18 month check up

I finally am getting around to updating my blog... and it is due to Nathan's most recent check up at the doctor.  Even though he is well on his way to turning 20 months, his 18 month appointment was 2 days ago.  For some reason these visits sneak up on me! 

Nathan's height registered on the growth chart this time... finally... which was pleasing to hear.  He landed smack on the curve with 7% of the rest of the kids his age.  His weight came in at 23.5 lbs which lies in the 20% range and... his head circumference... 70%.  Funny thing is that his head does not look big but apparently it is.  That just explains I guess why he is so smart!  Everything checked out great... his ears looked awesome which was nice to hear since he battled repeated ear infections in the spring and early summer.  The doctor was also impressed with Nathan's vocabulary and diet.  At the end of the visit, he got 1 shot and it was for Hepatitis A... and as always, he took it like a champ. 

Nathan now is eating a wide variety of foods and can feed himself quite well.  He still prefers to eat with his hands exclusively but time and time again shows interest in the spoon.  He has also taught himself to drink out of a straw so we can share water bottles!  His vocabulary has grown tremendously with the most recent additions being bus, monkey, guerilla, color, and tractor.  Of course you have to really focus and watch his eyes to understand him but he enjoys learning new words and conversing with me whenever possible. 

I can't believe my baby is getting close to potty training age!  My next purchase will be a potty.  This will get interesting...

Kisses,
Toni

15 month check up

Nathan had his 15 month check up today... just a wee bit overdue but better late than never :) He weighed in at 22 lbs, 3 oz which put him in the 15% range and that is great! Last time he was under 3% so I am happy his weight has started catching up. His height is still small... under 3% but last time his height did not even register on the curve! And of course, his head is in the 70%. Big head, big brain! The doctor is not worried about his size because he is staying on course and growing steadily and in proportion. His ears had their final check and the infection is all gone! Woo hoo! The augmentin finally did the job. Thank goodness. He has some fluid in his right ear but the doctor attributed that to the cold he is now fighting. He had 2 shots but took them like a pro. Of course he did not enjoy them but only cried for a short period of time. He took it like a man. The doctor was impressed with his vocabulary. I told her that he says mama, dada, ball, block, apple, book, dog, cat, tree and ruff ruff. Maybe some others. His next check up will be at 18 months.

Kisses!

Toni

Easter!

Easter 2011 was so much fun!! Nathan got his picture taken at Triangle Town Center on Saturday and that was quite an adventure. It seemed the mall had forgotten to turn on the A/C because I was sweating buckets. I guess it didn't help much that Nathan wouldn't stay in the stroller so I was toggling him between my arms and the floor. I had to keep distracting him with people walking by or, my favorite, the giant train that was running through the mall. We were in line for what seemed like hours but realistically was roughly 20 minutes. Once he got in the oversized rabbit's lap, he was in heaven. The trick to get him to smile in the pic was for me to stand behind the camera with his favorite furry friend Sheepy.

 

 

Sunday we had an awesome morning at church. It was great to see almost every seat full!! What a refreshing and spirit-filled service we had. Then later off to my parents house where we ate and ate and ate. Had too much junk on top of real food.

Unfortunately Nathan is teething right now... 4 of those puppies are coming in. That means obscene crankiness on his part. I felt so sorry for him because in the afternoon on Sunday, his mouth was hurting really bad. He was spending time with his hand in his mouth. He's never been much into teething rings... and I had forgotten the orajel and tylenol at home. It's been months since he teethed and now so many are coming through together. As my mom says, this too shall pass. Poor little man :(

 

 

His walking is getting better and better by the day. He likes to hold his arms in the air when he walks so that makes it even cuter. And he has some new words... Apple, Baby, Eyes, Football (or booball), and Papa.

Kisses,

Toni

Video of Knee Walking

This is Nathan walking on his knees. One of the funniest things he does. It's his middle ground between crawling and walking. This little video doesn't have sound but it is cute.

Kisses,
Toni

A few milestones

It's been almost a month since I updated the blog and a few things have happened since then. On March 13th, Nathan took his first steps without assistance. I did not see them but that was bound to happen. He was in the nursery at church. When I went after the service to pick him up, the teachers said that he had been walking all around. I said "by himself" and they said yes. So, they brought him in the hallway, I got down on my knees and gestured for him to come over... and sure enough, he walked. There were about 5 people hovered in the hall because they could tell it was a special moment... the tell all sign was my tears :) Later that day when I went to my parents house, I had my mom and dad come in the living room and watch. They did not know he had taken his first steps and I wanted to show them first instead of just telling them. He still prefers to crawl but his walking improves day by day. Now it's time to hit Stride Rite and get him some good shoes.

Something else that Nathan has started doing as of today is when he is eating, he can put his spoon in the bowl, scoop out food, and get it partially to his mouth. I say partially because most of the food ends up on his face, clothes, or lap but clearly he gets the idea. The meal times are definitely getting messier but it's in a good way. Generally he does not like for me to help with the spoon. In fact, once I start feeding him, he pulls pretty hard on the spoon much of the time to get it away from me :) :) He is getting better with his sippy cup which is also good. I don't need to send a bottle to school anymore. I give him a bottle at night and sometimes in the morning.

He has started stacking things and gravitates towards a set of soft blocks that he has. He and I can sit there and build and build over and over forever and he loves it. Of course his favorite part is knocking them down :) He swings his little arm, knocks them down, and screams. So cute!!

Today I took Nathan to the zoo and it was a ton of fun. Nathan enjoyed the stroll but he wasn't so interested in the animals. I think it is because they were far away and he doens't quite understand yet that he needs to look for them. But it was a gorgeous day and he liked people watching.

Kisses!
Toni

First Haircut

I figured since Nathan will be 14 months old tomorrow...2/21... it was finally time for his first haircut. I took him to Tanas to see my stylist Kym, whom I've gone to since 1998. It was special to have her do this for me. She is pregnant and is due in 4 weeks so it was especially important to get this done before her maternity leave. Nathan did awesome! My mom held him because as always, once my mom grabs hold of Nathan, he doesn't want to come back to me so when we attempted to have me hold him in the chair, he started crying. Once we were all situated and the cut began, he was quiet the whole time and very still. My dad and I were like the paparazzi! Poor Kym, kept having flashes in her face. Nathan started sucking his thumb eventually because he was tired. I had woken him up from a nap to get to Tanas on time so he remained fairly comatosed the whole visit. Enjoy the pics!

Kisses

Toni

The Sweet Sound of Mama

Nathan is now 13 months old and is saying mama. This evolved from nah nah, which I loved dearly. He doesn't say mama all the time but when he does, my heart just melts. It's the cutest sound in the world!! His vocabulary is coming along quite well. His favorite word is cheerios, although it does sound like cheer-i-os but a shorter, baby version. I think Your Baby can Read is actually helping him. When we watch the show, he claps, waves and puts his arms up.

He is spending most of his time in the Toddler room now at daycare. Most of the kids in there are walking, which Nathan is not doing yet. I was worried at first that he would not be able to stand his ground since the kids are bigger and can walk but so far, so good. He even takes his nap on a mat without rolling off! I was amazed when I heard about that accomplishment. He sleeps much better in the Toddler room because they have a set nap time, unlike the infant room which has the babies napping at various times throughout the day. Nathan has a friend in there named Dylan. They are so cute together! Last Friday when I dropped Nathan off, he and Dylan were looking at each other reaching arms out. They were both trying to say the other's name too. Sooooo cute!!

This weekend I will finally get Nathan's first haircut. I am going to my stylist Kym who has done my hair since 1997. I am honored that she will cut his locks first. I will be sure and post pictures from that fun time.

Kisses!
Toni