months old! It's crazy that you are officially 1.5 years old, and your cognitive growth in the past month has been exponential.
You continue to be wicked smart, curious, determined, and mischievous. If it's quiet, it's usually because you've climbed up onto the coffee table or into the washing machine, are eating your sister's Velcro shoe straps, or putting any number of illicit objects into your mouth. We definitely have to keep an eye on you!
Here are your official 18 month updates!
How old? 18 months today!
How big?
You are wearing 18-24 month or 2T clothing, size 6 diapers (that are getting snug on you!) and size 5.5 shoes.
At your 18 month well check, you stayed on your "giant baby" growth curve at 34 inches tall (98%), 26#8oz (up to 90%!) with a head circumference of 18.6 inches (75%). You were happy, chatty, and charming at the appointment, and got over your two shots almost immediately- distracted by pulling off the fun new stickers on your leg!
Sleep? You nap from around 11-12:30/1 each day, and are ready for bed closer to 6:45. You go to bed super happy and tranquil, and sleep through until 7am or so, lying quietly until we come to get you up.
Food? This month you've been loving strawberries and blackberries in addition to your regular arsenal. I've started putting food in bowls for you, and you're (mostly) really good about eating from them without dumping out the contents! You also love to try using a fork with your meals.
Potty? This past month you've "told" both your nanny and Papa that you had to poo and led them by the hand to your potty, where you then indeed did go! I have a feeling that in the next couple of months all the dots will connect and we may be able to ditch the diapers once and for all. We shall see! You sit on your potty each morning, before and after your nap, and again before bed, and almost always pee and/or poo when on there. It's been a long time since we had a poo in your diaper!
Words? SO MANY! And this past month you've been stringing two word thoughts together a lot more- like "bye bye Mama" or "bye bye dog." You'll also ask: "Iyla go?" or "Papa go?"
I've heard you count up to 8 (from memorization- I don't think you have the actual concept yet!) and you pretty much understand everything we say. You also are learning to say "sorry!" when you hit or are rough (mostly with your sister).
You exclaim "YAY!" when excited about an upcoming activity, like when I ask you if you'd like to play with your sticker book or watch a video.
Teeth? Your two upper canines cut through this past month- so you now have 14 teeth! I suspect your lower canines aren't far behind, then you just have your 2 year molars left to come in.
New skills?
*This month you started noticing your shadow, and oh the fun you've had there! You love to wave at it and even try to share your food with it. It's super cute.
*Object permanence. You no longer have a huge attachment separation crying fit when Papa or I leave, as you've finally connected that we do indeed come back! Now you'll say "bye bye Mama" or "bye bye Papa" and though you have a super serious look on your face like "are they really leaving?" you accept it. You also love to play act leaving: you'll make a point to say "BYE!" as you go around the corner, then you'll come back moments later with a big smile and "HELLO!"
*You've been playing symbolically a lot more. You'll take your little animals and make them kiss each other, pretend they are eating your food, make them dance, etc. It's super cute!
*"Reading" books. You'll turn pages and be talking in your cute gibberish, then close the book and dramatically announce "THE END!"
*Reciting numbers in order 1-8.
*Trying to hop and jump! It's sooo cute watching you prance around attempting to get those little feet off of the ground. You are also getting faster and faster with running.
*Shaking your head NO in addition to saying it!
*You request songs when having your milk by insisting "ROW ROW ROW!" or "Up Above the World!" (those are your two current fav requests).
Favorite things:
*Stickers/sticker book.
Iyla has a sticker book with puffy animal stickers, and I very hesitantly let you start playing with it. After learning that the stickers do NOT go in our mouth, you got the hang of pulling them up and sticking them back down, and this is now hands down one of your favorite activities to do! You also enjoyed sticking them all on your leg- as seen in the photo below.
*Sitting at the dining room table to play.
You have learned how to climb up onto the dining room chairs, and oh what a WHOLE NEW WORLD for you! You've watched your big sister playing up here for months (it WAS her safe play zone, no longer so!) so when you figured out how to climb up you were thrilled. You've done well with staying safe (after one toppling over episode)- though you still try daily to climb on TOP of the table, which is a non-negotiable NO.
*Being outside.
You love playing in our backyard- going down your slide, playing in the sandbox, and eating snail shells (!). We have races with your big sister down our driveway, and go on exploratory walks to the baseball fields and along the trail. You do NOT enjoy sitting for very long in your stroller; rather, you prefer to be free to roam.
Your books:
I often get held hostage while you sit on your potty, reading book after book to you (there could be worse things!) You LOVE to have me name letters for you, having me spell out some of the larger font words. I'm curious if you might be an early reader, given your early awareness and interest in letters!
Milestones this past month:
*First hair cut! The mullet is officially gone.
Before:
And after:
On the hair front I should add here that you will NOT let me do ANYTHING to your hair. If I attempt a hairband or anything of the sort it gets ripped off immediately. Every once in awhile you'll try to style yourself with a headband, and here's the (short-lived) result:
*First time having croup. This was a first for our family! Over the Holidays Iyla came down with a virus that saw her having a sore throat, cough, and about 36 hour fever. You then caught said virus, which resulted in a 3 day fever and terrible croup cough. We ran steam baths and humidifiers and had lots of snuggles (as seen below):
*Starting music classes again! We took music classes with Iyla up until you were 11 months old, then took a break over the fall. We just started back up and during your first class you were SO in awe and SO mesmerized you just stared at the teacher and snuggled in with me- then proceeded to take a THREE HOUR NAP. Ha! I think we'll both enjoy this new weekly activity together.
Here are a few more photos from your past month:
You continue to be wicked smart, curious, determined, and mischievous. If it's quiet, it's usually because you've climbed up onto the coffee table or into the washing machine, are eating your sister's Velcro shoe straps, or putting any number of illicit objects into your mouth. We definitely have to keep an eye on you!
If you're not personally in the washer, you are throwing objects into it or pushing all of it's buttons
Moments after this photo was taken you threw off your glasses, and they were inches away from going over the rails and into the river! Naughty.
Here are your official 18 month updates!
How old? 18 months today!
You are a ham and love to make us laugh! This "squeeeeeeze" face always elicits a giggle.
How big?
You are wearing 18-24 month or 2T clothing, size 6 diapers (that are getting snug on you!) and size 5.5 shoes.
At your 18 month well check, you stayed on your "giant baby" growth curve at 34 inches tall (98%), 26#8oz (up to 90%!) with a head circumference of 18.6 inches (75%). You were happy, chatty, and charming at the appointment, and got over your two shots almost immediately- distracted by pulling off the fun new stickers on your leg!
Sleep? You nap from around 11-12:30/1 each day, and are ready for bed closer to 6:45. You go to bed super happy and tranquil, and sleep through until 7am or so, lying quietly until we come to get you up.
Food? This month you've been loving strawberries and blackberries in addition to your regular arsenal. I've started putting food in bowls for you, and you're (mostly) really good about eating from them without dumping out the contents! You also love to try using a fork with your meals.
Potty? This past month you've "told" both your nanny and Papa that you had to poo and led them by the hand to your potty, where you then indeed did go! I have a feeling that in the next couple of months all the dots will connect and we may be able to ditch the diapers once and for all. We shall see! You sit on your potty each morning, before and after your nap, and again before bed, and almost always pee and/or poo when on there. It's been a long time since we had a poo in your diaper!
Words? SO MANY! And this past month you've been stringing two word thoughts together a lot more- like "bye bye Mama" or "bye bye dog." You'll also ask: "Iyla go?" or "Papa go?"
I've heard you count up to 8 (from memorization- I don't think you have the actual concept yet!) and you pretty much understand everything we say. You also are learning to say "sorry!" when you hit or are rough (mostly with your sister).
You exclaim "YAY!" when excited about an upcoming activity, like when I ask you if you'd like to play with your sticker book or watch a video.
Here's a snapshot of some of your vocabulary!
Teeth? Your two upper canines cut through this past month- so you now have 14 teeth! I suspect your lower canines aren't far behind, then you just have your 2 year molars left to come in.
New skills?
*This month you started noticing your shadow, and oh the fun you've had there! You love to wave at it and even try to share your food with it. It's super cute.
*Object permanence. You no longer have a huge attachment separation crying fit when Papa or I leave, as you've finally connected that we do indeed come back! Now you'll say "bye bye Mama" or "bye bye Papa" and though you have a super serious look on your face like "are they really leaving?" you accept it. You also love to play act leaving: you'll make a point to say "BYE!" as you go around the corner, then you'll come back moments later with a big smile and "HELLO!"
*You've been playing symbolically a lot more. You'll take your little animals and make them kiss each other, pretend they are eating your food, make them dance, etc. It's super cute!
*"Reading" books. You'll turn pages and be talking in your cute gibberish, then close the book and dramatically announce "THE END!"
*Reciting numbers in order 1-8.
*Trying to hop and jump! It's sooo cute watching you prance around attempting to get those little feet off of the ground. You are also getting faster and faster with running.
*Shaking your head NO in addition to saying it!
*You request songs when having your milk by insisting "ROW ROW ROW!" or "Up Above the World!" (those are your two current fav requests).
Favorite things:
*Stickers/sticker book.
Iyla has a sticker book with puffy animal stickers, and I very hesitantly let you start playing with it. After learning that the stickers do NOT go in our mouth, you got the hang of pulling them up and sticking them back down, and this is now hands down one of your favorite activities to do! You also enjoyed sticking them all on your leg- as seen in the photo below.
*Sitting at the dining room table to play.
You have learned how to climb up onto the dining room chairs, and oh what a WHOLE NEW WORLD for you! You've watched your big sister playing up here for months (it WAS her safe play zone, no longer so!) so when you figured out how to climb up you were thrilled. You've done well with staying safe (after one toppling over episode)- though you still try daily to climb on TOP of the table, which is a non-negotiable NO.
*Being outside.
You love playing in our backyard- going down your slide, playing in the sandbox, and eating snail shells (!). We have races with your big sister down our driveway, and go on exploratory walks to the baseball fields and along the trail. You do NOT enjoy sitting for very long in your stroller; rather, you prefer to be free to roam.
Your books:
I often get held hostage while you sit on your potty, reading book after book to you (there could be worse things!) You LOVE to have me name letters for you, having me spell out some of the larger font words. I'm curious if you might be an early reader, given your early awareness and interest in letters!
Milestones this past month:
*First hair cut! The mullet is officially gone.
Before:
And after:
On the hair front I should add here that you will NOT let me do ANYTHING to your hair. If I attempt a hairband or anything of the sort it gets ripped off immediately. Every once in awhile you'll try to style yourself with a headband, and here's the (short-lived) result:
*First time having croup. This was a first for our family! Over the Holidays Iyla came down with a virus that saw her having a sore throat, cough, and about 36 hour fever. You then caught said virus, which resulted in a 3 day fever and terrible croup cough. We ran steam baths and humidifiers and had lots of snuggles (as seen below):
*Starting music classes again! We took music classes with Iyla up until you were 11 months old, then took a break over the fall. We just started back up and during your first class you were SO in awe and SO mesmerized you just stared at the teacher and snuggled in with me- then proceeded to take a THREE HOUR NAP. Ha! I think we'll both enjoy this new weekly activity together.
Here are a few more photos from your past month:
We love you so much sweet Eloise Jane! Happy 18 months to you.
