18-Month Update

In the last three months....

Lucas
Lucas grew 1 inch and gained 1 pound! He is now 35 inches tall (off the charts for height) and 26.13 pounds (65th percentile).

He now says:
momma
dadda
dog
dun-dun (this is for sharks as well as pretty much anything that lives in the ocean)
he mimics the inflection for how we say "bear" (which is his lovey)
all done
woah
wow
hiss (for snakes)
bubble (for bubbles as well as for the bathtub...he also uses it for the pool)
roooaaarr (for lions, tigers, and dinosaurs)
oof-oof (for woof woof)
adoodledoo (for cockadoodledoo)
ooooooo sound for airplanes
hair
hat
hot
this
that
uh-oh
ball
bzzzz (for bees)
go
'side (for inside/outside)
stinky-stinky (mainly for socks but also for general stinky things)
...and working on saying up and down

Andrew
Andrew grew 1 inch and gained .8 pounds. He started walking right at 15-months, so that along with his growth, means he hasn't gained much. Andrew is now 33 inches (75th percentile) and 22.11 pounds (15th percentile).

He now says:
momma
dadda
dog-dog
dun-dun (this is pretty much anything that lives in the ocean but sharks especially- he loves sharks!) all done
aaa-ahhhh (makes a monkey sound for his favorite monkey paci
hiss (for snakes)
roooaaarr (for lions, tigers, and dinosaurs)
moo
meow
eye
hair
hat
hot
go
car
cockadoodledoo
this
that
uh-oh
ball
bzzzz (for bees)
ooooooo sound for airplanes
mimics a sound for an elephant
eee-ooo sound for fire engine siren
mimics the inflection for how we say hug
stinky-stinky (mainly for socks but also for general stinky things)
craw-craw (for crocodile)
...and working on saying up and down

Both
It seems like everyday these boys surprise me with another new word they say, or by following directions I give them and demonstrating how many words they understand. They both sign: milk (for water and milk), eat, all done, sorry, please, and thank you. We are working on signing "potty" in preparation for potty training. They also know the sign for "sleep." They know where their eyes, hair, mouth, teeth, nose, ears, hands, feet, and tummy's are. I'm sure there are other things I am forgetting that they say or do!

The boys looooove water in all forms, being read to, sitting on our laps, balloons, running around, and berries of all kinds. They do not like the crinkly paper at the doctor's office, haircuts, most green vegetables (we are working on that; however, they do like peas), and opinions that differ from their own. Lucas doesn't like elevators, brushing his teeth, or things that move when he can't understand why (for example: a balloon moving around when the fan is on, or stuffed animals that talk because they have batteries). Andrew doesn't like when momma is not available solely to him or when his Cozy Coupe Car gets stuck while he is trying to push it. Lucas seems to especially love all food, and Andrew seems to especially love "talking" and "reading" to himself.

We are currently at one nap per day and still do a bath/bedtime routine every night by 7:30pm. We do three meals per day, with a few snacks in-between, and they drink milk or water. A few months ago we packed away all of their bottles and, honestly, it was a little sad for me. Snuggling them with a bottle at the end of the night was a sweet treat, but now we snuggle up on our bed to read books and I always chuckle at how they like to get cozy on a pillow or up against our side.

This season of entering toddlerhood and saying goodbye to infancy is bittersweet. Each stage has new challenges, things I miss, and things I love. This season requires full energy all of the time: emotionally, physically, and mentally. Each moment is full of meeting needs, teaching, training, chasing in two directions at once, and lifting up or down- sometimes both at once. :)

Stayed tuned for more posts with lots of pictures and videos!