15 Months

Dear Sam,

Today is June 7th, and you are 15 months old!  Fifteen months does not sound babyish enough and instead sounds far too grown.  You can slow down this rapid growing at any time.

At your check-up you weighed 25 pounds 9 ounces and were 32.5 inches long!  You are in the 85th percentile for weight and the 90th for height.  That's 4.5 pounds and two inches more than your sister at that age.  I just told Daddy tonight that you looked like a two-year-old as he was holding you.  You can squeeze into a few 12 month short sets but everything else is 18 months.  You wear a size 4 diaper and a 4-4.5 shoe, but upon further inspection you may need more of a 5.5 shoe.  Oops.

Your eating habits remain basically the same with 3 meals, 1 snack, and a cup of milk first thing in the morning and just before bed.  You would drink milk all day long, so I'm getting used to buying milk by the gallon.  When you're cut off from milk you drink water.  For breakfast you still like pancakes, waffles or oatmeal.  You do not care for eggs.  Aside from carbs, fruit is your best food.  I'm a little more lenient with your food, so you have already tried and fallen in love with grapes and blueberries.  You will now eat deli meat pretty well and a chicken and star pasta Gerber meal, so we finally have a few easy items if we're eating something you can't.  You generally get what we're having, often don't eat it, and fall back on whatever fruit or yogurt we provide.  You are certainly growing so you're getting something from somewhere.  Veggies must be breaded, pureed in expensive fruit and veggie pouches, or hidden in pasta or casseroles.

Your sleep habits have been the same for months, but I'm thinking a change is coming.  Your morning nap continues to be very good and 1.5-2 hours long if we don't wake you.  Your afternoon naps can be touch and go if you sleep very long in the morning.  You'll take a long time to fall asleep, and a few times you've skipped the nap altogether.  My guess is that you'll drop it soon, or I'll take it.  You go to bed at 7 p.m. and wake between 6-6:30 a.m.  Some mornings are earlier, but you're getting better.  We don't start our day until 6:30.  You still sleep in a SleepSack and love Duckie and your sound.

You've added some steps to the mix this month and have taken about 6 at a time.  You still prefer your rapid crawling, but you're taking more steps and using the push toys a ton.  You do not mind crawling all around in the mulch in the play area, but you do not like to be in grass.  I know the walking and running are on the way, and I'm eager to see what you'll be able to do when we go to the beach.  No matter how you do it, you like to move and explore.  If you're off to explore something good, a constant noise is coming out of your mouth, and if you are on hard floors there's the steady slap of your hands.  You won't sneak up on anyone anytime soon.  You still just love to play with a variety of toys and move from one thing to another.  Some favorites are the house phone, balls, the play kitchen, my bath tub faucets, and the outside playhouse, water table, tiny slide, and swing.  Your favorite books are anything peekaboo like Karen Katz, and you love the book Tons of Trucks.  "The Hot Dog Dance" is still your best song and causes you to dance dance every time.

Talking is fun and new, but with an extremely chatty sister it's hard to get any words in.  You say {in a way that may be only understandable to me} thank you, bye-bye, uh-oh, cheese, I see you, hello, eat eat, shoe (shh), Doodie (D), Daddy, and Mama (but not quite to call me).  You talk a ton in your own language and are good expressing your desires when words can't be found.  You point, grunt, reach, fuss, and move my hand to what you want me to do.

I'm not sure if it's the boy, the 2nd child, or just your personality, but you are picking up things so quickly and getting into things just as fast.  We've already fished magnets out of the trash can and dog food out of your mouth.  You try to put the lens cap on my camera and want to write with anything pointy.  Avery just realized that she should try to opened closed doors and still has trouble with the knobs.  You are already jiggling them.  You think you are a pro and punching in the combination for the alarm and putting the garage doors up and down.  You don't mind being held, unless you want to get down, and you are wanting to rock and cuddle more and more

Sam, I could never explain the joy you bring into our lives.  From your infectious giggle to your smiley eyes, you light up our world each day.  My heart is so happy when you play and laugh with your sister, and my heart stops when you lay your head on my shoulder.  I could rub your head and kiss your cheeks all day long, and sometimes I do.  God knew we would need an extra dose of love, laughter, and magic this year, and he sent it in perfect form in you.  We thank Him for you each day and give thanks that we have been entrusted with you.

We love you to bits and pieces!
Mommy and Daddy