One and One Half!

One and one half years! That honestly just leaves me speechless! I can't believe it's been that long that Austin has been here. He seems ginormous compared to McKenna now. The day before she was born he still seemed like my little baby, but there's very little denying how much he's grown when put side-by-side with her! And when you pick them up! He's heavy!!! Before McKenna was born, I would still rock Austin while standing up to help him calm down for a nap. I tried it again the other day and it feels physically awkward and impossible. I guess I need to get out of denial that my little man is actually growing up. It's just not right though!





New this month...

Obviously he got a baby sister! They are 8 days shy of 18 months apart. He's doing exceptionally well with her. At first he didn't really interact with her, but after a day or so he realized she was staying and starting taking notice. He has "asked" (signs "Baby" with an inquisitive look on his face) about her 1st thing in the morning several times. One night I forgot to have him give her a kiss goodnight and we only made it about 1/2 way down the hall before he reminded me by signing baby. That made my day! We've only had a couple incidents of jealousy but they were very minor - just trying to brush her off my lap. Nothing too aggressive though. He's definitely not as gentle as we'd like but he's definitely getting better. I guess it doesn't occur to a 18 month old that we shouldn't try to step on people smaller than us during tummy time. (Don't worry, he wasn't successful!)

Austin has become an absolute little crazy man! So much energy and so much independence!! At first I thought it was because we were dropping a nap and he was tired all the time. But even well rested, he's just silly and crazy! Not bad necessarily...just loud and fast and silly and fearless! So I don't know if that's just his new personality as a 18 month old or if he's reacting some to McKenna coming/arriving.

With the craziness, we've added tantrums to the mix. Again, I'm not sure if all the change in his life is adding to the problem or if we dealing with normal 18 month old stuff/early terrible twos! Where do they learn tantrums?? We have stomping of feet and rolling on the floor and everything! Thankfully they're mild for the most part, compared to what I've seen other children do! But oh, the whining! And he's being a picky eater again. I'm hoping this is a quick phase!

He's talking even more. My favorite new word is "Juice". He just sounds so cute when he says it! And he says Momma a ton now! Warms my heart! He's added so many other words that I won't bother to list them. He's still not horribly understandable but we get by! One "sign" he's added that makes me giggle is for "water". He smacks his lips when he wants to drink from a water bottle. He's imitating the sound it makes when he drinks. I've tried to teach him the sign for water, but he prefers this!

When he gets frantic and upset for a video (as in when we tell him "no more") he starts making his sign for video with both hands in a way that looks like he's throwing down gang signs. I want to get it on video so I can remember it! I feel bad for the little guy but also find it very amusing when he does it!

He had his first bloodshed. Last Friday he took a mouthful of the coffee table while trying to get off the couch. He used to turn around to get off, but he's learning to slide off frontwards onto his feet. He got a food stuck on a basket though and went face first into the coffee table. He bit a small chunk of his bottom gum out. Thankfully that was it! Why do those things always bleed more than they should and scare the bejeezus out of parents?? He was a toughy though and only cried for a little while. All his teeth are still intact too!

He loves animals! He could play with Boomer or the dog across the street for hours. He loves to chase my parents' cat when he's at their house and thinks it's hilarious that the cat hisses at him. He's gonna get scratched one of these days because that cat is seriously lacking in a sense of humor or patience with Austin. We try to keep them separated, but it is really funny to hear Austin imitate the hissing and then laugh uncontrollably while trying to pet/catch/poke the cat.

He learned to close his eyes. I'm not sure if he could have learned this a lot earlier but it didn't occur to me to teach him until this month! The 1st couple attempts were more like silly cheese faces but he's got it down now.

He cut his molars on the right side finally but he's still missing two front teeth on the right. His eye teeth I think? I'm hoping those come in soon cuz his little smile is lopsided! I think I see the bottom one showing but there's no sign of the top one yet!

He knows how to go down the slide all by himself now! Backwards on his belly. I honestly don't know how he learned that cuz I didn't show him! He backs up to it like he's going to go down the stairs and then just goes for it! I was very impressed the 1st time he did so!

One funny little thing he does that I want to remember...I've started giving him his medicine in pill form rather than dissolving it in a medicine dropper. (Which he loves, btw. Thyroid meds must taste good cuz he always asks for more!) So every day we go into the bathroom to take his meds. We have these little bear figurines on top of the medicine cabinet that he's been allowed to touch with one finger when we're in there. One day I had him give the bears a kiss rather than touch them. So now, every time he takes his meds, he also has to give all 4 bears kisses before we can leave. If I forget, he's pretty insistent!

We're working on coming when called and stopping when I say so. If anyone has any tricks for getting a very independent 18 month old to do these things, I'll take all the advice I can get! I'd love it if I could find a good way to teach him without having to resort to spanking. I'm not against spanking at all, but I'd love him to learn to obey because he wants to and always because he doesn't want a spanking! Prolly too much to ask, right??

But oh, he sure is fun! Even with the craziness and independence, he is a good kid and ridiculously fun! He understands pretty much everything you say and so there's so much interacting he can do now. And his laugh just brightens my day every time! I can't get enough of him. I think I'll keep him, crazies and all!