Parker at 15 months

Oh boy, time is Just Flying.  I cannot believe that my baby is a toddler.  There are so many little details I haven't really gotten a chance go chronicle.  Milestones, every day stuff. Poor second child.

Just shy of his first birthday, he was known to walk on his knees, and even jump on them. Walking started a few weeks after his first birthday, and he made incredible progress while we were camping in July (13+ months). He's now trying to run.  In August, he made the transition from the infant room to the Toddler 1 (T1) room at daycare.  That meant leaving Ms. Kathy behind (his biggest fan, and the first person he ever left my arms out of preference to get to her!)  Moving up to T1 also meant a change from two naps a day to one... and a lot more independence.  The toddlers sit at teeny short tables to eat their meals (instead of high chairs), and go outside a lot more often, usually in a wagon.  They do get to play at some of the playgrounds - his favorite is "the bike playground" which is a large courtyard with an oval sidewalk.  The courtyard contains tricycles and several "cozy coupes" and other outdoor push and ride-on toys.  But they also walk to the duck pond and feed the ducks and swan.  He, like his sister, loves to be outside;  aht (out) is probably his second most common word, after bah (ball).  He adores books, but if you pull out a board book when he's got a paper book in his hand, he will grab the board book, shake his head nah! and throw it. He wants the big kid book. Or, rather, he thinks he does, because once you start reading, he'll announce ah dah! (all done) and head off for another one.  He will sit through most board books, though, and that's a favorite part of the bedtime routine.  He's starting to dance to music which is adorable.

Parker definitely goes through typical toddler food jags: Some days he'll eat a ton, others, not so much.  He loves to eat tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, steak, pasta, mac n cheese, hot dogs, burgers, asparagus, bell peppers, pickles, most fruits.
He does not care much for chicken or chicken nuggets. When given mixed vegetables, he will eat (in this order) green beans, peas, carrots, corn.

Words (in addition to these) have been increasing, too.
buh-boo: bubbles
mah: more
aht: eat
aht: out (meaning outside)
nih-nih: night-night
ahp: up
dah: down

baba: sippy or a paci: anything he sucks on
shoos: shoes
dut: duck
gop gop gop: what a duck (or most any animal) says
dah: dog, or cat... most things with 4 legs
oofff: what a dog says
maaaaah: what a cow says
duh-dee: thirsty
buut or buuk: book
pees: please
dih-do: thank you
uh-kuh: you're welcome
mai: mine
see?: self-explanatory, accompanied by pointing
ah-woah: hello
bee-bee: baby
miuk: milk

Today I was actually floored when he put three words together as we got in the car to go to the doctor's office:   Mah.... buut.... pees? He was reaching for a texture book about dogs, and also doing his version of the please sign.

He loves to imitate:

And it's so great that he can participate in some of Maia's favorite activities too.

 

He's definitely realized he has an opinion of his own, and we currently live in the land of "Nah!" It is the answer to everything, even if he really means yessch.   But he's a happy, sociable kid.  This week both the pediatrician and his teacher (who previously taught Maia) have commented on that.  His teacher also commented on how he has a similar angry reaction to his big sister: balled up fists, he starts to shake, he turns red/purple and starts to scream!  Apparently some mannerisms between the two are also similar, but why wouldn't they be? They have the same models!

I can't believe you put me on this girlie pink tricycle, mom!

Fortunately, his tantrums are generally short lived, at the moment... and they're at the point where they're pretty funny to the observing adult. Oh, you want me to walk across the room and pick up that paci that is literally 2 inches from your hand so that you don't have to get it yourself or you're going to scream and turn purple. Okay. Let me know when you're done. 


There's so much more I could say about Parker... but it'd probably be better if I just blogged a little more frequently.  Here are the stats:
24.1 lbs, which is the 44th percentile
30 1/2 ", which is about the 30th percentile.  That also supposedly means he hasn't gotten any taller since his 12 month exam. Or they may have measured him a little long at the 12 month, and he's only grown 1/4-1/2."  I think the latter scenario more likely.  That said, 1/4-1/2" isn't much, so I'm expecting we'll see a little growth spurt here, soon.
Clothes: 18 months (although pants are a bit long at the moment)
Shoes: 4 infant/toddler
Teeth: 12; 4 front up, 4 front down, 4 molars. Eye teeth are coming soon!
Hair: Straight as a pin and red. Also in need of a cut!
Eyes: blue
Ears: still healthy with tubes in place, functioning and clear. Yay!
Paci: Addicted. One in the mouth, upside down. One in the hand at bedtime. Not being first time parents, and having a dreaded finger sucker in the family already... we have opted to let the paci go... for the time being. He's not ready to get rid of it.  We're not ready to deal with him without it.
Smile: Contagious.