15 Months

Is my baby really 15 months old already? Every month seems to go by faster than the last. Way crazy. Poor little guy has had a few rough patches the last few weeks or so. It all started with the flu-like symptoms he had, then a stomach bug, then a DOUBLE ear infection. It has literally been one thing after the next. We went back to the doctor on November 3rd for a recheck on his ears. They weren't getting any better, but they weren't getting any worse so I guess that was fairly good news. Dr. Phillips put him on a stronger antibiotic since the Amoxicillin obviously wasn't doing the trick. We go back on the 17th for another recheck along with his 15 month checkup. I am just so thankful that this was his 1st ear infection with none for his 1st 14 months. Hopefully no more!

Some stats on my little man. I will know more as far as percentiles & things when we go to the doctor next week, but here's what I do know:

Weight: 23 lbs

Diaper size: 3

Clothes size: Mostly 12 M, some 18 M.

Shoe size: 5.5 or 6 depending on the brand.

*Runs around like a wild man climbing on chairs, steps or whatever he can find to pull himself up on.

*Talks & jabbers all day long & is always very "busy" getting into everything. Rarely ever just sits still & plays quietly with toys (unless he's reading a book).

*Puts things back where he got them when we tell him to. It seems like just as much fun for him to put things back as it is to pull them out. I'm hopeful on this one!

*Amazes me everyday at how much he actually understands full sentences even though he can't say the words himself. Some examples of this are:

We were at my parents' house the other day. Riley had been playing with the TV remote earlier & left it in the floor. A long while later when his mind was not at all on the remote anymore, I told him to "Go get the remote & bring it to Bubba, please" & sure enough he jumped off of his rocking horse he was on, ran over, grabbed the remote & took it to my dad.

A few days ago he was in the tub playing with his mini Basketball net that sticks to the wall. He was trying to fit some big toy in it that was definitely not going through so I said "Why don't you try your duck?" He stopped what he was doing, found the duck & put him through the net.

Kids at this age seriously put me in awe over how smart they are. It's so neat to watch him process what we're saying & put it into action.

Some things Riley really loves:

Books. He loves being read to & will even try to read out loud himself. He especially loves Baby Einstein books & a few Dr. Suess books: The Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, & How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Yes, we are already reading Christmas books. Have been for a while now. :0) I am just amazed that his attention span is long enough to sit through The Grinch, but he does! Every time.

Kisses. Loves to give them (extra slobbery ones). Loves to get them. He will lean into you & tilt his head down so that you will kiss his forehead. Precious.

Tonka Truck. Dada brought this nice surprise home one day & it has become Riley's favorite toy. He hauls anything & everything he can pick up & put in it. He also loves to sit in it & be pushed around the house saying "vvrrrmmm" & "dat" (fast). He loves to go fast. I'm afraid we may have the next Ricky Bobby on our hands ;0).

Bath time. Still a favorite. Has been since day 1. Usually at least 3-4 times a day he will grab my finger & drag me into his bathroom saying "ba? ba?" while pointing at the tub. It's like he's asking "Is it bath time yet?"

Baby Einstein DVDs. Another oldie favorite that's still going strong. He gets so excited when we put one in. He gets the biggest grin on his face & starts dancing.

Outside. He would live outside all day if he could. The weather has been nice the past few days so we have really enjoyed playing outside.

Being tickled. He has the best laugh, especially when being tickled. Even after we stop tickling him, he will grab our hand & put it to his belly to keep going. It's pretty hilarious actually.

Uncle Josh. Riley's new best friend. Josh is staying with us a few nights a week until his job transfers him back to his & Aunt Brooke's house everyday. It took Riley a little while at first to warm up to him, but now he says "Dos" almost constantly. The other day he cried some of the biggest tears I think I've ever seen him cry when "Dos" left after playing with him. His feelings were so hurt that he couldn't stay.

Hats. He has a serious obsession with hats right now. No matter who is wearing it, he will try to take it off your head & either put it on his or back on yours. His favorite is to take them off & put them back on. Off & on, off & on. Keeps him amused.

Brushing his teeth. I hope he keeps liking this one. It's so fun for him to brush his teeth. He gets so excited when we tell him it's time to go brush his teeth. He smiles & says "bus uh teeeet" all the way to the bathroom.

Snuggling before he falls asleep. Bedtime is acutally my favorite time of day with him for this very reason. When he's tired he will lay his head on my shoulder or chest & hug me tight. I love the feeling of his little arms wrapped around my neck. Honestly, I wish he would never grow out of this stage.

As far as eating goes, he doesn't have the best appetite right now. I have to practically force him to eat anything some days. Other days he can't seem to get enough. I guess that's pretty normal with toddlers, but I feel like he's got to be hungry.

Some days will go like this:

Breakfast. Usually eats this meal best. Half a bowl of oatmeal with fruit or a few bites of scrambled eggs & toast.

Snack. Crackers or

Lunch. Lucky if I can get him to eat a slice of cheese or a piece of bread. Usually ends up eating a few grapes & that's it. Otherwise he just refuses. Seals his mouth shut & shakes his head at everything.

Snack. Arrowroot cookies, yogurt, or some fruit.

Supper. Eats a few bites off of my plate of whatever we are eating or the Gerber Graduates little meals. I really try to sneak in the vegetables with this meal & usually some applesauce or raw apple slices.

But other days he eats us out of house & home. It's very sporadic.

I asked the pediatrician about his eating habits because I'm really worried he's not getting enough vegetables. He said to get some Pediasure & don't stress over it. At this age, we just take what we can get & as long as he is getting some fruits & veggies it's fine. Even if it's not the full recommended serving everyday. We got some of those Pediasures & boy does he love those! Strawberry is his favorite.

And guess what? He's teething AGAIN! 2 more teeth are coming in. This time it's his top incisors. Once these are in, he will have a total of 14 teeth! Wow! This child has literally been teething non-stop since he was 4 months old.

Happy 15 months angel baby! Dada & I love you more everyday! I just can't believe you are getting so big. Slow down a little, ok? ;0)