Christian James - 18 Months!

So um...seriously!?! Where has the time gone??? 

How did my sweet baby go from this....

to this, so fast!?!?

You're probably wondering the same thing, since the last baby update I did for Christian was when he was 9 months old!! That was 9 months ago! *gasp*

But seriously, you try to find the time to compose lengthy and regular blog posts when you are chasing a toddler. It's no easy task! So I let them slip. Thought I would shoot for the bigger milestones now. 

So here we are. 

Christian James you turned 18 months old on November 29, 2014. 

You are a very active and independent toddler. 

You like to do everything yourself {even if you are not yet able to do it aka put your shoes or clothes on}. You also like to be just like  mommy and daddy and won't use your toddler silverware but have to have adult forks just like us! If mommy puts your food on a plastic toddler plate, you will dump it, but if I give you a "big boy" plate you are thrilled and keep your food on your plate...for the most part.

Sleep had grown a little rough for you for awhile. By that I mean that you weren't "sleeping through the night" and usually woke up between 4 and 5 am every day but then would go back to sleep until around 8ish. Around 16 months or so you finally made the transition {which was rough} to one nap a day and we also moved your bedtime way earlier and then voila! You started sleeping 12, sometimes even 13 hours straight at night!! Praise the Lord! 

For the most part, this is what our days look like: 

7/7:30am Wake up and Breakfast (sometimes you still nurse...)

Then we either play, you help do the dishes and clean up, or we head out of the house for some sort of activity {story time, walk, mall walk, outside play, play date, errands, music class, etc}

9:30am Snack

11/11:30am Lunch

11:30/12 Nap for 2-3 hours

2:30/3pm Wake up and Snack

Play and usually some sort of art project and/or learning activity

5pm Dinner

Bath 

6:15/6:30pm Read and nurse

Usually sleeping by 6:30/7pm

You also have become quite the little helper! You will wipe your own nose and put your tissue in the trash can. You also will put your diaper in the diaper genie after diaper changes and LOVE to vacuum, wipe the table or counters or other surfaces clean, and of course do the dishes and help cook! 

You are also becoming much more talkative! You will jibber jabber all day long {especially when you "read" your books and say your prayers} but your words are also starting to come through! 

Words

yes

no

tot = hot

tease = please

{you've been getting really good as saying "puh" for the p sound so I'm sure it will be clear soon!}

Dax = Bax

Doggy

Mama

Dada

Elp = Help

Up

More

Done

Na na = Banana

Dis = This

Dat = That

Ba = Bath

You've also gotten really good at some of your animal sounds!

You will say: 

Moo for cow

Baa for sheep

Neigh for horse

Grrr for bear

Aaah Aaah for a monkey

You're also starting to really know your body parts. You've known your ears for awhile, but now you know a lot more. I will ask you where the part is and you will point to it! 

Body Parts you know: 

Head

Ears

Eyes

Nose

Hands

Feet

Legs

This is also a big accomplishment -- you have started using the potty!!! A few weeks ago you were still dry when I went to change you for nap time so I asked if you wanted to sit on the potty and you said yes! And you went pee pee right away!! You did it a few more times that day too and the next as well! You even went poopy on the potty the next morning! I would ask if you had to go and you would either say yes or no. When you said yes we would go sit on the potty and you would go right away and tell me when you were done. 

You've been showing signs of being ready for a little while, but I was trying to hold off on actually potty training until after the holidays. But I guess we are starting earlier! You have some days where you are interested and some days where you just aren't. So we will see! 

You Favorite things: 

"Reading" books, especially your Bible

Brushing your teeth

"Talking" on the phone...especially the real phone!

Washing the dishes

Painting and coloring

Your lovey and your binky

Driving your scoot Lightning McQueen Car and most recently your motorized one from Great Grandma Breiby and Grandma Jill! 

Music!! You will play the piano and dance, dance, dance! 

Bath time 

Your broom/sweeping

Vacuuming

Climbing

Playing outside

Playing with the squirt bottle

Tackling and wrestling

Giving hugs and kisses {most of the time}

Fruit! You could eat fruit all day long

Dogs!

Dislikes: 

Not getting your way or being told what to do

Being hungry

Being tired

Sharing the broom 

New foods

You have also become a fairly picky eater. Just recently you finally started liking some more vegetables. Otherwise, you will mainly only eat peanut butter sandwiches, eggs, fruit {of course}, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, cheese, yogurt, apple sauce. Sometimes you will eat meatballs or pasta or mac n cheese. But food has really become hit and miss and just because you liked it at dinner one night doesn't mean you will like it again :) 

You still don't like cow's milk. Or any kind of milk other than mommy's milk. 

Hopefully we can fully wean soon!!! 

You are weighing pull ups sometimes and size 5 diapers. 

For clothes, you are mainly in 18 month pants {some 2T and even 1 pair of 3T}. Shirts are mostly 2T and some 3T. Pajamas are also 2T and 3T. You are still our big boy! Growing like a weed!

You have become SO much fun! We can tell you to do things {like pick up or throw something in the garbage} and you will do it! We love getting to play with you and talk with you and see your little personality shine through...the littlest things make you SO excited! Can't wait to watch you grow more and more! Just don't do it too fast, okay? 

We love you so much!!!