A Letter to Carter at 18 Months

My little angel baby, I love you so much and this has been a wonderful month.  We've gotten to spend half the month home together and it has been the absolute best.  You are the sweetest little guy and such a tough little daredevil.  You aren't afraid to try things, but typically try them out with help first to gauge whether you can do them on your own or not.  We've been taking walks at Turkey Mountain, a real rocky and hilly trail course, and you love going up and down the hills.  The first time you traverse a hill, you want to hold my hand to test it out.  Once you have an idea of what it's like, you'll try it on your own.  The same went for the tape tunnels at the Children's Museum.  I love that you are daring but also thoughtful enough to get help on your first try.

I had an easier time taking your pictures this month.  I'm used to getting home after daycare and attempting to take pictures when you are tired and fussy.  Today I took them in the morning when you were in a good mood.  You were having a blast running up and down the hallway so most of your pictures were taken while you were doing that.  Daddy came in and helped entertain you a bit as we finished up your shoot.  Of course, you had to add an extra challenge by thinking the cap of the camera needed to go back on the lense while I was trying to take pictures.  Eventually I distracted you by letting you play with my non-fancy camera while I took pictures with the fancy camera.  You are so photogenic, we always end up with a few good ones at least.

Playing with my non-fancy camera.

This month has been huge with talking.  All the sudden you are spitting out a bunch of new words and really attempting to converse.  You definitely understand a lot of what we are saying and will respond with an answer or by doing what we've asked.  At the trails you fell down and were rubbing your hands together.  I asked you if you were cleaning them off and you said yes.  You will also come when I ask you to come or when I call your name.  If I call your name and you're in a different room, you come running.  Now you'll turn back to Harper while you're walking down the hall and beckon her toward you by motioning with your hand and with a commanding "come!"  When you pick up a book you say "boo (oo like in book, not like boo)".  You have picked up no, but typically just use it when you are pushing Harper away and telling her no when she's licking you.  You've also said no to getting in your car seat when we've just been in the car.  You even shake your head no along with the word to add emphasis.  Other new words are him, oopsie, wawa (for water), go, side (for outside, which you say when standing at a door and beckoning us with your hand.  You also pick up your shoes and carry them to the door), bye, Adelynn, Pau (for Uncle Paul, it's a more drawn out Pa than you would say for a grandpa), park, delp (for help, without prompting, before you had to be prompted), dow (for down when you are being held and want down or when you are walking down), hug, more, thank you (when prompted), and yes.  More is something you typically say as you reach for my plate, wanting to polish off all my food when you have the exact same thing on your plate.  Since I've been home with you you've started saying daddy throughout the day when I don't do what you want or I don't do it fast enough.  If you want a drink and I'm in the middle of something you will stand at the fridge and cry daddy.  If I don't let you play in the toilet water you stand and say daddy, daddy, daddy while you cry.  If daddy's home, it's a totally different story.  You're already trying that "daddy would let me do it" tactic and it sure isn't working!

He said help for the first time unprompted while rocking on his rocking monkey because he wanted the music to come on and the button is hard to push:

You can hear Carter say "thank you" after being prompted at the end of this video:

You are really good at getting what you want by communicating in various ways or by just taking it.  You've figured out how to get into the fruit basket to grab pears.  Bananas used to be your favorite food, but now you skip right over them to get to the pears.  You will also grab your sippy cup out of the fridge.  The most impressive part is that you remember where things go and put them back when you are done.  If you grabbed your sippy out of the fridge you put it back in the exact same place you got it from.  If you take something off my dresser to play with, after wandering around the house with it for a while, you very carefully place it back on the dresser.  That doesn't happen all the time, but more often than not.

You are such a little helper!  During the day you like to bring me my water bottle.  When you are thirsty you grab it and chug water and then bring it to me and hold it out so I can take a sip.  It's like you are thinking, if I'm thirsty, mommy must be thirsty.  You try to clean just like mommy and even wipe things down really well.  You've attempted to mop, but that wasn't as successful.  One of your favorite ways to help is by putting water in Harper's water bowl.  You've seen where we keep the big cup we fill with water and pour into her bowl.  When you think she needs more water you will go get the cup.  I'll fill the cup for you and help you pour the water into her bowl.  Even with my help you still tend to soak the floor, but you love to help so I let you.  You will put dishes in the dishwasher and your toys back in their baskets.  Throwing trash away is also a chore you love.  The only problem is if we don't watch you closely you grab things out of the trash.  You hadn't done that before and I let you throw something away.  Then I turned around and you were getting ready to eat a pizza crust.  I was disgusted and now always walk you to the pantry to throw things away!  You also love to help me get you dressed and undressed.  You will lift your legs through the legs of your pants to help get them on and off.  You try to put shoes and socks on all the time.  If daddy, Uncie Jeremy, or I leave shoes laying out you go over and try to put them on.

Shoes are a favorite right now.  I think that's mostly because you associate them with going outside.  You will grab your shoes and carry them to me and then sit in my lap or on the floor and put a foot out, wanting me to put them on.  Sometimes you go as far as grabbing your shoes and walking to the front or back door.  You've even been known to reach for your sandals you see on your dresser when you are already wearing a different pair of shoes!

One of your favorite things to do is to get my water bottles and put the lids on them.  You work so hard to find the lid that fits and put it on.  Reading is still one of your favorites.  You will bring me a book and either plop down in my lap or sit by me to listen.  Your favorite books we own (you have library favorites, but I list them in the book list posts, so no need to repeat here) are "Little Blue Truck", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?", "Llama Llama Hoppity Hop", and "1, 2, 3 to the Zoo".  You love books with animals and trucks, especially ones that involve making noises.  You also love books that have movements to go with them.  When we read "Little Blue Truck" you like to point at the big dump truck and roar.  I guess I use a bit too growly of a voice when I read what he says.  Oh, and I can't forget dancing.  You LOVE to dance!  Anytime music comes on you start dancing.  You have a car that makes music and you will stop riding it around and get off to dance when your favorite song comes on.  Typically you dance at the beginning of a song and then lose interest after the first minute or so.  We got to listen to Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band earlier this week and you would actually dance to the entire song.  I guess we need to listen to more kid music around here!

Dancing to Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band:

You pottied on the toilet for the first time this month.  It was the weekend of Auntie Ang's wedding and I had been really busy with my matron of honor duties, so we hadn't been together much.  I was sitting on the toilet and you were naked, getting ready to get in the bath.  You were desperate for me to hold you so I put you on my lap.  While you were sitting on my lap you heard me going potty so you decided to do it too.  I got so excited and cheered for you so you laughed.  Obviously you aren't ready for potty training yet, but I was excited none the less.  You are beginning to notice going to the bathroom more.  When you poop if I ask you right after you did it, you will say poop and point at your diaper.  Now that I'm home you are back into cloth diapers full time.  I think that will help you notice when you are going potty.  It may still be a few months, but you are starting to show little signs that you will be ready soon.

I just noticed a mole on the outside of your left thigh this month.  It freaked me out because I associate moles with exposure to the sun/sunburns/cancer, but daddy assures me it is fine.  I still think I will mention it to the doctor at your 18 month well check.  Obviously the doctor already knows I'm a worrier anyway, so it won't hurt anything.  I'll also have him check the mark on the back of your head and your rough skin patches on the back of your legs behind your knees and the insides of your elbows that he said may be eczema.  They weren't bothering you before, but you have been scratching them like crazy this month!  I think it may be in part due to the heat.  I'm sure that's irritating them more.  Your doctor's appointment isn't until June 24th, so I'll add your length and weight after the appointment.

Apparently having your tongue out helps you run!

Cutest little runner I've ever seen!

Your molars are still pushing through.  The left molar is almost all the way through, but your right molar still looks like 2 separate teeth because it's just the pointy parts popping through.  You have 10 teeth.  Your 4 top front teeth, 2 top molars, and your 4 bottom front teeth.  Now that you have your molars you are able to eat things you couldn't before and vegetables have gotten a lot easier.  You can eat raw vegetables so I don't have to steam them for you.  You favorite teethers while these teeth have come through, other than your hands, have been my hair ties.  If I have one around my wrist you will pull it off and start chewing on it.  If I offer you an actual teether, you're like, no thanks, I'd rather have this!  You've had a couple nights where you've woken up in the middle of the night, but for the most part you are still sleeping great.

The first half of this month I was still working and you were sleeping 7pm-6am.  I wished I could put you down for bed later because I hated missing out on precious time with you, but no matter what time I put you to bed you would wake up at 6am or 6:30 at the latest.  Sometimes on the weekends you would sleep until 7am, so I wondered if me getting up was waking you up.  I'm pretty sure that was the case because now that I'm staying home you sleep until 6:30 or 7:00am.  Most days it's closer to 7:00am.  I'm used to waking up at 6:00, so I typically still wake up early around 6:30 but I lay in bed until you wake up and it's fabulous.  I'm not sure why daddy getting up at 6:45 doesn't wake you up since you'd wake up when I got up in the mornings.  I swear I was quiet too and I didn't even shower, which daddy does.  I'd think that would make more noise, but who knows!  Since you are sleeping later in the morning we are able to put you to bed closer to 8pm.  It just depends on how active you've been and how long of a nap you took.  You take anywhere from a 1 and a half hour nap to a 3 hour nap.  Most days you nap for 2 hours.  Most of the time you go down at noon and sleep until 2.  Some days we are busy in the morning and you go down late, but you still take a nap and sleep well so it works out.  The only time you've skipped a nap was when you fell asleep on the way home from the zoo and wouldn't go back to sleep when we got home.  You are our good, little sleeper!  Even at daycare they said you were their good napper.

Your fine motor skills are pretty much the same as last month.  Your grip on crayons and markers has improved and you love to color.  You prefer markers right now, I'm guessing because they are thicker and easier to grip.  You are eating most meals with a fork or spoon although there are some foods you just love to eat with your fingers, cottage cheese being on of them.  You have also gotten a lot better at petting Harper this month.  She is enjoying you a lot more and gives you fewer warning growls.  You are able to nicely pet her and only on rare occasions choose to poke her in the eyeball or grab a handful of fur and pull.  Although I did catch you lifting her ear and poking around inside of it this morning.  She didn't even give you a dirty look!  Your sizes are also the same: size 4 diaper, size 5 shoe, 18 month and 2T onesies and shirts, 12 month or 18 month pants and shorts, and 2T jammies.

Of course Harper had to get in on the photo shoot!

We've been taking daily walks with Harper (thanks to you she had become overweight) and you love them.  Your favorite place to walk is Turkey Mountain.  You like to run on the flat parts and walk by yourself or with minimal help up and down the steep hills.  Uncie Jeremy went on a walk at Turkey Mountain with us and said part-way through "Isn't it crazy to think just a few months ago we were wondering when he would walk?"  Yes, that's so true!  It's hard to believe you've only been walking for a few months because man you are fast and quite the hiker!  You also love to run.  You seem to prefer running over walking most of the time!  I am so excited for what is to come especially since I will be around to see it all!  I love you so much, Mr. Carter Man!  Every day I get to spend with you is the best day of my life.  You bring so much happiness to the people around you.  You are the biggest joy in my life.  Always remember, momma loves you!

Look at that running form!

Now on to daddy:

You have picked up so many new words it is amazing. I love when you are able to ask for what you want by its name. This morning you and I got up and had breakfast and I was only giving you a little bit of oatmeal on a plate at a time.  You would finish it, hold up the plate and say more?!

Your personality is certainly coming out every day. You are usually quite friendly to everyone you see, especially if those people have dogs! You love to point out and yell doggie was we pass. Almost everyone within earshot smiles at that.

Watching you play at playgrounds and seeing that you are able to do more and more of it every day is so much fun to watch. Your mother and I generally just stand on the ground and follow you around from there and you do fine on your own.

It is also a blast watching you play with your newest version of elefun. I am not sure I have ever seen you get that excited and be so happy!