Todd the Toddler’s 15th Month

14.5 months old – November 5, 2015

FIFTEENTH MONTH
OCTOBER 21 – NOVEMBER 21 (2015)

HAPPY & AFFECTIONATE

• “grooving” to music during dinner
• waves arms wildly
• he’s always happy but 10/23 was an especially happy morning
• his big kisses are the best and some days I got lots of them 🙂 (10/30, 11/1)
• he hugged a kid at Kindermusik (11/3)
• big hugs with his new, big stuffed bear “Chopper the pillow bear” (purchased 11/3)
• he sits and leans on his pillow bear, hugs and kisses him
• he hugged and started to kiss a kid who came up to him at the school playground (11/5)
• he kisses cats in books
• we do family “group hugs”

Pillow bear – Love at first sight! – November 3, 2015

SO HELPFUL

• he tried to put Eric’s glasses on (10/21)
• he tried to put sock on my foot (10/22)
• he got out a disposable diaper, unfolded it, and sat on it

November 1, 2015

LEARNING!

• one day (10/22) he ran over a sloped section at the school playground and tripped, then the next day (10/23) when we returned, he slowed down/stopped, being careful with his steps
• he was clearly very nervous about how he was going to get down from Eric’s dresser (when I wouldn’t jump in to help him) after he climbed up there (10/30)
• he helps line up the yellow shapes to push them into the Tupperware Shape O Ball 

At the school playground – October 23, 2015

INDOOR PLAY

• he zooms his cars on the Hot Wheels track
• he likes to climb up on Eric’s bed, then dresser, and tries to pull pictures off the walls
• Eric helps him with Pack ‘n Play “gymnastics” (i.e. swing from rail and flipping over it) (10/27)
• he likes to stick and unstick fridge magnets (11/11)
• Eric helps him do somersaults
• hot tub “swim” (11/15)
• excitedly spinning and running in place in circles (11/15)
• jumping on couch cushions (11/19)
• he runs…fast!  And his right foot/leg noticeably “toes-in” when he walks/runs

Zooming cars – October 26, 2015

HE’S GOT MOVES!

• check this out!

OUTINGS

• weekly Kindermusik
• we regularly went on stroller walks (to the park/school playgrounds and library), until the weather got cold
• while out shopping, he increasingly wants toys that he sees (especially stuffed animals)
• our neighbor gave Todd a pair of knitted slippers that she made for him (11/9)

Knitted slippers from our nice neighbor – November 8, 2015

NEW WORDS & SOUNDS

• “girl” (said at Wal-Mart and then again at home) (10/25)
• “gah” refers to lots of things (including strawberries, flowers and more)
• puts tongue to roof of mouth, then does “clock clock” with it (10/26)
• makes a sort of duck sound (10/26)
• cute “moo” with lips pushed out (10/27) but his usual “moo” sound is a soft hum
• when he sees airplanes in the sky, he looks up, raises his right arm and says “geh”
• dramatically practicing the “t” sound and making his face turn red in the process (10/30)
• “moppen moppen” (11/8)
• he said “I love you” to Eric twice, when he got home
• he does his “sheep” sound (“putt putt putt” with puffed-out lips) for pigs, too
• “go go” (11/17)

October 23, 2015

SIGNS & OTHER COMMUNICATION

• responds to “Where’s your bear?” without me providing any gestures, looks for bear (in crib) (10/23)
• arm sign for “airplane” (10/28)
• he raises his right arm up and makes a sound when he wants something
• hand sign for “fish” (11/8)
• he stuck out his tongue after seeing a dog in a book with tongue sticking out (11/11)
• hand sign for “bird” (11/12)

November 6, 2015

DENTAL VISIT

• Dentist appointment (10/28)
• Todd’s dentist said his teeth are coming in out of order so permanent teeth should do the same
• she recommended offering water in sippy cup before bed to rinse his mouth out just before falling asleep
• she showed how to hold his arms/legs so he’s not able to resist having teeth brushed
• he loved the big bear there

The bear at the dentist office – October 28, 2015

3 NEW TEETH!

• tooth #5 = right upper lateral incisor (11/9)
• tooth #6 = right bottom 1st molar (11/14)
• tooth #7 = left upper lateral incisor (11/19)

TODD’S SECOND HALLOWEEN

• no costume this year but he wore his baseball player outfit at Kindermusik that week
• he loved going to the door to see the kids trick-or-treating and sometimes got upset when we shut the door

Kindermusik class (photo by Shelley)- October 27, 2015

BABYSITTING

• his cousin Kylie babysat for 2.5 hours (11/13)
• 1st times having a babysitter all day (Kylie, 11/18 and 11/20)
• he responded very well to having a babysitter, no anxiety!

Cousins! Kylie & Todd – October 24, 2015

FAMILY

• I worked 3 Sundays this month, so Todd got to spend those days with “dada”
• out to eat at Jimmy’s with Grammie, Granddad (Eric’s parents) & cousin Kylie (10/24)
• visit from Grammie, Granddad and Uncle Jeff (Eric’s brother) while Kylie babysat (11/18)

FOOD NOTES

• doesn’t necessarily eat everything at lunch/dinner anymore but still eats plenty
• he puts his face to the snack (i.e. dry cereal) instead of picking up with fingers
• wanted more and more chickpeas (10/21)
• raspberries are always a favorite
• new (vegan) foods: Field Roast deli slice, pomegranate arils
• throwing food toward end of the month

#minivegan – November 9, 2015

FORMULA WEANING

• we opened the last can of formula (#74 on 11/18), which means he went through about 1.25 cans this month
• he continues to drink equal parts organic soy formula, soy milk, hemp milk and homemade cashew oat milk in his sippy cups

Drinking “Formula Milk” with Pillow Bear – November 5, 2015

NAPS

• last swing nap (10/27)
• started crib naps (10/28)
• (easy!) Transition From Swing Naps to Crib Naps (10/28 – 11/2)
• after 11/4 Todd didn’t cry at all when I put him in his crib for naps
• shortest crib nap = 1 hour
• longest crib nap = 3.5 hours
• he likes to sleep with his pillow blanket over his face, hugging his water

Bedtime – November 13, 2015

NIGHTTIME SLEEP

• despite getting 4 new teeth, this was his best sleep month to date = ZERO nighttime wake ups!
• Average night-time sleep = 9.95 hours
• he fell asleep on me on the couch (before bedtime) two days in a row (10/29 & 10/30)

A rare evening catnap – October 29, 2015

POTTY TALK

• 40 poops were done in the toilet
• 21 poops were “misses” (5 of those times, he did more poop in the toilet as soon as we got him there)
• possible communication by pushing on my legs (then he went in the toilet) (10/23)
• I noticed a tiny freckle on his butt after I realized it wasn’t a speck of poop that wouldn’t come off…haha!
• I led him (walking) to the toilet when I knew he had to go poop, he followed me and went (11/6)
• using more disposable diapers but still using underwear, too
• he thinks it’s funny when he pees on the carpet (he waits for me to make eye contact, then grins and laughs)
• increasingly fights being put on the toilet for pees

He doesn’t always let you put him on the toilet like this! – October 25, 2015

All for now!