It is really amazing to see how each day he really does get smarter and smarter. I feel like he understands nearly everything we say now! He is rapidly able to identify new things and learning new words so fast that I can't keep up documenting it all! He is so fun to play with and just turning into such a sweet little boy!
Stats
- Mainly wearing 18 month clothes still. Has some 24 month things he'll wear too.
- At Dr. Appt he was 27 lbs 13 oz. (75%) and just over 32 inches (41%). Still has a giant melon at 50cm and like 95%.
- He is getting his top right incisor tooth in and maybe some more. It seems like it may be bothering him.
How smart is Lachlan?
- Definite improvement with using fork/spoon, but still have to help him get the food loaded onto it.
- He always gets his body parts right when asked to identify them and will now say the word too. We thought this was normal, but both daycare and PAT were really impressed and said this was advanced. Feet, Belly, Hair, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Elbow (new), Bebo (new- aka bellybutton), toes (new), hands (new).
- Can identify and say a ton of Sesame Street characters- Big Bird, Snuffy, Grover, Elmo, Zoe, Abby, Oscar, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie
- Can identify a ton of animals, but doesn't say most of their names or do many animal sounds. He'll still roar for a lion, but that is only sound he really makes. He'll say Ooh-ooh for monkey and definitely says or attempts to say dog, bird, butterfly, giraffe. I can't think of all he can identify, but these come to mind: Duck, Penguin, zebra, cow, horse, dog, cat, bear, polar bear, turtle, monkey, giraffe, lion, pig, sheep, elephant, bee
- Other random words he uses or will say frequently that are new: trees, baby, juice, no (doesn’t use much), yes (doesn’t use much), outside, Cheese (when taking his picture), Toots (Dustin taught him that after he farted and now he loves repeating it after us cause we crack up laughing at him)
- He is imitating us a lot. When reading Quiet/Loud book he whispers gibberish and then shouts something on each page. He will read Hippos Go Bezerk and say “hippo” on each page and then gets to the page where they go bezerk and he shakes the book up and down and says loud gibberish. When reading books where I count things- he will then use his finger to point to each thing like he is counting. He tries to comb his hair like he sees me do.
- And he READ his first book (actually has read it multiple times now)! The book just alternates between “Yes” and “No.” But he reads it and on each page says “yes…no”, turns page and says “yes…no.” He has 4 of these books that look very similar, but he picks the correct book up when “reading.”
Favorite Things
- Loves being quizzed on things still and just learning new things.
- WATER! Loved playing out in the rain. We were at our relatives and he was just soaked running around on their driveway squealing with delight in the pouring rain. He also loved water day at school- was the only kid from the toddler room that would play in the sprinkler! He must have been soaked- the teachers said they played with his hair and gave him a Mohawk then.
- ELMO- the kid is in love with him! Will grab remotes, point at tv and say elmo. The minute elmo goes off the screen he goes crazy…so it is a little frustrating. He is getting better though and slowly able to watch a bit more.
- Daycare/School- I love how excited he is to go to school each morning. As soon as you tell him he is going to school, he is searching for his shoes, his bag, and standing at the door waiting. He likes to walk from/to the car and his room now and frequently likes to carry his own bag (mainly just drags it on the ground though).
- Songs- For first time ever, he seems to enjoy if I just rock him before bed and sing to him. He will play with my hair and touch my face and is just so relaxed. Unlike how he has ever behaved before!!
Random Other Bits:
- Definitely can be ornery, but I think it is only when he wants our attention. He will look right at Dustin (who is engrossed in a game on his phone) and then climb up on his sesame street chair. Finally dustin will yell at him and lachs won’t listen. Dustin takes the chair away. Lachs does not cry but instead looks right back at dustin and goes to attempt to climb on the table now! Our PAT lady said to give him choices when he does something like stand on the chair—can say something like do you want to get down by yourself or you want daddy to come help you down? Both result in him getting down, but they like to be independent so will do it themselves. Or if he is allowed to climb on the couch or armchair instead, then can tell him no and would he rather come stand on the couch or chair?
- Went to library for the first time, but was more excited with the automatic doors that opened than all the books. We went to Shaw Nature Reserve just outside of St Louis and it was a great park- cute kids play area and great trails. Lachlan got out of the stroller and walked some of the trails and loved looking at the trees. We took him to a park near our house that does a little 30 minute train ride. He enjoyed it, but wasn't overly impressed- probably a little young still. He has is last PAT (Parents as Teachers) visit- I am going to really miss that program!
- Did have a nightmare or something one night and would not go back into his crib, so I had to bring him to bed with us. After an hour we had to put him in his crib and luckily he didn’t throw a fit. For a kid who NEVER wants to snuggle or touch, the only way he would try to go to sleep is pushing his full body full-force up against me and then would want to feel my face. Little hard for me to fall back asleep at 4am with this going on! Then he would toss and turn some- whacked his head against the headboard. Grinded his teeth…would babble. How do parents do this that let their kids sleep with them?! We would get no sleep at all!
- We were getting a tad concerned at daycare because from what we saw he had no interest in the other kids. They would greet him and say hi and he’d go right past them to get his books and sit down to read. I’d walk in at the end of the day and he’s just sitting there reading his books. The kid is just obsessed with books! However this last week I try to steer him towards the kids and he has greeted them with “Hi, waved, and given hi-fives…and I’ve seen him play with some trucks and non-book items. So I'll quit worrying about that.
Typical Day at 18 months:
- Wake 6:30- give or take. During the week this works out perfect since we leave around 7pm. We have started giving him juice and some fruit or something healthy to eat before leaving. The breakfast that daycare provides is officially a snack, so many days it is not very healthy and I don't like him only eating that until lunch time.
- 8:00- Snack at daycare
- 10:00- Play outside at daycare if not too hot. They do water day once a week over the summer.
- 11:30- Lunch with milk. Frequently will eat double portions of things at daycare.
- 12-2 nap
- 3:00 Play outside again at daycare.
- 5:30- Pickup from daycare. Come home and quickly eat something for dinner so we can have some playtime.
- 7:15- Bath- been doing this more frequently because of him playing outside so much and having sunscreen on. Probably 5-6 out of 7 nights he gets a bath.
- 7:45- I usually read him books. Elmo at the zoo is probably his favorite, but he loves to try to fly through at least 5 books. Lately I will also rotate in just rocking and singing to him.
- 8:00- Bed! It is so adorable cause he is really excited to sleep with his Elmo. As I go to leave the room and am shutting the door I can hear him blowing me tons of kisses and then just when the door is about to shut I'll hear a little voice "BYE!"
- We are usually in bed by 9:30 most nights then.
A few pictures from this last month:
