Here's all my thoughts and feelings about the big 1.5 mark:
The biggest change I've noticed is in myself: It's safe to say that I officially feel 100% confident with leaving him overnight (or two, or three) with a sitter. If I had or wanted to, I would feel completely ready to go back to work and leave him all day, and I feel if I were to pop out another baby at this exact moment, I would be able to handle two.
Peyton is 100% toddler now and I'm sure that has everything to do with why I'm feeling this way. He's hit all of his major milestones that you just don't wanna miss, he's independent enough to where he can feed himself & tell you what he wants, and is mobile enough to where I don't have to worry about him rolling off the couch, falling backwards when sitting, etc. (i.e. I could drop him off at the gym daycare and not have to worry if the 18 year old caretaker is watching his every move... because you know they aren't... :)) Yes, along with this independence comes a different side of danger, like opening the front door and taking off down the street, but he's not as fragile as he once was, and with that comes a sigh of relief (and some major tears).
Okay, onto the details of what the Peytor Gator is doing!
He had his 18 month appointment today and his stats were:
Height: 35" (98%)
Weight: 28lbs, 3oz (75%)
Head: 19" (65%)
And this is what that looks like (promise he's a happy boy):
I like to see his height continue to be near the 100th percentile. I like me a tall, handsome boy! =) Doc said he is healthy and looking good. We talked about potty training readiness. It'll be awhile, but I have seen some signs like - pointing to his diaper when it's soiled, pooping in private (usually under the table), when I say poop or pee, he'll point to his diaper, and definitely finds pleasure in watching mommy and daddy use the toilet. Also, if I say, "let's go change your diaper," he'll head upstairs (*or shake his head no, haha).
As of the last month, Peyton has discovered the TV. He never had any interest in TV until then. However, he's only interested in Baby Einstein videos (or Family Guy, ha). He'll pick up the remote, say "more", walk to the DVD player and hit the buttons, until I give in put it on. I'm glad it took this long for him to want to watch TV, but I also know he shouldn't be watching TV until 2 years old (and as I learned today, especially Baby Einstein videos! oops! The reason is, is the AAP says it's worse for your toddler to learn via TV as opposed to one-on-one and books (duh). So if I'm still reading to him and offering plenty of one-on-one time, then it's okay. And of course, I am. There, it's justified. :) But I will try to delete it from our days for the next 6 months nonetheless.)
Peyton's sleep schedule is fabulous. He sleeps on average from 8pm- 8am at night and a 3 hour nap from around noon - 3pm. Lately he's been taking almost 4 hour naps, and I live by the saying "sleep begets sleep." This saying has always proven true from the day he was born.
He's becoming more picky with what he eats and still won't eat any meat. He doesn't finish off his milk like he used to, and probably drinks around 18 oz a day. He loves water and has never had juice. He wears 2T perfectly, with 3T around the corner. He has ALL of his teeth in but his 2 year molars (and the kid won't eat meat!) He's still pretty timid at times when I think most 18 months aren't - for instance, he likes to play on the playground at the park, but he won't climb up the slide or really go anywhere without me there. I don't wanna be a helicopter parent and enable this, but I also know he can't play on the playground without me being right there (safety reasons.)
Animal noises he makes:
duck
bear
cow
bird
snake
pig (our personal fav)
horse (a very close second)
lion
cat
frog
dog
monkey
He can point to his:
head
ears
nose
eyes
tongue
teeth
mouth
cheeks
chin
hands
knees
feet
toes (wiggle them)
and... wiener. :)
(*Notice when asked where his eyes are, he blinks. He usually points to them, which cracks me up. He also sticks out his tongue when asked.)
It takes no time for him to learn something. Steve just showed him how to do a touchdown with his arms, and the next night Steve said, "Peyton! Touchdown!" and he did it. Blew both of us away. The doc said at 18 months they know almost everything you say, and between now and 24 months we'll see a drastic improvement in him being able to communicate back. He'll start putting two words together, etc.
Peyton's so much fun right now, but boy is he a handful. This is by far the most physically exhausting part of parent hood I've experienced thus far. He doesn't sit still, there's always a mess to clean / toys to pick up, and he's no longer content on his play mat in the living room - you've got to keep him entertained and it's draining! But... boy is it fun. :)
"The fundamental job of a toddler is to rule the universe."
-Lawrence Kutner
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