Heather Feather: 18 Months Old: What a Difference 6 Months Can Make

I should have kept up on my monthly blogging with Emerson. I figured not too much would happen between 12-18 months, but boy was I wrong!

Walking, talking, running, swimming, playing, eating....everything has developed and changed.

Here is a brief breakdown:

Sleeping: Sleeps 11-12 hours at night with no night wakings. Naps have been hit or miss the past 6 months. One month he is a great, predictable napper then the next he is all messed up. I am sure all of our traveling and changes had nothing to do with it ; ) For several months we have been stuck in this "two naps is too much sleep and one is not enough" phase. Some day's I try and let him only take one nap and others I can barely keep him awake past 10 a.m. However, just in the past few weeks, Emerson seems to be good with just one nap around 12/1 p.m. Maybe this time his nap schedule has changed for good.

Eating: Somewhere around 13-15 months he started becoming more of a picky eater. Still a great eater, just more particular about what I put in front of him. And it feels like every week is different. One day he loves blueberries then he will go on a strike for a whole month and not eat any. The one main food that has remained his consistent favorite has been bananas. And his favorite meal time is breakfast. As far as veggies go, they don't exist in his little world. He does eat green beans, otherwise I am trying to sneak the veggies in anyway I can.

Activity: Oh boy, this department has certainly changed. He started walking at 15 months and has been running since about 15.5 months : ) He is fast too! I really can't let him get too far ahead of me anywhere we go or else I am sprinting to catch up (or so it feels). Currently he is pretty good about holding my hand when we are out walking, but it usually doesn't last long. He loves to kick, stomp, spin around in circles and walk backwards (all recent developments, in the past month). He has always liked peek-a-boo when we played with him, but now he likes to cover his own eyes and play. And ever since we moved into our new house with a pool, he loves to swim and has become fearless! A little too fearless for my liking, we are working on getting a pool gate up so I can finally be able to sleep peacefully at night.

Doctor visit stats:

Weight: 25 lbs 7 oz
Height: 33 inches

Likes, dislikes and other milestones:

Can talk up a storm of words; Bible, cross, apple, choo-choo, clock, flower, cat, tree, play, oh yeah and please are among my favorite to hear
Says "mmm" or "gilk" for milk. Took him a while to like cows milk, but now he loves it
Says his own version of "amen." I can't even replicate it.
Took his first plane ride with just momma at 13 months. Not sure I will try that again for a long time
Loves to ride the carousel
Learned to clap his hands at 13 months
Fully weaned from nursing around 13 months old.
First haircut at 14 months old
Smacks his lips
Knows most of his body parts (eyes, nose, toes, feet, hands, head, mouth, tongue, belly)
Likes to read and pick out his own books now
Loves to swing
Knows how to brush his teeth and hair
Loves to say "hi" to everyone he sees, even people on TV
Has 16 teeth, last ones to go are his two-year-old molars
Dislikes being dropped off at Play School, but tolerates just fine once he is there
Understands hot vs. cold
Dislikes having to come inside after playing inside...this boy would live outside if we'd let him
Dislikes pretty much all veggies
Dislikes being told "no" (but then again, who doesn't?)
Likes to color and gi8ve hugs to his stuffed animals