Happy 18 Months!

Weight: 25 lbs. 15.5 oz (let's just say 26 lbs.)...72nd percentile
Height: 35.25 inches (just shy of 3 feet??)...above 97th percentile
Head: 19 in...89th percentile

This child has had a major growth spurt in the past three months!  He's still in size three diapers and will be for a little while longer because he's so lean, even though the suggested weight limit on the diaper box for size three is 27 pounds.

His favorite thing to do is still "cooking," whether it's pretend or helping out.  It's become a regular thing to make pancakes together on the weekends, and he loves dumping in the ingredients and mixing.

Cooking packets of tea

He graduated to a toddler forward-facing car seat last week.  We had a Chicco 30 pound car seat that we've used since the beginning, but Weston's way too tall for it now.  I know, the new recommendations are to keep them rear-facing until they're at least two, but this is what we could swing right now.  I think he enjoys the new view in the car.

He melts my heart on a daily basis, but the other night was a good one.  When he's ready to go upstairs for his bath, I always tell him, "Say 'Goodnight, Dada.' " as we head up.  He usually responds and says it, along with a super cute wave.  I also tell him to say the same thing to me when I put him down in the crib.  Well, last night as I was putting him in the crib, he said all on his own in an adorable sleepy voice, "A-night, Mama."  

Sigh.  Makes a mom forget about all the food thrown on the floor, the endless mess of toys downstairs, the crying, the early morning wake ups, etc.

He's also repeated some not-so-desirable phrases, which is always really funny, and I know I'm not supposed to laugh.  But, there's something so cute about hearing a toddler try to say, "Oh, shit!"

We've also got continued good news on the lead poisoning front.  His latest lab work shows a 6.8 μg/dL, which is nearly a 10 point drop from when he first was diagnosed back in May.  We have the lead abatement work currently being done on the outside of the house, and once they're finished with that, they'll begin their work indoors.  Thanks to a grant through the city of Cincinnati, we're able to get the work done so that we're not in some horrible financial situation.


I had to take down the sign on the front door on Halloween so that we'd get some trick-or-treaters, and I've not put it back up:

One of three bright yellow signs on our property...

Happy 15 Months!

Height: 33 in (90th percentile)
Weight: 23 lb. 9 oz (35th percentile)
Head circumference: 47 cm (40th percentile)

All of a sudden, time is going by really quickly as I watch Weston grow up.  After his appointment this morning, I had to schedule his next check-up, and I said, "I need to make an appointment for his 15-month physical."  The receptionist said, "You mean 18-month?"  I replied, "No, 15-month--oh wait, yeah, 18-month..."

Eighteen months sounds...old.  That's halfway from one to two.  I'm not ready for that.

He's already running through the house, and imitates just about everything I do, including talking on the phone.  It's hilarious.  His favorite thing to do is play cooking, and that's when the pots and pans come out of the cabinets.  I put them away about three times a day.  I've contemplated getting him a kid kitchen set, but what's the point?  He loves cooking with the real stuff, so we'll go with it.

One year ago in his bouncy chair...

 Here are some shots from our vacation last week up in Northern Michigan:

It took him awhile to get used to the lake

My little man

After a fun afternoon on Lake Huron

What the What??!? Happy 1st Birthday!

Height: 32 in (96th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs. 8 oz (30th percentile)
Head Circumference: 47 cm (70th percentile)

It's funny to think that a year ago Weston wasn't much more than a newborn pile, barely able to hold his head up.  Now he walks around everywhere, says "nana" for banana, and can shove a toothbrush into his mouth when I ask him to brush his teeth.

Cooking a birthday breakfast

Washing his face in a puddle

We went out to dinner to Weston's favorite restaurant, Dusmesh.  He loves Indian food for some reason.  However, I do not love his diaper the following day...

He got a doll from Grandma and Grandpa, and it was so cute to watch him check it out after I took it out of the box.  He feeds her with the spoon and gives her drinks of milk out of her sippy cup.

Checking out her face

A thirsty baby...

My good friend Molly came in for the weekend from Pittsburgh, and she baked a chocolate cake for the Birthday Boy.

Safety First: He lets us know that the match is hot several times while we sing (we didn't have candles).  He knows the sign for "hot" and he makes a good effort at signing it while he stares at the candle.




He wasn't sure about the cake experience at first, but as you can see at 0:29, he successfully guides a giant chunk of cake into his mouth.

Our little creation

Finally here's a video of him walking around.  He's pretty confident, and now that he realizes that he can carry something in his hands and walk, it's a much better alternative to crawling.

Happy Eleven Months!

This past month has been busy!  We're getting settled in our new home while trying to baby-proof...  Nate's mom and her husband came to visit last weekend, and now my mom is here.  Weston's been testing out his first steps, too!  He took his first steps on March 18, and these past few days, he's been experimenting with walking.  He's gotten about 6 steps in before toppling over.

He also did his first sign yesterday: more!
I don't mean to act like a zookeeper trying to get my little mammal to do tricks as I throw him chunks of fruit, but it was the only way to get him to do it so I could video it.

Seven teeth

It was also time to give Weston his first haircut.  His bangs were down past his eyebrows.  Right before bath on a warm 75 degree day, three adults attempted to cut his hair.  My mother was the stylist, Nate held him, and I photographed while trying to distract him.  What a chore.  It turned out pretty good--we had to touch up the front the following day.

Happy Ten Months!

Weight: 21 lbs. 8 oz.
Height: ~31 in.

Weston's enjoying our new house, especially the stairs...  We didn't have stairs at our apartment, so they are quite an attraction. We have a nice little park near by, and we've gone many times since we've moved here.  He loves watching all the kids run around, and he's even made a friend, Ruby, a little girl who's about 5 months older than he.  She can walk and frequently comes over to pet Weston's head.  It's adorable.

The same six teeth that he got when he was 6 months old...nothing new since then

We're pretty sure that his word for "water" sounds something very similar to "daughter daughter."  He only says "mama" when he's crying, but will say "dada" all the time.

 Oh!  Did I tell you that he's been sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks now???!!??  That will be another post all on its own, but I feel like a new woman.

Going after the keys

His latest thing is holding a ball in his hand for most of the day.  He crawls around with it in his fist, making him look like he's got a peg leg.

Happy Nine Months!

As much time out of the oven as he spent time in the oven...

Height: 30 1/3 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 20 pounds even (40th percentile)
Head circumference: 45.5 centimeters (50th percentile)

I love this kid.  Regardless of the fact that he still won't sleep through the night (and that's okay and normal), he makes me laugh on a daily basis.  His first word is definitely "da-da."  When I ask him, "Where's Dada?", he looks around for Nate, and when he sees him, he very quietly says, "Da-da...Da-da...Da-da."

He's getting very good at pointing to nose and ears when we ask, "Where's Mama's nose/ears?"  He'll even do it to some of the animals in his books.  He can point to the coconuts in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom when we ask.  He's a pro at turning pages when we say, "Turn the page", although he'll get excited and just start turning pages before we say to.

Weston's refining his palate, too.  Within the past few weeks, I've been amazed at how he can maneuver his tongue to spit out one chunk of pear in a mouthful of cottage cheese.  I'm not sure why he doesn't like pears as of late, but I hope that stops soon.

It's been 2 1/2 months since his last tooth came in.  He drools like crazy still, but there are no signs of anymore chompers.  And man, can that kid bite!  He drew blood on my finger last week, and my shoulder has a steady set of red imprints on it.

Happy Eight Months!

Eight months by the numbers:

• What I can't believe: that it's 2012
• Weston's percentage of the way to 1 year old: 66.7% 
• Height: ~29 inches
• Weight: 19 1/2 lbs.
• Diapers used: 1,344 diapers (can that really be true??  ~6 diapers a day x 7 days a week x 32 weeks)
• Diaper size: Holding steady at a size 3 Pampers
• Plants eaten: 0
• Plant leaves torn off and ready for mouth: at least 10
• Times slept through the night (no waking up from bedtime to wake up the following morning): 2
• Average number of times he wakes up in the night: 1.2
• Favorite time of the day: 6:00 pm--BATH TIME!
• Boxes of Cheerios consumed: still working on his 1st box
• Pajama size: 12 months
• Hours spent Skype-ing with family members: at least 4
• Top 2 Skype-ers: the Grandmas
• Average time occupied with the vacuum cleaner: about 10 minutes
• Time interested in his other toys: < 1 minute
• Interest level (1-10) with the dishwasher, cords, plants, an open refrigerator, lights, and toilet paper: 11
• Time I've spent winding toilet paper back on the roll: enough to permanently relocate it OFF of the dispenser
• Naps taken per day: 2 (very rarely will take 3)
• Teeth: 6
• Times I've been bitten while he's nursing: 2
• Eyes: 2 beautiful baby blues
• Nose: 1 Polish button
• Smiles: too many to count

Testing out blueberries (and loving his mommy)

Telling me how much he loves me!

Seven Months!

"Seven months, really?  How did that happen?  We kept him alive for seven months?  Really?"

This was Nate in reference to our joint disbelief at the fact that our little man has somehow made it through this long.

He's about 18.5 pounds and pushing 29 inches (or perhaps taller--it's ridiculously difficult to measure an infant).  Six teeth, tons of hair, pulling himself up on everything, beginning to cruise on furniture, eating plants and power cords, getting about 90% of Cheerios in his mouth, a growing fascination with lights and their switches, and so much more.

Grandma came to visit!

Look at those teeth (and chubby cheeks)

About to eat my shoelaces

Classic--morning coffee while trying to control the baby

Surrounded by all his toys 

My little conductor

Baby on a Mission

 Yup. Found him in his crib last night standing up, holding on to the rails and crying. Next task: learn how to get down.

Autumn Fun

Wow, October has been an exciting month for my little man--first tooth, almost crawling, solid foods... The other day, he experienced his first ridiculous Halloween costume.  I came home to him half-dressed in what was going to be his Halloween costume (a hand-me-down bonus):

Bat Boy

Unfortunately, like so many other clothing items that Weston has, it's too small.  He's almost outgrown his 9 months pajamas, and I'm going to have to do another round of putting clothes away and pulling bigger ones out.  It amazes me how fast babies grow.

Here he is earlier in the day, rocking a few downward dogs and babbling about ma-ma and ba-ba:


Today we went to Devou Park in Covington and snapped a bunch of pictures of our baby boy.

First swing ride at the park

Ready for a nap after the fresh air

Like father, like son

Overlooking Cincinnati

Adios, Breast Milk Poo

Hello, sweet potatoes, bananas, and avocados!  We started Weston on solids a few days ago and, wow...it really was nice changing simple diapers for the past 5 and 1/2 months.  Now they're a lot more--shall we say--complicated?  And stinkier?

He absolutely loved the sweet potatoes I gave him (and that I made!).  It wasn't that difficult to feed him from a spoon, either.  He opened up, made a few "What the *@$# is this?" faces, and then swallowed like a champ.  Then he promptly opened up for more.

Steaming Honeycrisp apples

Puree on!

Ready to go in the freezer

Loving the sweet potatoes, but a bit confused about the food source 

Such a big boy!

Why do they always grab at the spoon?

I was really, really hoping that feeding him solid foods would help him sleep through the night, but, nope.  No such luck.  He's still waking up at least once to be fed.  He sometimes wakes up twice, but I've been letting him cry himself back to sleep.  Two weekends ago he slept from 7pm to 5am, woke up, fed, and then went back to bed until 7:30am.  That's the longest stretch we've ever had.

Dear Tooth Fairy...

Somebody cut his first tooth today!!  I noticed the bud on Tuesday after what was a unusually difficult day--weird naps, diaper rash, crabbiness.  And 48 hours later--viola!--we have our first tooth.  It's the lower left one.  I hope the rest of his teeth are as easy as this first one was.

Can you see it?

Can you see it now?

Rocking the sippy cup

Already?

As is becoming our little custom, I came home from work this afternoon to a smiling baby boy sitting with Dad on the porch.  I kissed both of them hello, and as soon as Nate ended his phone call, he told me to "Come see this."

He put Weston on the bed, and he helped him get his legs tucked under his body.  Of course, Weston wasn't interested in showing off his new trick, so Nate had to fill me in on the details...He pushed himself up onto all fours and rocked back and forth a bit before he toppled over.

Already?  He's not even five months old (although he will be in a couple of days).

I did get to see this amazing feat this evening before bath time.  I was quite impressed.  Nate was able to capture it this afternoon:

Happy Four Months!

I'd have official stats for you, but baby hasn't been for his four-month check up since we've moved.  Insurance at the new job doesn't kick in until next month, so we might have to visit the health department and get his second round of immunizations there.  Anyway, until I can get an official height and weight, Weston is 16 pounds, 14 ounces!  Holy crap.  It's still close to the 75% percentile curve that he's been following.  I have given up trying to measure his height because it's different every time.

Look at those thighs...

Weston's adjusting well to all the changes that have been going on.  Nate's done with a week of being a stay-at-home dad/ start-up business dude/ and unpacker of the apartment.  He generally looks exhausted and relieved at the same time when I get home from work.

I haven't worn my contacts in months

Baby has been sleeping pretty well at night, going to bed between 6:30 and 7:30 and sleeping for about 8 hours.  He's been getting up at 6am (and sometimes earlier!) and I have a pretty good feeling he doesn't really care what a weekend means to an adult.  That's fine. Having gone back to work, I relish every single moment I get to spend with him.  I love coming home from work and nursing him and then putting him down for a late afternoon snooze.  I even enjoy getting up at 3am to feed and cuddle with him.  He's super cute in the morning because he babbles and babbles and is super content.  I put him in his seat on the kitchen floor and he hangs out while I cook and eat my breakfast.

So close to sitting up all by himself 

Learning to pet Mabel gently and not grab at her fur

I'm not sure how I'm going to break his swaddle habit.  I feel like I should start on a Thursday night because it might be a little rough in the night sleeping department.  I think going cold turkey might be the best route, but who knows.  I bought the Miracle Blanket on a recommendation from another blogger mom (thanks, Melissa!) when Weston was almost 3 months old.  I cannot believe I waited that long to get one because they are the absolute best.  Weston was busting out of his swaddles regularly (and I am a damn good swaddler) at that point and I needed something that was akin to a straight jacket.  And the Miracle Blanket is just that--a warm and fuzzy baby straight jacket.  However, Weston is regularly busting out of that these days, so I think it's a good sign he's ready to be free.