Nineteen

First I described Austin's age in days, then weeks, and then for the last 16 months or so, I described it in months. For the last month now, I find myself describing him in years, or more accurately, in half years. One and one half. That's not going to change for a while. Well at least a few more months. Then I suppose he'll be almost two. for a few months too. Since how I describe him to others hasn't changed now that he's 19 months old, it feels funny to write this post and take his Pooh picture. But I'm determined to keep doing it so that I remember what each month was really like. Otherwise, I'm afraid this second half of his second year will be nothing but a blur in my memory.

That's why I love making these lists! They record what I know will be lost in my mind! Especially since I started out with the memory capabilities of a goldfish and pregnancy and motherhood have certainly not helped in that area! By the time I'm done having and raising these kids, gosh, I'm going to be nothing more than a mentally challenged goldfish!

Anyway, it's even more fun to look back at these lists now that McKenna is here. I can't help but compare and contrast their personalities and how they've grown. I know I wouldn't be able to remember and do that if I hadn't written things down. I'm so thankful that I did!





New this month....

If I had to pick Austin's most favorite thing to do right now, it would indubitably be puzzles! He is soooo a boy after my own heart! He's been playing with two puzzles for months now, what we call the schizophrenic animal puzzle, (it seriously moos at the most random times!) and a big knob animal puzzle. He just in the last few months has truly figured out how to rotate the pieces and fit them into the spots. Before he would rub them over the spot and if it fell in, great! If not, he would assume it went in another spot and try it somewhere else. Now he knows where each piece goes and figures it out until it fits. So his growing skill and a lack of awareness of the letters of the alphabet led me to get him a small peg alphabet puzzle. I figured it would be way over his head for a while, but that would be a good thing as it would keep him occupied for weeks to come as he figured it out. Um...it took him about 2 days to figure it out. Seriously the only day that he couldn't do it was the very first day. He's had it 1.5 weeks now and he zips through it like it's nothing! He only knows a few letters by name when you ask him but he certainly knows where every single piece goes. The only hesitations are the pieces that fit in another hole and the "M" & the "W". Very teeny hesitations though. It's been so fun to see the progression over the last week and a half! And it's even more fun to see the pride in his face when he knows he just accomplished something pretty great. I hope he's a puzzle boy for a long time. One of my favorite hobbies is doing puzzles, especially doing them with my dad, so it would be such a thrill to get to enjoy that with Austin too!

This month was much better with tantrums. I think a lot of it had to do with McKenna's pending and then actual arrival. He's mostly only naughty now when he's bored. Unfortunately, with as long as it takes McKenna to eat, Austin is bored a lot! So I've been trying to think up ways to keep the poor boy occupied while I can't move. I'll take any and every idea you've got!!

Austin is definitely used to having McKenna around and is already being a great older brother. He's always asking about her if she's not in the room. When I put him in the car first and then go back in the house for her, he signs for her and/or points to her seat to make sure I don't forget her. He will bring her a pacifier (as long as he doesn't put it in his own mouth first) and her blanket when she's crying and once he actually put the pacifier in her mouth. He likes to help me burp her, but I'm not sure if that's cuz he likes to help or cuz he thinks it's funny to hit her!

He's trying to figure out jumping. I think it started with the dancing Easter chick my parents have that sings "If You're Happy & You Know It" that jumps up and down, cuz shortly after Easter I noticed him trying. Mostly it's just bouncing up and down but I think he's getting closer at least.

He FINALLY cut a front tooth on the right! His little smile has been lopsided for so long now. It's still quite lopsided since the tooth just cut, but at least there's a tooth! There is hope! Seriously, I was getting a little worried there.

At his 18 month appointment, he was 23 lbs 2oz (~15%), 33 1/4" (75%), and his head circ was 25%. I'm glad he's gaining a few weight percentiles again. Makes me know I'm feeding him right!

He says "Bye Dad!" He has officially spoken a sentence! It only consists of two words, but it counts! He's still adding words to his vocabulary every week and I think he's getting to be more understandable with the ones he's been saying for a while.

One thing that's not new new but is new for him recently is pushing cars around on the floor. He used to do this when he was crawling but not since he's been walking. Just in the last week or so he's started doing it again. I think it's partly because he saw my cousin's kids doing it last week. But I get the feeling he's doing it less of a mechanical way and more of a role playing way, which usually starts about this age.

Another favorite pastime/game - spinning around in circles. It started out as part of his "dancing" but I think he discovered he can make himself kinda dizzy. He has yet to crash hard, but I'm sure it's coming!