Toby: 16 Months!

Better late than never!  I actually took pictures on the 17th but he was refusing to sit in the chair for more than 3 seconds with the lion so there’s not many.

Getting closer and closer to the year and a half mark, which just sounds so OLD!  This past month has brought a lot of new things in respect to Toby understanding more and more of what we do each day.  He can do a few yoga moves at home, which proved to me he does actually pay attention in class even when I think he’s not.  He can do “downward dog” on demand and also knows what “silly silly spins” and “moon toe” are.  He also knows certain books by title so if I ask him to bring me What Do They Say?, he brings the correct story over to read.  I show him the three stories I am picking out to read before naptime and he smiles when he sees certain covers.  Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom, Little Blue Truck, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are some of his favs.

I’m getting a little better with understanding what he says, or maybe he’s just saying more lately.  When we sing the “ABC” song and stop after G, he will say “H, I” and sometimes even “J”.  He says “ca, ca, ca” for cat and something like “daaa” for dog.  I’ve also heard him say “ball” but not consistently.  We’ve also heard him say “yes”, “wa-wa” (water), “chan” (diaper change), and “shuuu” (shoes).  He now also roars on command which is freaking hilarious.

This month has also brought more teeth..oh, the dreaded molars.  Constant runny nose, lots of temper tantrums when things don’t go his way, and a few rough nights of sleep are a result of those monsters trying to get through.  All I can say is that we are so spoiled with a normally good sleeper because just one tough night did all of us in.  We (including the cats) all took a nap at the same time after swim lessons on a Saturday to catch up.

Weight: Well, he picked up the scale and then dropped it and stepped on to weigh himself and it said 22.8 pounds, but he was in full clothes and probably had a wet diaper.

Height: Probably still around 32 inches.

Medical Issues: Teething big-time.

Sleep: Wakes up by 6:30AM, goes down for a nap between 12:15-12:30pm, usually naps for 1.5-2 hours, then is in the crib for bed by 7:30pm.  Had a couple rough nights this past month due to the teeth.  Needed a lot of stories read, lots of cuddles, and basically refused to be put back into the crib until 2am. Tylenol sometimes works, but it’s not a guarantee.  We also tried teething tablets but I don’t think they did much for him.

Clothes/Diapers: Wearing 12-18 month outfits from Carters, 12-18 month two piece pj’s from Target’s Carter’s line, 18 month shirts and jeans from Kohl’s Jumpin Beans line, 12-18 pants and 18-24 month shirts from Old Navy.  Some of his 18 month pants are still too big in the waist for him to wear. 5’s for shoes. 4’s for diapers.

Diet: Still being very, very picky. Things he will actually eat lately include: bagel w/cream cheese, waffles, bananas, oatmeal w/blueberries, deli cheese, pureed carrots (refuses steamed), ground turkey (most of the time), yogurt, veggie stick puffs, homemade baked sweet potato fries, Goldfish crackers, grilled cheese, applesauce, pears, plums, homemade pizza w/diced peppers, steak, Annie’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese (as long as I don’t sneak in peas or corn).  Sometimes he will eat a burger if we’re lucky. Some days he likes hummus with pita, other days he refuses. Hates chicken, soup, tortellini, raviolis, broccoli, peas and most other veggies.

Likes: Helping to put things away if I ask him (most of the time it works if I get his attention and show him what I want to be cleaned up).  Sweeping, swiffering, vacuuming.  Reading (has favorites now that he wants to read over and over and over again). Throwing a ball and then chasing it.  Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.  Standing up the entire time while taking a bath.  Playing outside.  Climbing at the park.  Running to the fence to check out the trailers and big wheels on some of the recreation department trucks at the park.  Anything with wheels.  Listening to the ABC song and saying “H, I”.

Dislikes: When his mind is set on doing something and you don’t let him, watch out…ear-piercing scream at the top of his lungs will follow immediately.  And then if you put him on the ground, he’ll usually go for the nearest thing and throw it in frustration. Definitely has a temper and little patience, but I suppose that’s normal watching other kids in his classes.  I say “count to three, 1…2…3” and repeat that a few times and it usually distracts him long enough while we’re out in public.

Milestones: Saying a few other words, still waiting for a big verbal explosion. Knows what “clean up” means.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: When we are reading stories before naptime, I will finish a book and then he’ll push it away to let me know we’re officially done with that one and it’s time to move onto another story.  How he will run across the room and jump into my lap when we are doing certain poses or exercises in yoga…he definitely has some favorites that he won’t miss out on.  How he gets SO excited when he hears the key turn in the lock after dinner…DADDY’S HOME!  How he tries to pick up Maggie now…let’s just say she’s had a rough few weeks with him and is a trooper (though you would think she’d get smart like Ellie and just run away upstairs).  How silly he is!  He giggles at the most random stuff.  We have the best tickle fights now :)