18 Months with Tommy

Tommy is now 18 months old. Does that make him officially a toddler or is he still allowed to be my baby? I see pictures of him from this time last year and cannot believe how much he's grown and changed in that short time. He is amazing, he is wonderful, he is my favorite little person in the world. He is wild and loud and rough and rambunctious. He is sweet and snuggly, feisty and funny!

I thought I’d do a little update like I used to do monthly just to have a record of all the Tommy-isms from this season of life. I know I’ll be so glad I did this whenever Tommy has a sibling and I’m trying to remember what to expect for this fun and hilarious season. Plus I never want to forget how he squeezes his eyes closed tight when he's really happy, or how he twiddles his fingers and raises his fist above his head when he hears itsy bitsy spider.
Weight: 26lbs. Of course after the 100zillionth “up” of the day he feels more like 50lbs but for some reason I don’t seem to be getting any stronger lifting all this dead weight, just more achy.

Height: 32.2 inches (he’s now more than half my height....)

Clothing size: 18-24 months, some 2T

Diaper size: 5 but only in Pampers Pure. Just a little PSA that not all diaper sizes are the same even in the same brand. I accidentally let myself run out of diapers (again) and had to quickly pick up the only pack available which was Pampers Baby Dry in size 5 and he woke up soaked through! And so I held one up next to the Pampers Pure and the Baby Dry was soooo much smaller even though they claim to be for the same weight range.
Milestones: I truly think he understands everything I say. It’s incredible to see him learn and definitely makes me more and more mindful of how I speak in front of him. He follows directions so well (when it pleases him) and he now says quite a few words of his own: Mama, Dada, up, ball, football, touch down, good throw (he is his father's son), all done, sit down, light, hot, please, thank you, Alexa (luckily she doesn’t respond to his particular pronunciation...). He is also getting better and communicating what he wants by pointing and getting very excitable and also sometimes by screaming, He makes lots of adorable animal sounds, my favorite being his loud and exaggerated BAAAAA for sheep.

His skills with a spoon and fork are also really coming along which means I might get to just feed myself at mealtimes soon. He also has 8 teeth with 4 more big ones trying to work their way through. He can now climb up onto our kitchen chairs and loves to sit there like a big boy. Climbing in general is a favorite past-time and just one of the fun ways he keeps me on my toes.
Eating: Our last time nursing was on December 10th and while I had to pump for a little bit longer after that date, we are (both) fully weaned. And while he occasionally still sticks his hand down my shirt it was a very easy transition for him (emphasis on "for him" I'm still not over it). He now gets whole milk in a sippy cup, ideally at breakfast lunch and dinner, though he sometimes takes his time with it casually throughout the day along with water. Now that he has more teeth he pretty much eats what we eat. For breakfast he either has a frozen waffle with peanut butter, or oatmeal, or whatever cereal I’m eating that looks more interesting to him and fruit.  For lunch we do a lot of pb&j’s, grilled cheese, yogurt, sliced turkey and cheese, pita with hummus, and of course more fruit. He LOVES fruit and I often catch him trying to tear his way into a clementine with the peel still on. For dinner boy loves his meat so if we’re having chicken or pulled pork, meatballs, you name it, he is all about it! He also loves mac n cheese, cottage cheese, potatoes, beans. I've had a bit of a harder time getting him excited about any vegetables so I also give him pouches with more greens from time to time and hide shredded zucchini and carrots in these chicken meatballs I make pretty much weekly.
Sleeping: Tommy is still a great little sleeper. He gets up around 7:30am and then goes down for a 3 hour nap around 12-12:30 and amen and hallelujah for that! He goes down for bed around 7:30pm. Easy peasy. He is still sleeping in his crib and using a sleepsack and he cuddles with his Hudson bear. I was worried that our sleep routine wouldn't be a sweet and snuggly once we stopped nursing but I love our little snuggle time. We read a couple books, sing a couple songs and rock and cuddle while he sucks his thumb.
Favorites: I think his first true favorite that almost goes without saying is his undying love for all the balls. Baseballs, footballs, Hunley's tennis ball, pieces of paper balled up. You name it, he throws it!  His favorite books lately are More More More and Are You My Mother, which was an all time favorite of mine when I was a little one so I am happy to read it to him again and again and again and again... He loves to give hugs and cuddles and says "awwwww" every time he leans his head down. He runs full speed, arms flung and throws himself on me or T.J. or Hunley. Two out three appreciate the love, I'll let you guess which one is less than enthused. His favorite toy is the Roomba and now that he's figured out how to turn it on and off himself it has become the background soundtrack of my life and I have to hide it in the garage when he's not looking so Mama doesn't lose her mind.

He loves grabbing fistfuls of dog food and flinging them about wildly and then immediately sticking his thumb in his mouth. Blech! He is my little helper though and eagerly puts his shoes away on the steps when we come inside from a walk, or he will throw things away in the trash for me while I'm making dinner. Of course he also likes to take things out of the trash hence his nickname "trash panda." He is very interested in other little kids and he happily plays in the church nursery which is thrilling and means I get a little adult time during the week.  He thinks Hunley is his best friend.... the feeling is not mutual but Hunley is mostly very patient with him. He loves long walks as long as he has snacks. And he stomps his feet excitedly and runs about when he sees his Daddy getting home from work. He is becoming much more opinionated and dare I say strong-willed.  Just when I think he's going to drive me crazy and I'm looking at the clock for bed time, he comes in for a cuddle and melts my heart.

Comments

  1. Most precious tiny human ever xo

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  2. I smiled all the way through this sweet update!! Thank you!!

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