18 Months and Words!

My baby boy is 1 1/2 years old - hard to believe isn't it? It sometimes brings tears to my eyes. Lately, Jess and I have been teasing each other by quoting a well known country song when Jack does/says something funny or even when it's not so funny. We remind each other that "it won't be like this for long". We say this to cherish those sleepless nights, times when Jack just wants to cuddle or read a book on our lap, times where he throws a fit in the middle of the floor and yes, even times when he pukes on Jess in the middle of the night (true story - happened this week).

Jack has grown so much since 12 months. Some physically, but most of the changes has been in his personality and his vocabulary. He likes to "cheese" really big for the camera, sometimes with a crooked smile (much like me when I was younger).



He gets shy around strangers or people he doesn't see often, he obsessed with throwing things (balls, toys, blocks... anything), he walks everywhere - a little stiff legged - but he gets around, he bites us playingly - but it doesn't always feel like we are playing, he loves to be chased - especially when he is on someone's back and another person is chasing him, he grunts when he wants something and can point you in the direction he wants you to take him, he loves figuring out how things work and putting them together, loves climbing - especially the chairs at the kitchen table. He likes to be a diaper a lot and sometimes the diaper doesn't quite cover it all.




He likes playing in his own bed every once in a while.



Likes drawing, especially with his daddy.




He has taken to hats - he loves putting them on his head and putting hats on other's heads. He even tried to put a Mr. Potatohead hat on his Grandpa Joe during a kids sermon in the front of the church. He takes pillows, books, and even strainers and puts them on his head like hats.



He loves books and must read all of them on the coffee table before bedtime. If we were smart parents we would just decrease the amount of books on the coffee table.




He will blow his nose (kind of) when asked, loves shoes and wants to put them on himself and put my shoes on me. A very funny OCD-like development this month is that he will take his jacket or sweater that is laying on the floor and pick it up and want to hang it on a hanger in his closet. He will also pick his dirty laundry up off the floor and put it in the hamper. Trust me folks, he does not get this trait from me. Ask my parents.

Words that Jack can say at 18-months:
1. Ball
2. Cheese (for camera)
3. Cheese (for food)
4. Juice
5. Purse
6. Back
7. Bye
8. Hi
9. Eyes
10. Up
11. Down
12. No
13. Daddy
14. Mom
15. PawPaw
16. Night Night
17. On
18. Mine
19. Car
20. Dog
21. Hat
22. Moose
23. Door
24. Please
25. Pete (for Purdue Pete)
26. Bird
27. What's that
28. This
29. Baba (bottle)
30. CoCo (cracker, cookie, bread - anything he's not supposed to have)
31. Ho Ho - referring to Santa
32. Hot
33. I see

So now that I'm done bragging, I'm going to start nagging. It's important to me that I remember the fun and challenging times. Here are a few things that Jack doesn't do well.

1. Sleep - this has been the most difficult for him (and us). He consistently wakes up at least once a night, even when he's not sick. He wants to be held and in motion.

2. Take "no" for an answer. He sits down, gets a pouty face and really starts to cry. He'll even raise his hand like he is going to hit me or throw something at me - which I then tickle him under the armpit while his hand is raised.

3. Eat well on his own. I usually have to hand him a kitchen utensil or distract him with song and dance while I shovel the food in his mouth. He loves his fruit, but I mainly have to do this with meat.

4. Doesn't let me wash his face without shedding a few tears in the process.

I'm sure there are a few more, but my love for my child is erasing my memory.