Lincoln: 18 Months

Time just keeps going faster and faster. Do I sound like a broken record? If so, it is probably because I am, but I just could never fathom how quickly my children would grow until it started happening before my eyes. Life with Lincoln at this stage has been just a joy; I love the feisty, independent personalities that emerge at this stage, and yet that precious baby innocence is still there. We have been having so much fun watching Lincoln learn and explore these past few months.  

 

Growth

This sweet boy is still so big. At his doctor's appointment this week he weighed in at 31 pounds, placing him in the 99th percentile. He measured a whopping 35 inches and had a head circumference of 20.5, both of which put him OVER the 100th percentile. I will also note that he went to the doctor and sat on her lap, and she scooped him up when we were all done to bring him to get a sticker. I wondered for a moment if she was going to try to keep him ;-) At one point during the visit she said "I can't even look at him!" I may be a biased mama, but it sure makes my day to know others find him equally as adorable ;-) He is wearing 2T pants and is mostly into 3T tops now, and size 5 diapers. I feel like I just switched out his clothes, and I am already needing to empty his drawers and get rid of all of the things he has somehow managed to outgrow.

He had his third haircut last month, and it made him look SO much older. I loved his curls, but oh my gosh how handsome he looks with his little crew cut sides.

Development

He has started doing so many new things recently. While he isn't talking up a storm, he is definitely starting to talk and communicate much more. He loves to walk to the door, often carrying his dad's water canteen for work, and will loudly declare BUH BYE! He also says mama, dada, hi, and all done. I have noticed him start to copy Jackson when they are playing, and in doing so he has said 'quack quack' when playing with a duck, and when Jackson was being a zombie zucchini (long story) and declaring 'SALADDD' out of the blue Lincoln mimicked him and declared SALAD as clear as day!

He is also signing, much thanks going to our daycare provider who has been teaching him. He does all done and please. I don't know why, but whenever either of my boys do that little tummy rub to signal please it has absolutely melted my heart. Lincoln does it when he wants more dinner or his bottle, and it is just the sweetest. (Fun fact: Jackson will still subconsciously sign 'please' when asking for things without even noticing it!)

Eating

Much to my dismay, we have entered the stage of the picky eater. Both of our boys have been good eaters around the one year mark, and then get progressively pickier. Sunday was our first time of finally putting our foot down and not making him an alternative meal at dinner. He had refused 2 or 3 dinners in a row, and based on past battles with his brother we know we have to kick this habit before it gets out of control. He loves carbs, and will eat bread, macaroni and cheese, and basically any kind of pasta or sandwich for days. He also loves fruit, and lately he has been sticking raspberries onto his little fingers and he thinks he is the funniest person ever when doing so. Bananas, oranges, and blueberries are his other favorites. And, in stark contrast to his brother, he really wants nothing to do with meat. Jackson used to eat hotdogs and chicken nuggets so much we had to cut him off and remove them from our house, but Lincoln will maybe take a bite or two but then won't touch these things. It is so interesting to watch children and their unique preferences.

Recently we have also started giving Lincoln more 'normal' servings of food. So, despite my OCD fear of my children choking, I give him a sandwich cut in half rather than into small pieces, or a full round of summer sausage instead of slicing it up. He seems more inclined to eat the foods he is picky about if they are given in their whole form. He so much wants to be 'big', so while it means us watching him much more intently during mealtimes, he seems to be loving eating his PB&J sandwiches like a big boy!

Sleep

This kid loves his sleep. I will say it until my last breath, sleep training was one of the best things we could have done for him. He goes down between 7-7:30 at night, and will sleep straight through until around 6:30am. We had a rough week this month due to cutting a new molar, but he seems to have regulated and is back to his normal schedule. He wants nothing to do with being rocked or held. When we go upstairs to lay him down, he will actually arch his back in preparation of laying down, sometimes before I even get into his room. He needs his blankie, his bunny, and his 'snuggy snuggy' blanket, and he will roll right over and go to sleep. He naps once during the day from about 1-3pm, sometimes a little bit longer. I love both of my kids equally (cliché but I mean, us moms aren't lying when we say it), but if there is one area where Lincoln is my favorite child by a landslide, it is the department of sleep. He is just so easy, and it has been a blessing for us to have him make this routine a bit less difficult!

Likes

This boy is so happy and carefree. He absolutely loves to run, play and giggle. He has started following Jackson around and copying him while they play, and it is one of those things I could watch all day when they decide to play nice together. He has started dancing, and when we turn on Moana he prances around the room on his tippy toes while walking in big wide circles, and then he will occasionally kick up one of his little legs. Speaking of Moana, both he and his brother could watch that show all day long. He also loves Wallykazam, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Peppa Pig. One of the only time she will sit down and snuggle for an extended period of time is if I turn on an episode of Wally and hand him a bottle. And speaking of the bottle..yes he is still on it. We have started cutting it out (again, our daycare is a saint and she works with us to cut things out), but on days where he is teething (or hello, daylights savings) I will cave and give it to him. He has been doing much better taking milk from a sippy cup, so I am thinking we will be able to kick the bottles in the next month or so. He does love brushing his teeth, and will often go to the drawer in my bathroom and pull out his toothbrush and toothpaste and carry them to me with the sweetest smile on his face, hoping I will give him some.

Lately, he has discovered how to open our pantry door, and has empied more than one box of cereal onto the floor in search of snacks in the past few weeks. He will often come walking out with the most random items, like a can of tuna or a loaf of bread, and will had them up to us with the most genuine look on his face. I don't know what he expects when he hands me a can of petite diced tomatoes, but it sure is cute when he does it.

And on that note..he is also absolutely obsessed with his pacifier. While that thing saved us during sleep training, I am terrified for how we will ever manage to take it away from him. Much like the bottles, we have been trying to limit it to naptime and bedtime, but he always manages to find them in random places like the toy room or under the couch. We need to be better about keeping them confined to his room only, but he is definitely a lover of the paci.

Despite not being much of a cuddler, this boy loves anything soft and cozy. He carries his blankie and stuffed bunny around, and when I get him up in the morning he will frantically search his crib to make sure he has both of them. So, while he may not want the security of mom and dad, he definitely has an arsenal of those security items he is pretty attached to.

His absolute favorite activity lately is definitely playdoh. I have been so hesitant to give him any because I don't trust him to not eat it, but he has actually done so well with actually playing with it and keeping it out of his mouth (for the most part). He will sit at the table for a solid hour keeping himself entertained, which is a great tool to have lately, especially if we are trying to prepare dinner or get some chores done!

Dislikes

While our sweet boy is happy, he definitely has his preferences, and if you try to get him to do anything he isn't feeling, he will let you know exactly how he feels. He hates having his paci taken away, and will often throw himself onto the floor in hysterics and have a tantrum whenever it happens. He also isn't a big fan of sharing; he will get mad at his brother if he tries to share my lap, and sometimes he has even been known to have a meltdown because Jackson tries to play in the same vicinity as him. To be fair, their torment of one another goes both ways ;-)

As I mentioned above, he really does not like meat at all, and he also doesn't like any food that isn't straight carbs with pasta sauce or peanut butter on it. When he doesn't like the food we serve him, he likes to empty his plate onto the table and then swipe the food all over the place with his bare hands. That is probably my least favorite naughty trait he has picked up on..it is so messy and frustrating!

He has grown to like bath time, but he hates having any water put onto his hair or face. He loves to splash water all over during bath time, so selfishly because I don't want to spend an hour drying the area surrounding the tub, I usually do his baths in less than five minutes, and he is usually not very happy when I make him get out!

He is happy and loves daycare, but often when I drop him off he tries to escape out of the front door, not because he wants to leave, but because he wants to play outside. He just hates being told NO so our sweet daycare lady usually has to attempt to bribe him to get him upstairs. He despises coming in from outside, so if he escapes outside for anything more than thirty seconds and I then attempt to put him into his car seat, he lets us know he is angry.   

 

While children grow and change so much throughout all of their stages, I really feel like we are at that precious stage where all that makes him a baby is quickly fading, and before we know it he will be a full blown little boy. So, despite the tantrums, sneaky behavior, and dumping out cereal in the pantry, I am soaking up every second I possible can of his sweet, 18 month of innocence. And those sloppy kisses with an over animated 'MUAH' at the end, too. We love you, Linky Doodle!

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