16 Months Old

16 Months Old

And NOT wanting to sit still at all this morning, even with Kevin, Ben, and I dancing and singing for him.

His stats this month (from BabyCenter):

Height: 33 inches (75th-90th percentile) by our measurements OR 33 3/4 inches (90th-95th percentile) from last month's doctor's office measurements
Weight: 29.5 pounds (90th-95th percentile)
Head Size: 20 1/4 inches (above 95th percentile)

What he's doing this month:

• He loves to play with other kids--on vacation this week, we've hit up a couple of playgrounds, and he runs right in, shrieks with excitement, and tries to interact with the kids. One slightly older boy put a bucket on his head, but Kevin said Lew just laughed it off. :)
• He really likes to be chased--we say 'I'm gonna get you...' and he runs and giggles and then sometimes waits for us to 'get' him.
• He has started vocalizing more the past few weeks--he is really trying to say things to us, it seems. He's still saying 'Uh-Oh' and his Bs and Ms and Ns and Ts and Ds and Ls (or La La La La La) and Ws. He mimics us well when we click our tongue at him or sing (La-La-La). Just the past few days, I've noticed him saying words with different beginning and ending sounds...so instead of just 'Da,' it sounded more like 'Dat' with a pronounced D and T sound. He sings a lot.
• The past week, he has started gagging himself every so often. He sticks his fingers in his mouth, maybe to see what it does?? We've heard the gagging sound a few times, then smelled some spit up smells once, and then the other day, he did it and made himself puke...3 separate times. Ick. Keeping an eye on it.
• I have found that he likes to eat off of a fork, so I bought him his own forks and spoons last week. I give the fork to him 'loaded' and he likes to look at the piece of fruit, talk to it, laugh, and then sometimes puts the fork/food in his mouth to eat. Sometimes he plucks it off with his fingers and eats it. Or tosses it aside. He is trying to 'load' the fork himself, too (stabbing the fruit), but needs a little help with that.
• His nap is about two hours currently. Nighttime sleep is good. 
• He did have a rough night in the hotel on the way down here to the beach--he only slept from 10pm-5am (Lord, have mercy). Ben, Adie, Kevin, and I sat in the dark, whispering and drinking beers, trying to pretend that we weren't there, but he just cried and cried. He finally pooped out at 10 and then woke up at 5--Kevin and I snuck down to the amazing hotel breakfast so that Ben and Adie could sleep longer. Thankfully he's rebounded well from that!
• He still likes to put things into things. I had set out an empty laundry basket in the basement last week, and when I went to get it to take it upstairs, he'd put a couple of his toys inside (which made me smile).
• When I catch him doing something 'right' or when he makes a connection, I say Good job! and we clap. Still a big fan of clapping. :)
• He is Captain Careful when it comes to climbing up/down things now. He'll climb up, and then turns around to go feet first/bellyside down whatever it is that he's climbed (slides, coffee table, bed, couch, stairs). It's so cute to watch his feet 'feel' for the ground. 
• He is wearing 24 month/2T sleepers now. Still in 18 month shorts and some 12-18 mo., 18-24 mo., and a few 24 mo./2T T-shirts. I need to retire a few of the 12-18 mo. shirts because I'm just now remembering that they were short the last time he wore them (belly shot!).
• Current Tooth Count: 12