Eighteen Months

On January 22nd my baby boy turned 18 months. As strange as it sounds (and maybe it doesn't), I can hardly remember Curtis as a little baby. Of course I remember certain things, but it's hard to remember him as a motion-less, basically non-expressive, tiny baby. His personality is so much more apparent now. And boy do I love him!

Curtis' 18 month old stats are: Weight-25 lbs (36%), Head-18.75" (43%), Height-33" (66%)

Curtis is a very busy 18 month old. He is always looking, moving, talking, pointing, grabbing, poking, eating, and constantly learning. His gross motor skills are excellent, and he seems to be above average in his physical abilities. He can run, climb stairs (almost standing up without help), balance on small objects, do somersaults, spin quickly, climb almost anything (except his crib, luckily), and perform fairly complex tasks with his arms and hands. This makes for a very active and busy day around our home. Seeing as we have a very little apartment, and it's cold outside, I will often take him to my parents' house just so he can run around and play in a larger space. One thing is for sure....Curtis is most definitely a boy!



Curtis' speech skills are a little behind the average for his age. He is an excellent communicator with gestures, and signs, but his word skills are not quite up to the "ideal" mark. However, just in the past two weeks his vocabulary and word-making ability has really improved. He will always imitate the inflection of the word, but his actual words aren't quite there. He can say: mama, daddy, buh-bye, apple, hi, baby, banana (nana), papa, doggy, and almost please (he gets the "p" part). He signs: thank-you, please, and love you (by blowing kisses). I'm not worried about him at all, as he is definitely trying and wanting to communicate. I'm sure in the next few weeks/months his language skills will improve a lot. I suppose I should probably enjoy this time because I know once he starts talking he just might not stop! :)

Curtis is still sleeping like a champ. On most nights he is down by 7-7:30pm and he will always sleep until at least 8am. Usually he will play in his crib until 9am. He never wakes up unless he's sick, or unless we want to give him a late night snuggle; but he always goes right back down without a fuss. I am certainly feeling blessed to have such a good sleeper. I have definitely found that teaching him to fall asleep on his own has proven to be very useful in developing his good sleep habits.

Feeding an 18 month old has been wonderful. It is so nice to be able to feed Curtis (almost) everything we are eating. He still needs his 2nd molars but he does very well at chewing his food. Curtis is still, as he has always been, a very good eater. There isn't much he won't eat. It's actually funny sometimes because he prefers beans and vegetables to breads/starches. Can't complain there. It certainly takes a little stress off when you don't have to prepare separate/softer foods.

Curtis is a sweetheart. As busy as he is, he will always stop to give a hug and a kiss when it's needed...which is quite often! If I had my way I'd be snuggling and kissing his cheeks all day!

I am so in love with my little boy. Every day spent with him always brings so much joy (even if there is some stress and frustration involved). His genuine love and sincerity are contagious. I spend a lot of time reflecting on what my life used to be like, with work, school, dancing, and being busy. Now my life is completely different. Our days are usually spent at home, with an occasional outing. My life is no longer all about me, or about Mike and me; now it is about being a mother to the most wonderful little boy. I can sincerely say that I wouldn't change this life for anything.

16 month photos

(more recent ones to come)

Curtis, I love you more than you will ever know. 

Thank you for the love you show to Daddy and me. 

You are a very special boy, with a wonderful future ahead.