Alexander - 18 Months (Part 2)

So we left off the last post at your Aunt Debbie's wedding the day before you turned 15 months old.  During your 16th month we had Halloween.  You were a sock monkey this year and in my very non-biased opinion, you were the cutest sock monkey EVER!  We started the evening by dropping off Halloween treats for all the neighbor kids.  Then we headed over to your cousins Will and Harrison's house.  The three of you had fun running around the yard showing off your costumes.  It was difficult to get a picture of the three of you together because you were so excited.

After we snapped a couple pictures, we went trick-or-treating around their neighborhood.  Uncle James had a wagon for you to ride in, but you wanted nothing to do with that wagon.  You wanted to walk everywhere and you would push through the kids to get to the front and get the candy out of the bowl.  You absolutely loved Halloween this year!

After we walked around Will and Harrison's neighborhood for a while, we stopped by your Grandma Gerry's house so you could spend some time with your cousin Alyssa.

We went trick-or-treating with Alyssa too and you were exactly the same.  You didn't want anyone to carry you and you charged ahead to each house and clutched onto the candy they gave you (even though you really didn't know what it was).  This was a great Halloween and I'm sure they will just keep getting better!

Your 17th month was extremely eventful!  First off, we celebrated Thanksgiving.  It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine,  We started to day at Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw's house where we ate a lot and you  played outside in the colorful leaves.

After that we headed over to Gram and Poppy's house where we of course ate some more and enjoyed the family.  You certainly enjoyed it much better this year than last and you had a great time running around and playing with all your cousins.

In early December, there was a day that was unseasonably warm so you and I went to the park.  It was a very unexpected day out but we took advantage of it.  Since the leaves had fallen off the trees, you really didn't care much about the playground equipment and pretty much just enjoyed playing and rustling through them all afternoon.

(I HAVE to remember to turn my phone the other way when I record video on it!  Uggh!)


You absolutely LOVE Cheez-Its!  Sometimes you even go into the pantry to get them out yourself.  And when mommy and daddy aren't looking, you have dumped them all over the floor on occasion.  Yes, this is super fun for you (not so fun for mommy and daddy).  But boy do you LOVE your Cheez-Its!

We also did a lot of Christmas type stuff this month.  We went to the Cor Jesu breakfast with Santa.  You had a great time running all around the gym and dancing to the Christmas music.  You also loved doing some of the crafts they had set up as well as playing the games they had.  But one thing is for sure, you did NOT like sitting on Santa's lap!

Besides that, it was a great day!  Since we got your picture taken with Santa, we figured we should also get a picture with the real reason we celebrate Christmas, baby Jesus.  The sisters that run Pauline Books and Media threw a birthday party for Jesus, so we decided to go.  We had so much fun looking at books and eating cake and ice cream to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  But again when it came time to take the picture you were not happy.  To be fair, it was close to nap time for you.  Plus the sisters insisted on dressing you like an angel.  Since you weren't so very happy, they talked your dad and me into dressing like Mary and Joseph and your Grandma and Alyssa dressed like angels like you.  Here is the picture which still cracks me up each time I look at it!

Of course I baked Christmas cupcakes this year.  It is a bit problematic that you have a mother who loves to bake because you definitely have a sweet tooth!  One of your first words (within the first 10) was 'cupcake'!  Yea, not my proudest mommy moment, but you sure do love mommy's baking!

We also went back to Eckert's Farm to cut down a Christmas tree.  It was way more fun this year than last considering you could actually run around the fields of trees and of course because you didn't get sick this year!  You enjoyed to van ride out to the fields and you seemed genuinely concerned that we hadn't put you into a seat to get out there!  We picked a nice Scotch Pine that you weren't too impressed with dad cutting down.  Dad had to carry you and the tree to the pick up area since mommy had just had surgery a couple days before.  

While Daddy strapped the tree to the car, you and I ran around looking at all the Christmas decorations:

When we got home, we decorated the tree.

One of the biggest things that happened this month is that we found out that you are going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!

You don't quite get what this means just yet, but everyone who knows you, KNOWS you are going to be the best big brother ever.  Your dad and I are going to spend the next few months preparing you as much as possible for this big transition.  But more on that later!

Your 18th month brings us to Christmas.  We spent Christmas Eve with Gram and Poppy.  We went to their house and ate some yummy food and opened presents.  We also went to mass with them at St. Simon.  It was a great night and you really enjoyed opening your presents this year.  You didn't even want to move onto another one once you opened your first because you wanted to play with your new toys!  Christmas day was spent with Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw.  It was a wonderful Christmas this year!

Since we had so much going on before Christmas this year, we headed to Our Lady of the Snows after Christmas to look at the lights.  We put you in the front seat with us and we drove slowly through the lights display.  You loved looking at the lights and you kept pointing and oohing at them.

We had a very low key New Years Eve this year.  Just you, dad and me at our house.  You had so much fun blowing on the horns we put out, but you would not put on the hats.  You stayed up so late!  You ALMOST made it to midnight (and you probably would have had mom and dad not MADE you go to bed at 11:30).

With the holidays over, it was time to get back to real life.  Swim lessons started back up soon after and they had a new facility to swim in!  Because of the new facility, they had an open house where we were able to sample some healthy snacks, sit for story time, play mini golf and put your hand print on the wall!  It was a really fun time!

One really funny thing you did this month that I can't help but mention is that you got into the bath tub with all your clothes on!  We were at Gram and Poppy's house and Gram started your bath water.  I peeked into the bathroom and I didn't see you so I asked Gram where you were.  She said you were in there, so I stepped in and saw this:

You just could't wait to get in!  It was hilarious!  And you just looked at us like we were all crazy when we couldn't help but crack up at you!

You are such a sweet and affectionate boy!  You often come up to me with your lips pursed saying "mmmmm" (meaning you want to kiss me).  You give mommy and daddy hugs all the time.  You point to me and say 'mom' or 'momma' and you point to dad and say 'dad' all the time.  The other words you say right now (that I can think of off the top of my head) are ball, cat, haaaa (hot), goag (dog),  nanna (banana), cupcake, cookie, uh oh.  You are very smart and you often know how to ask for what you want without saying anything at all.

Your stats from the doctor at your 18 month appointment were as follows:

• 32.2" Tall (50th percentile)
• 24 lbs (25th percentile)
• 19" head circumference (75th percentile)

You are such a good boy.  It has truly been a privilege to be your mommy.  I'm one lucky woman!

I love you Sugar Pot!

Love,

Momma