18 Months!

Weight: 25 pounds (37th percentile)

Height: 34.75 inches (97th percentile)
Head: 18.75 inches (44th percentile)

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that you aren't a little baby anymore. How is it possible that you're a year and a half?! A walking, sort-of talking, independent little person that can lift boulders.

People usually guess that you're over two- probably because you're so tall. I think you've grown 2 inches in the past month!! You also have a mouth full of teeth. This month all four of your canines popped through, which brings the grand total to 16 teeth. It's a good thing you have all those teeth because your palate has expanded beyond mushy fruits. Your food faves this month included cucumbers, chicken, ribs, and peanut butter toast.

You continue to slowly add words (albeit not fully pronounced) to your vocabulary. You can name lots of animals, as well as the sounds they make. You can also name all of your favorite foods. You're Mr. Social and love saying 'hi' and waving at strangers. Another odd habit you have is calling out 'dada' at the top of your lungs when you and I are out and about without dada. I'm not sure if you think you see him, or just hope that he's within earshot... This always results in several confused men looking our way and sometimes making inappropriate comments like, "I wish I was your dad," while winking at me. Eeew.

You excel in the motor skills arena. You are more coordinated and aware of your surroundings now. A perfect example of this is at the park. It has been amazing to watch you master slides, tunnels, and climbing walls over the course of the summer.

It's crazy to think that just a few months ago you would blindly walk off curbs and edges and crash into things because you weren't watching where you were going. Now, I even let you explore a little on your own!

This month we squeezed every last bit out of summer. We had a picnic in the park.

 You tried out your new golf clubs...

...followed by dinner on the patio overlooking Lake Minnetonka.

We had a playdate at the Edina Aquatic Center with our neighbors. We got one picture of you in the water, but most of my time was spent chasing you around the pool. You had much more fun climbing on the lounge chairs than swimming. Plus, I got stung by a bee. This was not the best afternoon, but how cute are you beach babies?!

We also had a playdate at the Splash Pad. You had a great time...

...until you were blasted in the face with a hose by a big kid. Bridget and Caroline came shortly after that and we went to the nearby park instead. You quickly forgot about the incident with the hose!

You and Caroline had another "date" at the Children's Museum that weekend. You went grocery shopping together (and fought over who got to push the cart)...

 ... and met Curious George!!

The month was rounded out by two (yes TWO) trips to the State Fair! This was all your dad's doing. I could take or leave the fair, but not daddy. He's obsessed! He said we had to make up for the fact that we didn't go last year. Our first trip was quick, but pretty successful. We decided to go at the last minute, on a Thursday night, because one of our favorite bands was playing. You tasted some fried pickles, apple cider, and mini donuts and were in complete awe of your surroundings. You and I went on the merry-go-round (which was the highest speed merry-go-round I've ever been on).

You lasted on the horse about a minute, then dove off into my arms. For the rest of the ride, I had one arm gripped tightly around you while the other held onto a rail for dear life. Like I said, it was an unusually FAST merry-go-round. I think there should have been a warning...

Thankfully, we both made it through without getting sick or falling off. Then, we headed to the stage where Dawes was playing. You had a great time dancing and clapping to the music for the first couple of songs before you hit the wall.

It was more than an hour past your bedtime by then, so we headed home. Our second trip was even shorter and much less successful. Since you had been there and done that, you thought you could explore on your own this time. (Yes, that's Charlie Sheen-on-a-stick).

You refused to sit in your stroller or be held and wouldn't even let us hold your hand. Plus, it was really hot and crowed (not a formula for a pleasant afternoon)! This time we had some fries and ice cream...

...went on the Giant Slide and left. We were barely there an hour.

Whew! What a whirlwind it has been. The past month. The past eighteen months. And I've loved every minute of it. We love you so much!

Happy 18 months, peanut!
Love, Mom

Crab Salad Sliders

This salad is lite, delicious, and only takes about 10 minutes to make. It's a perfect lunch on a hot, end-of-summer afternoon!

Makes 6 sliders
Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Alaskan Pacific Fish & Snow Crab Meat
• 1/4 cup light mayo
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp Gone Fishin' Seasoning*
• package of King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Directions:

• slice crab into bite size pieces (it will flake up when mixed with the other ingredients)
• finely chop onion (about 1/4 of a medium sized onion)
• place crab, onion, mayo, lemon juice, and seasoning in a medium bowl
• stir until combined
• serve on King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Enjoy!

*Gone Fishin' Seasoning is a mixture of lemon powder, brown sugar, dill weed, honey granules, lemon peel, onion, and garlic. You can make your own concoction if it's not available in your area.

Wordless Wednesday: Young Love

17 Months!

Weight: 25 pounds 

Height: 33 inches

I cannot believe that it's already August. July was a complete whirlwind of activity that included:

• 2 weddings
• round two of hand, foot, and mouth disease
• daddy's birthday
• your 2nd haircut
• a trip to California
• grandma White's birthday
• out of town guests
• your first, non-family member, babysitter

Needless to say, the month FLEW by! Before this past month, I had only spent one night away from you. Now the total is five nights! A few weeks ago, daddy and I went to a wedding in Duluth and aunty Nicole and Tim were nice enough to give up their weekend to babysit you overnight. Luckily, you have a pretty predictable schedule these days. It looks something like this:

6:30am- wake up

8am- breakfast

9am- nap (about an hour)

10:30am- snack

12pm- lunch

1pm- nap (about an hour and a half)

3pm- snack

6pm- dinner

7pm- bath, pjs

7:30pm- bottle
8pm- bed
 

That doesn't mean that it's easy to take care of you, though... In between your sleeping and eating you are busy, busy, busy. You literally do not sit still for more than a couple minutes at a time. You also get antsy if we stay in the house all day. I know this because you are very good at communicating exactly what you want (even if you don't have the words). One afternoon (after a lazy morning) you brought me your shoes and my shoes, climbed up on the bench in the kitchen, and pressed the garage door opener and said "go." I got the hint- no lazy days in our house!

The last week of July, daddy and I went to San Diego to celebrate his birthday. Grandma White, very graciously, offered to babysit for the four days we were gone. She took the whole week off so she could rest up a few days beforehand and after. (She's a smart lady). You guys had a blast!

You went to Lake Harriet with mommy's cousin Suzanne...

...and had a playdate with Caroline and her grandma Kathy.

You also went to a barbeque at grandma and grandpa's house and got to meet your 2nd cousin Alex.

Meanwhile, daddy and I had a wonderful little vacation. Grandma was nice enough to answer my several calls a day and sent me lots of pictures to help me get through my Jackson withdrawal. It was definitely nice to get away, but I don't think I could have lasted any longer without seeing you! I'm not so sure that you missed us as much as we missed you, though. The morning after we got home you headed right into the guest room looking for grandma and were upset when you couldn't find her. You guys definitely have a special bond.

In other news, you continue to refine your talking skills and daddy and I have gotten better at understanding what you're trying to say. You've even added a new phrase to your repertoire. This one totally caught us off guard. Every night daddy and I sneak into your room before we go to bed and tuck you in. This night we lingered a little bit longer and sat next to your crib so we could watch you sleep. (I'll admit that sounds a little creepy, but you look so sweet when you're sleeping).

Anyway, after we'd been sitting there for a few minutes, you started to stir (probably because you could sense us staring at you). You opened your eyes a few times only to shut them again and try to fall back to sleep. At one point, though, you sat up and gave us a very confused look and said, "whatcha doing"? That was a very legitimate question, I guess. Daddy and I looked and each other, mouths agape. You never cease to amaze us. You've also started to say "ow" when you hurt yourself.

I have to explain this video so you don't think I still make you run around in your helmet... As I mentioned here, your helmet now sits on your dresser. Sometimes you see it up there and insist that I help you put it on. (It's super tight so it takes some maneuvering). You then run around the house purposely banging your head on things. You must miss the protection it provided. I probably shouldn't let you do that, but it's hilarious!

Lately, you have been an eating MACHINE! I have a feeling this is due to another growth spurt. Your favorite thing to eat is fruit: bananas, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe... Frankly, I don't think you've met a fruit that you don't like!

Yum! You also love grandpa's ribs and milk. You still drink 24 ounces a day of whole milk and I'm sure you would drink more if I let you (your doctor said that is the max you should drink). At least we know you'll have strong bones!

Another reason why you're always hungry is because you use tons of energy playing outside.

Exploring new parks,

feeling (and tasting) chunks of bark,

 running in fields,

splashing in fountains,

smelling flowers,

and watching fish swim.

Once in awhile you slow down for a few minutes to look at a book...

or snuggle with KG.

We love you and your zest for life! Happy 17 months, peanut!
Love, Mom

16 Months!

 Weight: 25 pounds

Height: 32.5 inches* (this is a very rough estimate)

I still can't get over how quickly you're becoming a big boy. Your walking and climbing skills continue to impress me. The park has even become a little less scary because you have learned how to back down from ledges and stairs and are even a little cautious. (Although, it still infuriates you when daddy or I try to help). You have become very expressive this month. You ramble on and on and even use hand gestures. The only problem is, that with the exception of a few words, we have no idea what you're saying. I can't wait to know what's going on in that little head of yours! You finally added a verb to your vocab and it's a very fitting verb- go! I believe you even said your first sentence. "Let's go!" In fact, I think I've heard it several times... This pretty much sums up our past month. Go, go, go! (Well, at least after you were quarantined with hand, foot, and mouth disease). You also started saying "don't," a very drawn out and assertive "doooo-ooon't!" You said it for the first time when daddy was trying to help you climb down the stairs. How dare he?! You are Mr. Independent, after all, and want to do everything by yourself- including walking up (and down) stairs.

It has been a very HOT month, so much of our time has been spent at pools and beaches. You're slowly getting more comfortable in the water, but it makes you a little nervous. You're most happy playing in the sand at the edge of the water.

Bryant Lake Beach is our new favorite hangout. It has huge umbrellas that offer some shade from the sun, shallow water, and a wonderful playground. (They also have stand-up paddle boarding, which is a bonus for me!) I have a feeling we'll be spending lots of time here this summer.

We also had a very fun play-date at Lake Calhoun with our friends Bridget and Caroline. She was even sweet enough to feed you some of her snack.

Besides hangin' at the beach, another of your favorite pastimes is picking raspberries. Your first time ever eating a raspberry was after picking it off our bush. I think the tartness shocked you...

I guess you liked it, though, because you continued to eat several more. You're surpisingly good at finding the ripe ones, although once in while you pull off a leaf or unripe berry and try to eat it.  Every time we step out the back door you head right for the raspberry bushes and have a little snack. I think you're going to be pretty disappointed when they're all gone...

On Father's Day, we had a barbeque with our immediate families. Daddy smoked some ribs and grilled some brats. You nibbled on some baked beans and potato salad and wolfed down a bunch of watermelon and blueberries (you favorites).

It was a fun day, but definitely bittersweet since it brings memories of your grandpa Hacker. I really wish you had the opportunity to meet him and I wish he had the chance to see what a wonderful dad your daddy is. It's safe to say he had an amazing role model.

This Fourth of July was the hottest one on record (101 degrees)! We braved the heat and walked down to the parade in the morning. We thought that you'd really enjoy it this year, but that wasn't the case. You were bored after about five minutes. We toughed it out for a little while, but ended up leaving before it was over. (I think we all were ready to get back into the air conditioning).

That afternoon, after you took a nice long nap, we went to your great-uncle Bill's for a pool party. Daddy and I had fun swimming, but you seemed to be a little nervous...

I'm a little sentimental this month because almost exactly two years ago (July 11, 2010) I found out I was pregnant with you. Daddy and I had been hoping and praying for that moment for over two years and we were over the moon. We still can't believe how lucky we are- you are truly an amazing kid. Adventurous. Curious. Funny. Charming. Tenacious. I could go on and on... (I am your mother, after all). Some of these characteristics can be a little challenging to deal with at times, but we LOVE you and your spunkiness and are so thankful to have you in our lives.

Happy 16 months, peanut!
Love, Mom