18 Months

Wow, a 1 ½ year old! I can definitely tell that we’ve entered a new stage. This new stage has its own set of pros and cons (as they all do), but it definitely has been one of the more exhausting stages for us all. The biggest reason is this:



He’s a cruiser! I still can’t believe it when I see it. He had been taking a few little side steps at the window, but then two weeks ago during a physical therapy session, he side-stepped about five feet on a bench. Ever since then, he will grab on to anything and everything he can and cruise around. It’s pretty hilarious to watch. I am so proud of him and so happy for him. The first week or so he was doing this, he would just giggle every time. Too cute. I’ll share more in a separate post about a new stage of his physical therapy progress.

To go with this new found skill, he has already had a ton of bumps and bruises. This kid has no fear, is excited about getting around in a new way, is sometimes overconfident, and is stubborn. Combine all of that together and you get lots of falls and accidents. We’re all a little worn out. :) But, we’ll take it.

We’ve also had several chances this month to turn into a little cycling family. Tate seems to love going on our family bike rides, and I try to not to take it personally when he laughs at me as I ride by on my bike. Maybe it’s the helmet.

He’s already had several visits to the place we joined with the great kiddie pool. He LOVES having the freedom to crawl all around on his own in this pool, which only has six inches of water.

Right now, one of his favorite toys to play with is the Little People barn. The little animals are adorable, but Tate prefers to throw/hurl/fling them off the bench and mainly enjoys the animal sounds the barn makes.

And just to prove that he is a true Texan, he’s already figured out the one-handed “Yee-ha!” on his horse.

One of the best parts of this stage is hearing and watching Tate crack himself up. He loves to laugh, and we love to hear him laugh. The other night before bed, he was realizing how completely and totally hilarious I am. Come on, who else can say “ha” with so much humor?



We’ve also noticed a little more development in his speech. Nothing huge, but more sounds and babbling. He still talks a lot (still very loudly), but we’re able to recognize more and more of his Tateish: Momma, moo, go-go, choo-choo, turtle, and doggie. Most people probably wouldn’t know that was what he was saying, but we're hearing more and more of the differences.

With all of the fun of this past month, we of course had the not-so-fun moments. There was the hospital visit. Here’s a pretty sad and pitiful picture of him the day before he was admitted to the hospital. The towels ended up being utilized, unfortunately.

Tate learned a new high-pitched guttural scream that week (probably during the lovely catheter experience) and has seemed to recall it whenever his diaper is changed or he doesn’t get his way.

And his ability to decide within 2.5 seconds whether or not he likes a food before he takes a bite has even lessened to within 1.5 seconds. This is usually followed by another bout of throwing and screaming. For some reason, we don’t seem to pull out the camera for those Kodak moments.

No matter what, I love this boy. The discipline strategies will always be around for sure, but at the same time, I can’t change that he is a strong-willed, headstrong little guy. I’ve been reminding myself a lot lately to be thankful for his enthusiasm, determination, and excitement. I want to foster and bring out the best in this little person we have been entrusted to raise.