Paci fun

Not sure what's going on in his head here, but he sure is intent on his task.

(sorry for the odd format, it's an iPhone movie)

18 months old

A year and a half old, unbelievable! It's been yet another big month for Simon, he is starting to say just a couple of words, and clearly trying to use things like intonation more to get his point across. He is obsessed with lights; both the fixtures themselves and light switches. He is a super climber, and loves to scamper up anything that will give him a little extra height. We did a month of Gymboree classes this month and he can even get up a smooth slide just by scrambling up--and of course the best part of that is flopping on his belly and sliding back down.

He also seems to be recognizing and playing with other kids a bit more. He has a buddy, Sam, at daycare and apparently one day he and one of the little girls spent a lot of time playing together as well. He had some issues with teething and illness this month, but thankfully seems to be getting back on track, which means we are all getting better sleep again.

We went to the pediatrician today and his 18 month stats are: 33 inches tall (75% percentile) and 24 lb 13.5 oz (40th percentile)

here are a few pictures from the month, enjoy!

(this one is from the day he was home with a high fever due to a double ear infection. He slept on me all day like this...I felt bad that he was so sick, but I loved the cuddles!)

Earning his keep

No one in our household gets a free ride. And now that he's coming up on 18 months, we've been putting Simon to work. His chores include:

Emptying the dishwasher:

Cleaning out the refrigerator:

Managing the household budget:

And finally, sweeping:

Simon the wrecking ball

Simon isn't, umm, a delicate kid. He's pretty rough and tumble, as shown here.

Animal Sounds

Simon has learned a few animal sounds, although he sometimes mixes them up...

17 Months Old

Simon is 17 months old, how is that possible? He is such a little person now, we are seeing new skills and development every day, it seems. His motor skills are so impressive, he climbs, dances, runs...he is a confident, adventurous little guy.

He is learning his body parts, and one of his favorite things to point out is his belly! He roars like a lion and moos like a cow and is starting to understand what we are saying more and more. This morning we were playing before he went to daycare and I asked if he wanted a banana--he jumped up and trotted off to his high chair, pointing up at the bananas. When we say it's time for bed, he heads off to the bedroom. It's so much fun to watch him learn and grow.

We have stopped taking one official picture per month, it's just gotten too hard to "pose" him. Instead, here are a few pictures from the last month.

Scooting

Simon got a very cool toy from Aunt Donna and Uncle Paul for Christmas--it's a riding toy that can also be used as a scooter. We found out that he loves being pushed back and forth on the hardwood floors...here he is: