Todd the Toddler’s 18th Month

Almost 17.5 months old – January 31, 2016

EIGHTEENTH MONTH
JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 21 (2016)

HEALTH

• 1st barf (1/22)
• the barf was a one time “thing” & he seemed fine otherwise (Eric & I were quite sick & barfy the 1-2 days before Todd barfed)
• he got a cold:  sneezing, coughing, runny nose & fever (2/2, lasted about a week)
• he got another cold:  very goopy eyes, copious runny nose, cough & fever (2/17, lasted about a week)
• (he must be getting colds from the ski area child care)

An apple a day! – Real Tequila (Anacortes) – February 3, 2016

BODY

• his legs are noticeably straighter this month (i.e. he’s losing the infant bow-leggedness)
• he discovered his belly button & looked down at it & touched it (2/17)
• a new freckle (his second one) was spotted on his low back (2/20)

Watching his squirrel friend – February 19, 2016

TEETHING

• bottom left lateral incisor poked through (2/15)
• that’s his 9th tooth

Selfie smile – February 2, 2016

COMMUNICATION

• repeated “Hi Todd”
• laughing “ha ha”
• he put my hand over the sippy cup lid so I would open it (2/8)
• he wanted me to keep going in circles because it made him laugh (2/9)
• he “asks” for help putting his fuzzy slippers on
• this month, in general, he didn’t feel the need to use his familiar words (i.e car) as much, preferring to give a grunt (that we understand) instead
• he understands more & more, and he follows a sequence of verbal directions (i.e. bring mama her shoes..now get the other one..give me a kiss)
• he continues to practice making his own “words” by combining different sounds
• he said “bir” for bird after he saw one & also did the hand sign for bird
• he says “geh k” to refer to skis
• lots of hugs and kisses were given

MOTOR CONTROL

• he tries to turn the lid of his sippy cups instead of just setting the lid over the cap
• he very carefully set his teething tablets & his sippy cup on the night stand (1/23)
• he gets on the balance board himself, stands up, balances there & steps off

On the balance board before bed – February 4, 2016

STARING AT CERTAIN PAGES OF BOOKS

• Go, Dog. Go!–  the page with the dogs on bikes & skates and the page with dogs on scooters & skis
• Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him!–  the page with the boy on a skateboard
• he loves looking at the skate boarders in Eric’s Concrete Wave magazine

Page from Go, Dog. Go! book – January 27, 2016

GO BY CAR

• laughing in the car on the way to grocery shop
• walking around at parks:  Harborview (Everett) & Forest Park (Everett) (1/24)
• outing to Anacortes including a visit to my former workplace & then out for lunch (2/3)
• dining out:  Casa Tequila (1/24), Real Tequila (2/3), Aye Carumba (2/5)
• 1st long car ride when he didn’t nap in the car (2/7)

Harborview Park – January 24, 2016

Playing with a new friend – January 24, 2016

Harborview Park – January 24, 2016

OUTDOOR FUN

• stroller walks
• outside riding the skateboard with Eric (1/24)
• outdoor “roaming” wearing his “backpack bear” leash (without the leash he’s too fast and will repeatedly try to go in the street or other people’s yard) (1st time: 2/10)
• brief ride outside on his new balance bike (with help) while wearing skates (because he’s still too short without) (2/20)

Skateboard ride with Eric – January 24, 2016

First time outside with “backpack bear” – February 10, 2016

HOT TUBBING

• he loves to go in the hot tub and lets us know he wants to do it by pushing on the sliding glass door
• he runs through the house chasing after Eric before Eric & I go outside to get the tub cover off
• he plays with his stacking cups in the tub
• when I let go of him standing on one of the seats, he had noticably better balance (2/19)
• he started to dunk his own mouth/nose underwater, acting brave about it (2/20)

New bike – January 26, 2016

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

• watching the same 6 episodes of “Detectorists” over & over
• looking at himself in the window reflection at home while showing off
• smiling & laughing at videos of himself
• wearing his boots inside all day
• using drum sticks like ski poles
• x-country skiing/skating in the house with his skis/skates, helmet & poles
• downhill skiing down the sloped Aerobed with Eric’s help
• running up & down the sloped Aerobed (with good balance!)
• Eric bounces him on the Aerobed and he loves it
• riding his balance bike in the house with Eric’s help, while wearing his skates (since he’s still too short to stand on it with just boots)
• not only does he get stuff “out” he now puts stuff “back”

WENATCHEE SKI WEEKENDS

• 1/30 – 1/31
• 2/6 – 2/7
• 2/13 – 2/14
• he loves going into Eric’s closet to get all the ski gear out (boots/liners, helmet, gloves)
• he supervises/helps Eric with the boots & liners to get ready for skiing
• he likes to look at the Alta picture on the wall, so we have to get it down for him
• jumping up & down in the bathtub (holding my hands) (2/13)
• Eric takes him on the rope tow, then skis him down (between his legs)
• walking back & forth on the little bridge at the ski area, and going up & down the snow steps
• Paula at the Mission Ridge child care said that Todd’s a sweetheart & that she’s “really fallen for him” ❤ (2/13)

Todd’s favorite things at the “condo house” – January 30, 2016

Ready to ski – January 30, 2016

Skiing down with Eric – January 31, 2016

Mission Ridge ski area – February 13, 2016

BABYSITTER DAYS

• I worked 8 days this month
• when I leave for work Jeri holds Todd & they wave at me from the front window
• on 1/25 I got home from work & he barely acknowledged me, he just threw a fit wanting to stand on the laundry room counter (fortunately this isn’t the norm!)

Babysitter pic – January 25, 2016

Babysitter pic – January 28, 2016

Babysitter pic – February 4, 2016

Babysitter pic – February 11, 2016

FOOD NOTES

• he started practicing using a spoon but needs a lot of help
• he precisely dipped his broccoli into some A1 sauce
• he loves nutritional yeast & likes to eat lots of it plain

Loving the nutritional yeast – February 10, 2016

February 16, 2016

January 24, 2016

DAYTIME NAPS

• he didn’t take a crib nap 1x (he was sick that day), but he napped in the car & on me (2/17)
• frequently he goes to get his pillow blanket out of his crib just before nap time
• crib naps were 1 – 3.25 hours long

Finishing his nap on me – February 17, 2016

NIGHT TIME SLEEP

• miraculously he slept in until 9 AM on the day that I was quite sick (1/21)
• 1x he feel asleep on me in the evening before bed (2/6)
• he woke up in the night 7x this month (more often than past months since he was sick)
• night time sleep duration was ~9.25 – 10 hours (as usual)

At the condo – February 6, 2016

POTTY TALK

• 17 poops were done in the toilet
• 26 poops were not done in the toilet (4x he pooped more in the toilet once I got him there)
• this is an improvement from last month!
• when I wipe his butt he always tips over the step stool by the tub & it cracks me up every time!
• he laughs when I take off his stinky panties and I make a funny face about it