Elijah: 18 months

18 months!

 You have officially lived in Virginia for half of your life now, as your turn one and a half years old today!  We made it through the long winter since my last update, and you are so happy for spring.

 Here are my thoughts of you at 18 months old:

Big Boy:  You really want to be just like big brother.  You refuse to drink out of sippy cups anymore (except in the car, thankfully) and only want cups like brother.  Sometimes you'll watch Sesame Street with your brother now, and you giggle at the different Muppets.  You're mostly just excited to sit on the couch and cuddle with Theo.  When I say it's time to walk the dog you go sit on the stairs to have your shoes put on and try to clip the leash to her collar.  And you insist on holding the leash.  You like to get up on Theo's big bed and jabber through books during story time.

Copy Cat:  You also really want to be just like mama; putting on makeup, drying and straightening hair, cutting/ironing/crafting, reading books, typing on the computer, holding/feeding/loving on your baby doll and cooking.  And cleaning.  Always cleaning.  I think part of it is you always wanting to use all my "fun" toys like the iron, broom, vacuum, hair straightener, and big mixer.  As I write this you are pretending to make waffles with the waffle maker... I am watching closely to make sure you don't plug it in.

Things You Love:  Plugging things in.  Sliding down the slide.  Walking-you are the cutest thing when you get to escape the stroller and walk yourself.  Cooking-you demand on pulling up a chair and standing at the counter every time I cook now.  I think you'll learn to cook before your brother does.  Climbing everything.  Dada-you are so excited when he comes home, you will squeal and demand long hugs.  Animals-you love seeing the cats around the neighborhood, all dogs, and will find all the books and magazines with animals.  The Itsy Bitsy Spider song.  And you still love music, and will dance just about any time we put it on.  Swimming-we were surprised by this when we took you to an open swim a few weeks ago, but you definitely were a little water bug.

Things You Don't:  Sleeping-you still cry most nights when you go to sleep, you just don't want to be alone in your bed.  It about breaks our hearts.  And you still nap in your stroller, pretty much everyday.  You also don't like to talk, still!  You think we are so funny when we try to coax words out of you or make you point to your eyes or your nose or your hair.  I think you find talking useless because you can make your wants so obvious in other ways.  I can't wait to hear your little words come though, and if you're like your brother that will start happening any day now.

15.5 months

16 months

16.5 months

17 months

17.5 months