18 Months

So Reid made it to the year and a half mark.  I can’t believe that it is Christmas again and my little boy is getting so big.  He is definitely not a baby anymore and is all boy.  He loves to wrestle with his dad and his cousins.  He is so active and all over the place which keeps me on my toes.  He seems to be talking more and more and he pretty much says a new word everyday.  He is great at trying to say all the words that I repeat to him.  I know he will be talking in no time.  He does have his own language that he will talk to me for hours in.

His favorite things right now are coloring, cars, motorcycles, wrestling, helping mom, the park, and Gymboree.  He loves to be active and must be doing something at all times.  He is getting much more independent and will make new friends wherever we go and I don’t have to be right next to him anymore.  He loves to help and has to carry his own grocery bags in the house. He doesn’t like me to carry him but has to walk on his own.  I don’t even take the stroller very many places anymore because he just wants to walk like a big boy.  He is my snuggle baby and loves to snuggle, especially when  he is tired.  He is great at giving kisses and hugs and I will often find myself being attacked while doing dishes or cleaning the house with a big hug and kiss.  I love him more and more everyday (which seems crazy!).  Best year and a half ever!

He loves it when I take pictures and has to say cheese which makes for some awkward faces but I love it!

Style

So Reid is already developing his personal style.  He loves, LOVES to put socks on his hands and sometimes will refuse to leave the house without them on.  The other day was one of those days and I was planning on a walk over to Whole Foods.  I tried all kinds of things to get him to take them off but with no success.  (You would think gloves would be a good compromise, but they are no good.) I finally gave in and then he insisted he have me tie a string around his head which he also refused to take off.  (For someone who doesn’t talk yet, he gets his point across!)

My little boy just has his own style and knows what he wants.  I guess I should just embrace everything and let him be himself.  He did make a few people laugh on our walk and so I guess it’s not too bad!

Halloween

We had  a great Halloween this year. Reid  understood what was going on a lot more and had a blast.  We had two parties and he got to perfect his trick or treating skills before the big day.  My sister had a fireman’s costume so we thought that we be perfect for Reid.  I decided to dress up as fire to go along.  Wes had to work for most of the parties so he was lame and didn’t dress up.  Reid was so cute and got lots of candy which I, of course, ate.

Reid had a blast with his cousins. He followed them around and figured out what to do.  On the actual day we got to go trick or treating with everyone so Reid was even more thrilled to have all all 6 of his cousins around.  It was a blast.

Brian came home for one of the parties so it was so fun to have him there and the kids loved it.

Wes decided to forgo the pumpkin carving and go with just coloring the pumpkin.  I think that was a good choice and Reid got to participate a lot more than he would have if we carved it.

Cutest Fireman ever!

Gogur

So Reid’s favorite food lately in yogurt. He loves it and is constantly asking for it.  He’ll go to the fridge and bang on the door yelling “Gogur, Gogur, Gogur” over and over again while also doing the sign for please.  The kid will eat up to 4 or 5 yogurts a day if I let him. 

He has discovered that he can do it all by himself which is a little messy but fun.   After a 20 minute tantrum over him wanting to eat the yogurt by himself walking around the house instead of in his chair this is what we get.  He finally gave in and sat in his high chair but he had to be extra goofy to make up for him losing.

Birthday Play Mats

So while I was perusing the internet one day I stumbled on some adorable play mats.  I marveled at how intricate and  well made they were. I wished that I could make something like that but I don’t sew. As I read a little bit I noticed that she did it all with a glue gun. I was intrigued but put it out of my mind for a while.  Later, as I was thinking of what to get my niece and nephew for their birthdays these popped back in my mind.  I thought that I would be bold and just do it.  I ended up making one for my nephew, Roy, who turned 3.  It was the first on that I made and I was pretty impressed with how it turned out so I decided to make two more for Bridget and Ethan who recently turned 4. 

They turned out so good and I was so excited for them to open them.  I think they really like them and I hope that they get lots of play value out of them.  I felt so creative and in touch with my womanhood but I think I’m good for a while. At least until Christmas when I make one for Reid.

Lots of cuddles

Reid loves, LOVES to cuddle and I was finally able to snap a picture because usually he is on my lap but Wes wasn’t really feeling good so Reid got to snuggle up to him and watch some cartoons before bed time.  I swear I have the most lovey boy ever.  He is constantly climbing on my lap and giving me tons of kisses without me even asking now. It is so cute and makes my day every time he does it. 

My heart gives a little squeeze every time I see this picture.

Crazy Faces

Just thought I would share some of the crazy faces that he gives me when I ask him to smile for the camera. I love them all!

Beach Days

As everyone, I’m sure, already knows is that we love Carpinteria Beach.  We go all year long and we recently went up and camped a few days two weeks in a row.  Reid is loving it more and more and he especially loves to hang out with his cousins. We brought his walker the first time that you can ride as well so he would feel like he was riding a bike like everyone else.  Well, the next time we went my mom didn’t think that was good enough so she bought him his own bike.  He was so excited and pretty much stayed on it the whole time.  He got really good at going backwards and really fast.  He still hasn’t master going forwards but I’m sure that will come soon.  Wes also go to come up one of the times so the green, hooded person in the pictures is Wes. It was a little cold.

13, 14, 15 Month Update

So I have been so bad at blogging lately and realized that almost three months have gone by without an update on Reid.  He is changing so much that I really need to stay on top of things to document everything that he is doing.  The past few months have gone by so fast and we have done so much that it’s hard to remember everything.  I can’t believe that he will be 15 months in about a week and a half.  Here are some of the things that he as been doing.

• He is getting so good with his walking and even though he isn’t quite there he can make it across the room without any trouble.  He just looks like a little drunken baby when he does walk so it should be in the next few weeks that he really gets it down. He loves to walk and takes every opportunity to practice.  It takes us about 200 times longer to do everything because he has to hold your hand and walk to wherever we go until he is huffing and puffing and pink cheeked and then he will let me pick him up.
• He is getting more and more independent everyday. He had to always have an eye on me and most of the time he had to be physically touching me in whatever I was doing.  He now goes throughout our house and does what he wants without needing me there by his side which is really nice cause I now get a lot more stuff done.
• He is still an amazing sleeper and sleeps 12 to 13 hours at night and is still taking two 2 hour naps which I love and hopefully he will stay on that schedule until he goes to college!
• He is talking more and more and is doing so good on his signing.  He can say please, more, all done, and dog in sign language and can put two signs together like “more, please”.  He can of course say mama and dada, but now he can kind of say shoes, this, done, and a few others that I can’t think of now.
• He LOVES to eat! I swear I spend all day in the kitchen getting him snacks and then meals.  If he is awake he is usually eating something.
• He is obsessed with motorcycles and bicycles.  If there is a picture of one he will want to stare at it forever and Wes and him love to watch motorcycle videos on the internet.  He loves to go on rides with Dad and Grandma just bought him is own bike that he loves and is hard to get him off of it.  Wes is already trying to talk me into letting him get his own dirt bike.  Oh, dear!
• He also loves cars and with play with his cars all over the house making the car noises. So cute!

All in all he is doing great and such a happy little boy. We go in for his 15 month check up in a few weeks and I’ll post how big he is getting.