18 Months with My Baby

This blog, is after all, a blog about my job as a Mom. And, one of my best parts of being a Mom is watching my kids hit their milestones. 18 months old is definitely one of those. My little Chandler is 18 months old, and it’s killing me, but at the same time, the 13 hours of consecutive sleep he had last night makes it a little less painful.

I love this age. Chandler answers to “baby” as much as he answers to his name, Chan Chan, Chan the Man, and Ky-Chan (when I can’t seem to keep track of which boy I’m talking about). An added bonus is that when you are 18 months old, you get to go to nursery at church. This is a big deal in mormon-ville because our church is 3 hours. Yeah, you heard me right. And, until 18 months old, you are expected to keep your child with you for 3 hours, and quiet. It’s OK until they learn to walk, and then it is absolute torture. So, this past Sunday, he went to nursery for the first time. He lasted about an hour until he was brought to me, while I was conducting a meeting. He was hysterical. So, that was fun. But, I still relished in the one hour that he lasted. None of my kid have disliked nursery. But, this little man can cling to mama all he wants.

This little boy….Because all of a sudden, he seems (and looks) like a little boy and not so much a baby anymore, has captivated  my heart. Maybe it’s because I know he’s my last, but I don’t think so. I think it’s because there is something super special in that kid’s heart. I can’t wait to see it as he grows. He only says a few words. My oldest has been keeping track. She claims he says 12 words. I’m not sure. It is mostly pointing and saying, “Uh uh uh uh?”

But, there are a few….not sure there are really 12. Here are the only ones I can think of right now:

Me! (usually when older brother and sister are asked a question, shout, “Me!!” and he wants to join in.

Mama (music to my ears every single time)

Ba or Bu can mean many things. Ball….Bus

Baby

Yes

Dada

Avery (we heard him say it twice, but not sure if we will hear it again for a while)

Woof (dog)

Woah! (Like pouring my water out on my tray is really cool every. single. time. so I have to do it, and say, “Woah!” like it’s a surprise all over again).

Wow.

He is still obsessed with animals and balls. He goes crazy when he sees either. He just wants to be big, but is still so little, which makes him absolutely endearing. The past few weeks he’s been exploring with water since it’s getting hot. And, he’s not so sure about it. But, I think he’s figuring it’s OK.

Are you sure this is OK Mom?

The blanket and paci are here to stay for a while. And, I’m fine with that because so is the sleep. Did I mention we are getting LOTS of sleep? But, at least he is good at multi-tasking while he holds his blanket.

The one thing that just makes me melt about this kid is his smirk. He has this little smile, with his mouth closed that KILLS ME. I caught it on camera.

He still is not a fan of eggs. I’m trying, but he thinks they’re yucky. And, we’ve been able to give him small amounts of milk cooked in stuff. I consider that a big success considering where we were just a few short months ago.

Life is so amazing with this little kid in it. Today, I looked at him with a baseball cap on him that was at least 3 sizes too big, and I got a glimpse at the boy he is turning into. Moments like that always make me catch my breath.

The heart is amazing. It continues to grow, even when you think it will burst.

I love you my sweet big baby Chandler. I’m not going to tell you to stop growing, because honestly, I can’t wait to see who you will become.