Finch, 18 months

I can't believe he's a year and a half! He's getting so big. Learning to talk. Throwing tantrums. Forward facing in the car. I love this age so much!

The scariest thing happened this month...Finch somehow got our baby gate open and fell down 13 stairs to our basement. Luckily they are softly carpeted and he only had a small scrape on his forehead...but it was a very scary moment for all of us!

He keeps me on my toes! It seems like he's constantly unraveling rolls of toilet paper, playing with the plunger, climbing up on the table, pulling things off the counter, dumping legos onto the floor, crawling out of dressing rooms, etc. But gosh, he really is such a good, sweet boy. When I see him and Rooney holding hands in the car, or when he grabs my face in his hands and kisses me on the lips, I completely melt from his sweetness.

GROWTH

• Clothing size: 18 months - 2T
• Shoe size: 6
• Diaper size: 4/5
• Teeth: 11

FIRSTS

• Forward facing in the car

LOVES

• Stairs
• Mama
• Nursing
• Teething tablets (which sadly are now discontinued in the United States!)
• Having his nose sucked out (...seriously!)
• Breakfast
• Turning on our Christmas tree lights
• Slamming doors
• Climbing

DISLIKES

• Daylight Saving Time...ugh
• Santa's lap
• Long car rides

NURSING

We are still nursing! I don't have much to say about it. I didn't ever dream we would make it this long and at times it feels demanding, but I know it is completely normal (and good for him)!

BIG BOY THINGS

• He will get an applesauce out of the fridge and then go to the spoon drawer to try to get a spoon (even though he's not tall enough yet)
• If he needs more water, he will give me his cup and lead me to the fridge dispenser
• He knows the facial body parts: eyes, ears, nose, mouth
• He can open doors if the handle is a lever
• Actively tries to make us laugh

SLEEPING

He is sleeping at least 12 hours a night! He goes to bed around 6:00 pm and gets up around 6:00-7:00 am. He takes one nap a day for about 1-1.5 hours. I am very thankful that he has turned into a good sleeper!

HEALTH

• He goes to the chiropractor once a month
• Had really bad diaper rash
• Threw up four times, every other day for a week. Very strange! Thinking it was a bug, but also keeping food allergies in mind...
• Several falls and scrapes, including down 13 stairs

WORDS

He tries to say a lot of the words we say, and even has combined words a couple times ("Hi Dada" and "Boo Dada").

• Mama
• Dada
• Sss (sister)
• Mine
• No
• Bite
• Uh oh
• Eye
• Cracker
• Mouth 
• Nigh nigh
• Hi
• Dog
• Book
• Bubble
• Bye
• Duh (water)
• More
• Bath
• Cookie
• Spoon
• Bra
• Boo
• Tree

SIGNS

• Please
• More
• Love you (blows kiss)

LOOKING FORWARD TO...

• Christmas! He loves our trees. We have several decorations that play music - they are his favorite. He occasionally tries to take ornaments off the tree or turn the tree lights off, but overall he has done well. Not sure what he will do if we put wrapped presents out...