I'm Renee: activities

Monthly update: 4 month old Charley Bear

10:28

Age:

4 months old!

Clothes:

00 for jumpsuits! My little guy is already too long in the arms and legs for 000 so he is really growing like a weed (a very cute weed). We had 4 month needles and check up this week and he is 66cm long and 7.28kg heavy so definitely a healthy boy.

Favorite Foods:

Mummy's milk ... Definitely no feeding issues here with you poppet.

Favorite Activities:

You love being sung to, especially the RaRa theme song. You break out in a huge smile complete with big dimples.
You love bath time and kick like crazy much to your big brother's disgust - because often its him you're kicking.
Tummy time is also a favourite past time and you are very animated looking around and trying to grab your feet.

Least Favorite Activities:

You still despise the capsule and the car with an absolute passion. So car trips have been minimised where possible and we even caught the train to Brisbane last week to avoid the trauma for all of us.

Favorite Things:

Your big brother is your favourite and you light up for him whenever you see him. It doesn't matter if he's looking at you or not, I often catch you just staring and smiling at him. He loves you just as much and is constantly touching you, talking to you, kissing you ... its pretty much the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

My Favorite Things:

The spring hammock on its own stand has been a lifesaver for your day sleeps and has made it so much easier for me to resettle you after your first cycle wake. Its actually helped us set you into a nap time routine for the day and saved my sanity.

Signature Moves:

You give kisses now its its ridiculously cute. I say 'kisses' while holding you up and you open your mouth, lean in and coo. I seriously sit there and do it over and over with you because its so sweet.

Other Milestones:

You are rolling front to back and trying very hard to roll back to front now.
I'm pretty sure you are also teething, chewing on your fingers constantly and drooling so much you go through several bibs a day.
You got to celebrate your first Father's Day with daddy and E although unfortunately Peter Alexander don't make baby sized Star Wars pajamas.

2 boys

Monthly update: 3 month old Charley Bear

14:41

Age:
3 months old!

Clothes:

00 for jumpsuits! My little guy is already too long in the arms and legs for 000 so he is really growing like a weed (a very cute weed).

Favorite Foods:

mummy's milk ... Definitely no feeding issues here with you poppet.

Favorite Activities:

Anything that involves us talking to you. You hang out in the bouncer a lot while I prep breakfast and dinner and love to babble and coo at me.

Least Favorite Activities:

You despise the capsule and the car with an absolute passion. This means all trips must be carefully planned around naps and feeds or we endure the length of the trip with your deafening screams ringing in our ears.

Favorite Things:

We are introducing a comforter and while it started well, it doesn't seem to be a necessity at the moment.
You have grown to like the swing - we won't say love just yet - and a re happy to swing away while we hang out in the lounge room for short periods.

My Favorite Things:

Our Bright Starts bouncer .. it got some good mileage with E while I showered back in the day and considering how much you hate laying flat, its perfect to pop you in while I'm in the kitchen, we are eating dinner or on the floor playing 'Lightning 'Queen' or Toy Story with big brother. You've also had the odd nap in there when all else fails.
The Medela Swing breast pump. This was one of my favourite must haves last time and remains so this time when I get the occasional free minute to pump. Its quick, compact and easy to use.
Country Road baby blankets are up there with my favourite baby items. They wash and wear better than any I've owned, have a bit of stretch, and are light enough to use all the time in our climate either doubled over or as a single layer. They also come in lots of cute prints and patterns and we have the jacquard (as pictured) and a cream one with navy elephants along with the matching bunnies.

Signature Moves:

You have excellent neck and head control but every now and then we cop a wobbly headbutt ... daddy holds you facing out now just so he can avoid that headbutt as it packs quite a punch and I've even enjoyed a fat lip as a result.

Mum's Proudest Moment:

We were contacted during the week by the local Hospital Foundation regarding the time you spent in Critical Care and we are pleased to say that we are able to give back the ICU/CCU by allowing them to use your case and story to promote the department.
They took such amazing care of you and even us so we are thrilled to support them in return.

Other Milestones:

You slept through the night this month! You had already been sleeping 5/6 hours stretches at night but then you went and blew me away with a 9pm-6am sleep 3 nights in a row. I'm still in shock. Its a more often than not occurrence now and worst case, you wake once for a quick feed then straight back down. Blessed, we are very blessed so far to have a good sleeper in you (touchwood).

2 under 2

Monthly update: 23 months

09:00

Stats & clothes:

Size 2 and finally it's cold enough to break out his winter wardrobe although not quite the puffers and vests yet. It is however already time for another pair of shoes!

Favorite Foods:
Food is not as popular here lately as of once was with many meals being a battle of stamina before he tries to swandive from his chair. We have noticed though his increased tolerance for spices and a little but of heat in dishes so I am loving the TMX and knowing everything is made fresh and from scratch. Yoghurt pouches, cheese, bikkies and berries remain popular as always.

Favorite Words:

I am constantly in stitches this month with things like a forlorn 'why' complete with hand actions when told to eat dinner, the answer 'yes I do' or 'no I don't' if asked a question and calling daddy 'mate' (this one gives me hysterics especially). There is not much he isn't saying nowadays it seems.

Favorite Activities:

Jumping on the 'peen' aka toddler speak for trampoline ... Especially with daddy.

He also loves swimming lessons, rhyme time at the local library and pottering about his room and playroom creating chaos and mess.

Least Favorite Activities:

Mealtime - it's a battle of wills and almost always seems to involve tears lately regardless of what is served.

His Favorite Things:

His baby brother Charlie. I couldn't have ever dreamed how easy our early days have been adding a newborn but E has totally delighted me with how much he loves his little brother and how very gentle and caring he is. He loves to 'hold' bubby in the mornings for a cuddle, sit with us sippy cup of milk in hand while I feed and is quick to tell me if C is 'wakeup' 'burping' or 'sssshhhh sleeping'.

Toy Story is still number one here so anything TS related is a winner including figurines, movies, dolls, drink bottles, plates/bowls, bath wash ... You get the idea. He is obsessed! With that in mind, we are planning a birthday party for him next month themed around the movies so stay tuned for planning and sourcing.

Slippers have also become popular this month much to my relief. With the weather steadily getting cooler, I bought him some Hoot slippers to match his Giggle pjs but he flat out refused to wear them but something has switched in the past week and now he insists on wearing them every morning upon waking and as soon as pjs go on at night.

My Favorite Things:
My thermomix as it allows me to make E snacks and meals in record time from scratch so I know exactly what is in it and that there are no nasties.

Morning tea milkshake dates with my boy and sometimes my niece too. There is a great cafe near us that does a toddler deal complete with milkshake, mini muffin, Vegemite sandwich and activity pack for $5.95 so needless to say, we are regular visitors.
I am loving the Mr Potato Head giant set he has as while its a toy, its been fantastic in teaching E about body parts, where they go and the fine motor skills involved in slotting them into place.

Other Milestones:

Es first haircut happened this month at grandad's barber and yes, I shed a tear at my baby having big boy hair and no more wispy curls. The barber was fabulous and snipped away quickly without fuss before E knew what was going on.
Counting! Not just reciting numbers but actually counting up to 8. It blows my mind he is already mastering this.

He is also stringing words together every time he speaks now and my favourite of course is 'I love you mummy'.

Just this morning, he also told me 'bless mummy' after I sneezed - isn't that the sweetest!

21 months

Monthly update: 21 months

09:13

Age:
21 Months ... and in 1 month (or less) my baby will be a big brother!

Stats:
No weighing or measuring this month but I suspect we have been through a growth spurt as the crotch on some of his shorts no longer seem deep enough..

Clothes:
Size 2 for tops, a size 6! for shoes and anywhere from a 1 to 2 for shorts/pants depending on the brand.

Favorite Foods:
Tuna mornay is a popular one this month - ugh ... I hate tuna but whipped up a batch of this packed with veggies and E loved it so who am I to argue. He is also obsessed with Heinz Fruit Shredz and lives for the moments we leave the pantry door open to grab a packet with all out tantrums ensuing if we refuse them. I've also realised how lucky we are in regards to E's diet that we have next to no battles over eating veggies. Every night his dinner includes steamed corn, carrot and broc or peas and he eats almost all of the serve every time without fuss. I still sneak extra veg in to other things like grated carrot & zucchini in sausage rolls or rissoles but overall, veggies just aren't a drama which is nice.

Favorite Words:

The favourite word of the month is 'Einy's' ... this is E's pronunciation of his name and he uses it constantly to tell me he wants to do something by himself (mister independence) or to indicate ownership or to tell me he wants something. Its super cute and I have to remind myself to use Ethan when referring to him, not just Einy.
'Niiiiccce' is also a popular one if he is eating or drinking something enjoyable. He takes a bite or a sip, sighs and smacks his lips together then tells me its 'niiiiccce'.
He's getting to be such a wonderful communicator with a range of sentences and linking words to make himself understood. It so much fun having a chat to him and its super cute when he gets so excited about something that he descends into rapid toddler babble.

Favorite Activities:
This month he is all about sand and his diggers. My parents built a big sandpit for the grandkids so he is in heaven there and they also gave E a big plastic Thomas Tank shell and filled it with sand for home so he loves to sit and play with his CAT trucks and then traipse the sand through the house afterwards.

Toy Story has also become quite the obsession and scarily, my not yet 2 year old will sit occupied for the entire playtime of the movie ... this from the kid who doesn't have the attention span to watch a 15 minute Peppa Pig episode in full. He's not choosy and will very happily watch any of the 3 movies so I try to limit this to the car DVD player in traffic or if I'm desperately trying to cook dinner on my own and he's in a terrible mood.

Least Favorite Activities:

Its been a really good month here with no all out refusals of anything really except Daddy trying to put him to bed ... poor daddy but its all about mummy this month and tears ensue if daddy doesn't get out of the way.

His Favorite Things:

E was gifted a Little Tikes BBQ set from his grandparents for Christmas but we only just assembled it a few weeks ago. He was given so many new toys that we wanted to stagger them a little to ensure E would get the most out them. As his 'playing' and 'pretend' have really developed in the past month or so, it was perfect timing and he loves to 'cook' for us and serve us hotdogs and burgers, pretending to eat them

Given his intense love for all things Toy Story and his Woody doll from Christmas, we had decided to buy him a Buzz Lightyear Doll when B2 arrives. After am particularly great day with E however, S decided E deserved a treat and went ahead and bought one to indulge him. I have to say I wasn't impressed and we argued for a little while over holding it back but in the end I caved and E's delight made it well worth it. Now Buzz and Woody go everywhere and like in the movie, E has insisted we write 'Einy' on each toys' foot where 'Andy' is normally written. Funnily, he also insisted I write 'Einy' on his foot one night so he could match his toys ... I won't lie, I was tempted to write 'mummy'.
Toy Story has also increased his absolute love for his Potato Head set and he will sit for ages assembling the oddest looking Potato Head creations then has them talk to one another or interact with his trucks etc. Its super cute to watch as you can imagine and is great for his fine motor skills, learning to assemble the faces and secure them in the correct slots.

My Favorite Things:
My MIL bought one of the Aldi Kids Kreation Toilet Trainers a couple of weeks ago and after realising how much E liked it and actually asked to use it, it was a no brainer that we needed one for home. Its a great device that makes it easy for E to use the toilet in our downstairs powder room and means we can leave the potty upstairs.
Dymples training underwear from Big W were also a new buy this month in preparation for more toilet training and I'm pretty happy with them. Well made and sized for E, they have some extra fabric and plastic lining around the crotch area and come in packs of 3 for just $7.
Now that E is in his big boy bed, I am loving the Pottery Barn quilt we bought for is. A great weight for our climates, its a beautiful piece of bedding, well made and of soft quality fabrics. It seems oversized for a single bed which is also a plus and I love that it is a piece that we can continue to use at any age. I bought it on sale and it was definitely well worth the $100 or just under I paid for it.

Other Milestones:
E is becoming very developed in his pretend play, for example he pretends to cook/BBQ food for us and serve it or pretend to eat it himself with sound effects for good measure. He has been doing this but a little less involved the past few months but it seems his imagination has come along leaps and the BBQ set will occupy him for ages. He also likes to have his toys act out, pretending his Potato Head is eating his cereal complete with 'yummy yummy yummy'
We are also making some really positive toilet training headway with E often telling us when he needs to go and sitting on the potty, the step/seat we got and even just on the regular toilet itself. I now just need to bite the bullet and plan some days at home to really focus on getting him in underwear during the day.
And in especially big milestones for us, E is sleeping in his big boy bed in his own room! We've even had a few STTNs which is very positive while other nights he just needs a resettle somewhere around 12/1am. Its a start and in our books, its a good one.

20 months

Monthly update: 20 months

11:12

Age:
20 Months ... yes, you read that right ... my baby is 4 months off turning 2 and only around 2 months off becoming a big brother. Time waits for no one but sometimes I wish it would slow the heck down so I can take in more, store up more beautiful moments with my boy and just have him at this adorable clever loving age for a longer time.

Stats:
We had a run with croup again this month so we know his weight is sitting at 12.3kg (medicine is administered on weight).

Clothes:
Definitely in size 2 tops now but my shortie is going just fine in size 1 bottoms. The one thing he does have is huge feet! He's in a size 5 and wearing sandals I bought for next Summer already - he has a wide foot too so we are favouring brands like Clark's that cater for width.

Favorite Foods:
We had a lot of food refusal this past month with him being sick and teething so rather than turn mealtime into a battleground, we go with the flow and offer the usual, top up with fruit/yoghurt etc and wait for it to pass. Beef stroganoff in the slow cooker was a surprising hit however and he is wolfing down mango as fast as we serve it. A popular brekky we trialed this month too was 'toad in the hole' so its been an easy protein go to on days we struggle.

Favorite Words:
Turning into a teenager already, when we ask a question, he has started answering with 'ummmmm...' - its too funny - and just the other day to my shock, I asked him to bring me something and he turned, looked straight at me, held his hand up and said 'just a minute'. I had nothing, I was dumbfounded by the sentence, correct use and that I was being bossed around by a baby!
E is also loving to name everything or wants to know the name of everything so he points and states or points and waits for us to state then says it over and over ... and he never seems to forget once he has been told what something is.
The big one last week though was when he pointed at our city skyline view and quite clearly said 'Gold Coast' ... we've never taught him so I'm blown away as to how he picked that one up.

Favorite Activities:
Swimming and swimming lessons are absolutely loved still with him grabbing his gear and waving me 'bye byes' while trying to get out the door as quick as he can every week (Scott takes him to lessons).

Least Favorite Activities:

Having always been a dream at taking medicine of any kind (possibly related to having losec every day from early on), we were shocked when that changed this month and we were having to pin him down to get even panadol into him. It seems to have passed thankfully but its awful having to hold your baby down while forcing him to take something he doesn't want.

His Favorite Things:

He's also fallen in love with 'toot toots' this month and every morning he starts the day playing with his mini Thomas train set - lucky my mum has been well prepared for this eventuality and he will be getting a full set with tracks and cars for his birthday in June.
In the Night Garden is also still a hit with 'Piggle' and 'Pakka' the favourites and it is part of our night time routine to wind down after bath and story.
The Toy Story bug has also started here and he enjoys watching movie snippets on his car dvd player and wanders around the house calling for Buzz and Woody despite only having a Woody doll - looks like the Buzz doll when B2 arrives will be a sure hit and in the meantime, Woody gets pride of place with E taking him to bed or even sitting at the table for dinner.

My Favorite Things:
Our Tomy lullaby star was barely used when he was small as it just distressed rather than soothed him at bedtime but now its part of even our nap routine and settles him well. He likes laying and looking at the characters and waving 'nigh nighs' to them.
We have been tackling craft activities at home a little more often after hearing how much he enjoyed collage at daycare so I am also loving the easel he was given for Christmas along with these Kmart water paint books that eliminate mess and are great for indoor rainy day entertainment (I had them as a child!) - all you need is a wet paint brush and you're good to go.

Signature Moves:

The latest is blowing two handed 'mwah' kisses to the masses like a superstar. I caught him doing it in his carseat sitting in traffic and its become part of his repertoire since. Hilarious and adorable.

Mum's Proudest Moment:

We have just upgraded E's carseat to a 6 month to 8 year old Babylove Ezy Combo seat as it would have been a necessity once B2 outgrew the capsule at 6 months and they were on sale this month. We selected the Babylove model as some knowledgeable girlfriends' gave me great reviews including it is one of two with the highest CREP safety ratings of its kind. Anyway, I digress... my finest moment this month happened last Sunday when E and I ducked into the local mini-supermarket for lunch supplies. Driving out of the carpark and I hear E exclaim 'uh ohhhh mummy' and I turn to see him holding one loose strap trying to buckle it in ... bad mumma hadn't snapped the buckle in properly. I am always so careful about checking the belt so not sure how I missed it but thankfully E alerted me while we were still relatively stationery and not on the road.

Other Milestones:
After a long month of tantrums, we possibly seem to be coming out the other side and with it is a whole lot of new skills and knowledge. E has always been a great little communicator but now he is using sentences, counting, linking words - yesterday he pointed at the clouds and told me 'storm, rain, wind' - and generally just knowing so much more.
He is also becoming very independent in wanting to open and close doors, help dress himself and have a say in what he is wearing etc.
The best part is him using his name and he does so often, talking about himself as 'Einy' in the third person when its his turn, he wants a turn or he is answering a question... its ridiculously cute.

19 months

Monthly update: 19 months

12:00

Age:
19 Months ... I'm in shock, where on earth did 19 months go? My baby is a real little boy now and developing a very strong independent personality that has us varying between hysterics (laughter) and exasperation.

Stats:
I'm pretty sure we are going through a growth spurt at the moment as he seems taller lately and I suspect I will need to break out the sz2 t-shirts any day now.

Clothes:
Still getting wear out of his size 0, size 1 and 12-18 month shorts but as above, we are definitely ready for size 2 tops & tees and not a bad thing really as being a typical boy, a whole lot of his tees belong as rags now thanks to dirt and goodness knows what else stains.

Favorite Foods:
Fruit of all kinds, particularly white nectarines and mango - trust my kid to have taste for only the expensive fruits like mango & berries - are always a winner and my consistent go to for difficult fussy periods.
Dinners are up and down but I suspect he is cutting his 2 year old molars as his behaviours including food refusal are on par with other teething episodes we've been through. We just go with it and keep offering usual meals but filling him up with fruit if he refuses them.

Favorite Words:
The vocabulary he is developing just blows us away everyday... walking with him at our local shopping centre and he starts saying 'tick tock' over and over and waving his arm back and forth. I couldn't make the connection until I looked up and saw the big clock over the store we were walking to and when I said 'clock' he said 'yes, tick tock' - where does he even learn this stuff???
Like last week he picked my purse and said clearly 'mummy's wallet' ... I didn't even know he knew what a wallet was.
His favourite sentence at the moment though is when he is particularly enjoying something like blueberries and there are none left. He looks up at us and points his finger saying 'one more peeeease'. Needless to say, he almost always gets his way with this one.
'Nigh nighs' has also entered the vocabulary and he happily wishes his toys, the moon and us 'nighs nighs' before we take him to bed. My heart squeezes everytime he says it in a perfect innocent little squeak before blowing me a big 'mwah' kiss.

Favorite Activities:
Jumping on the trampoline he got for Christmas elicits nonstop giggles as does rough-housing with daddy playing something they call 'Body Slam 2014' ... it involves S getting leapt on by all solid 13kgs of our little rascal and daddy has had more than a few injuries from this game but no sympathy from me given he 'invented' it.
Lucky for me, its not all about 'body-slamming' and reading is also still a favourite. E will bring me book after book to browse over while he sits in my lap and pats my knee.

Least Favorite Activities:
Kindy drop off is back to being a torturous nightmare for us both after a break at Christmas but he settles quickly and has a great day.

His Favorite Things:

Like every other parent out there I expect, our house is overflowing with new toys from Christmas and a couple of the big favourites are his Mr Potato Head set - all we hear is 'potato potato potato', his Woody doll from Toy Story and his assorted Tonka trucks including an enormous one he is convinced is a ride on toy.

We've also noticed he is starting to become attached to his mini Ernie & Bert dolls that were a gift when he was born. Never one to really develop an attachment to his stuffed toys or comforters so far (he gave up his dummy on his own at 6m and has never wanted a blankie or teddy), he can often be found clutching one of these or asking after them so I keep one upstairs and one downstairs to save me.

My Favorite Things:
I mentioned in a previous post that I bought a Wahu vest for him to use over our Christmas holidays at Lennox Heads in the lake. Its been a great investment and one we will continue to get lots of use out of at the beach thanks to the peace of mind it gives me and the non-restrictive nature of it as a flotation device for E.
We have also started introducing E to the potty with a view to approach toilet training in a couple of months depending on how we progress. I bought the Fisher Price potty pictured and so far so good, I like that the seat is stable and comfortable, its easy to clean with a removable tray and parts and has a little lip to prevent any little boy messes.

Signature Moves:
He still has everyone we know, especially his grandparents and Aunty K, completely besotted with his blowing kisses including the 'mwah' sound effect and hand signing for 'I love you'. Its become a bit of a competition if there are a few of them around as to who can get the kisses/love directed to them when its time to leave.
He has also started the sweetest little skip hop type walk when he is especially happy that has me giggling and 'awwwwww'ing at once.

Mum's Proudest Moment:
This is a truly proud moment and a turning point in our relationship. It was during this month that I was able to get E down for naps and bedtime without tantrums and hysterical tears since we weaned. I was despairing that it would even happen and found it very upsetting, taking it as a personal rejection in addition to worrying how I would manage this with another baby in the mix.
It was one day when just he and I were home and he was showing me all his sleepy signs so I decided to try laying down with him. Preparing for the worst, he shocked me when he laid down, cuddled up to me and gave me a kiss, closed his eyes and was asleep in all of 5 minutes. I cried... relief, happiness, love.

Other Milestones:
Two big ones stand out this past month - he had his first wee in the potty that was initiated by him (he went and got the potty and insisted sitting on it). We aren't pushing toilet training, more just getting him comfortable with using the potty without pressure.
The other big milestone this month was using his own name! We didn't pick up at first because it sounded like he was saying 'mine' but we eventually figured out he was saying 'einy' for Ethan - if we asked him whose bed is this, he would reply 'einy's'. Its ridiculously cute and we have to remind ourselves to still call him Ethan not Einy however I can see a nickname developing here.

18 months

Monthly update: 18 months

09:31

Age: 18 Months ... and oh my goodness, could being a mumma get to be anymore fun than it is right now! I have loved every second with E but at this age there is such an emphasis on fun and play.

Stats: I would be guessing around 12-12.5kg ... looking healthy with his little belly and a good appetite.

Clothes: definitely into the 18m-24m size t-shirts but still narrow in the waist and fitting his size 0 shorts and pants.

Favorite Foods: still with the berries, especially blueberries and also watermelon I cut into star shapes. He is also loving cheese sticks, apple cereal bars and lightly marinated panfried white fish - this stuff gets inhaled! Ethan is still on a regular dose of Losec so no acidic foods here still including anything tomato based - my poor baby has never even had spaghetti bol! I can't wait to introduce it to him one day and our doctor tells us he will eventually grow out of it.

Favorite Words: in typical boy fashion, he can distinguish between trucks and the latest is 'digger'. He also uses 'pease' often as we got sick of the whining for want 'uh uh uh uh' whenever he wanted to be picked up or wanted something so we now ask him to use his words and he will say 'mummy/daddy pease' and point to what he wants. Its so cute and really such a big milestone. He has a huge vocabulary that just blows me away and the latest is stringing words together. A few weeks ago in the bath waiting for Scott to get home, E called out 'dadddeeee where arrrrr yoooooo'. It was the all time cutest. I've also been spending a bit of time working on counting and colours with his toys and he can now identify if there are 2 of something and will fill in the blanks of counting 1-4. For a bit of fun, we also taught him 'number one boy' this month complete with a hand signal as he is the only grandson/nephew on both sides ... it gets lots of giggles.

Favorite Activities: Dancing and music bring the most joy ... to all of us really, so each morning after breakfast is done and we are all dressed, we head down to the playroom and bop along to some Wiggles to get the day started. Playing cars and his imaginative play is also starting to develop I've noticed and he will sit at his Little People airport for quite awhile moving vehicles around the tracks, changing people in and out of them and zooming the planes in the air. I'm glad we've got a few Little People sets ready for Christmas to add to the collection.

Least Favorite Activities: getting dressed is a battle this month - putting anything on him is a battle and involves singing and lots of distraction.

His Favorite Things: definitely still the Christmas tree, lights and associated decorations ... he loves looking at them and continues to be not too destructive when it comes to the tree, only pulling off the occasional bauble for closer inspection. Christmas carols are popular too and he loves singing and dancing to them with me, especially to my old classic favourite, Disney's Christmas Carols complete with Mickey, Donald and Goofy. We had an early present opening at my parents this week as we will all be away camping together Christmas day and didn't want to lug all the kids gifts with us so the very biggest hits from E's ridiculous haul were a giant rubber T-Rex dinosaur from Aunty K that now needs to dine with us at every meal and the Little Tikes Lawn Mower from my parents... no kidding, sun up to sun down he is zooming around the house with this thing!

My Favorite Things: despite it being Summer, our Vicks Vaporiser is getting quite the workout every night as we have all been struck down with a cold. Cutlery is also a favourite at the moment as my 'precious' little boy has decided fingers are no longer for him and he now requires a fork at dinner time to dine so I'm loving this Hungry Little Caterpillar set with nice blunt prongs.

Signature Moves: like last month, the blowing kisses with the 'mwah' sound effect and hand signing for 'I love you' are melting every one's hearts along with his big wave and 'byyyyyyyyy'. I swear, these are the cutest things you could ever imagine coming from your baby. Tip-toeing is another fun move of his and he insists we all follow him doing it. He is also jumping - walking along and will start doing it however its the funniest thing to watch as he hasn't quite mastered both feet off the ground together so its quite uncoordinated.

Mom's Proudest Moment: some real doozy's this month! Since weaning, E won't nap for me and its made for some very upsetting and fraught weekends while Scott is at work. He sleeps for everyone else no problem at all but for me, poor E is literally so tired he is running into walls or falling down but as soon as I try to get him down, he becomes hysterical and does not calm till we give up (even after 45mins of me trying to rock, cuddle, snuggle etc while he sobbed). So early this month, I became THAT parent. At the end of my sanity, I put him in the car and drove. He was asleep within 10 minutes so I headed home with my now sleeping baby and made the decision to leave him in the car all opened up in our garage. HE SLEPT FOR 90 MINUTES! Sometimes you've just got to cut yourself some slack and go with what works.

Other Milestones: the biggest this month would have to be his comprehension and communication. He grasp and understanding of what we say to him is incredible and he mimics just about everything we say and do. He only needs to be shown something or told something once before he does it or knows what we want him to do. We have also found that we can give him instruction that he follows and we are able to negotiate a little as well ie. we can go watch Iggle Piggle if you put your pjs on.

17 months

Monthly update: 17 months

12:08

Age: 17 Months

Stats: unfortunately we had E in hospital last week with a nasty case of croup so he was weighed for medication so we know he is sitting at 12.2kg.

Clothes: still a shorty with a little waist, he is wearing size 0 bottoms and starting into the 18-24m/size 2 t-shirts to cover that little belly..

Favorite Foods: Ethan's been a bit off his food lately but he is still loving a few things including homemade chicken & veg sausage rolls, 'tanas, the ever favourite blueberries and squeezy yoghurts.

Favorite Words: mummy ... and its always in the context of 'mummy come here/sit/do this'.'Helicop' for helicopter is the other big one and 'truck' whenever we are out and about. The other word on repeat is 'more' when he finishes eating something he likes and its always delivered with a cheeky little smile that melts me.

Favorite Activities: anything outdoors is a hit but throw in some water and he's in heaven so we spend lots of time in the yard under the tap, playing with buckets and the water table. He also loves bouncing on the trampoline and even just watching the neighbour's children bounce so Scott has decided that means he needs his own trampoline for Christmas.

Least Favorite Activities: eating is one of his least favourite things at the moment sadly and takes lots of coaxing and distracting other than that, we haveit pretty easy at the moment touch wood.

His Favorite Things: books continue as a favourite much to my delight and particularly the Mighty Movers book series (all about trucks of course). He also loves his wooden Kaper Kidz toy trucks and likes to 'brmmm brmmm' them all around the house. The Wiggles ... he just loves the music... as in gets up to dance and claps whenever it comes on. The Christmas tree, lights and associated decorations ... he loves looking at them and is surprisingly not too destructive when it comes to the tree, only pulling off the occasional bauble for closer inspection.

My Favorite Things: Little People nativity set... its gorgeous and as detailed as my Royal Doulton one but more importantly, E loves playing with it and rearranging the figures so I look forward to sharing its meaning with him each year as he grows. Sooki Baby boys clothes... despite pretty poor customer service, I love the funky prints and the quality of the boys stuff so most of E's next Summer wardrobe is made up of Sooki I got for 50% off or more. The Lion King Disney movie... we watch it ( E watches and I listen) in the car and I had forgotten just how beautiful the score is so while E is enthralled by the animals, I love to sing along.

Signature Moves: blowing kisses with the 'mwah' sound effect and hand signing for 'I love you' that melts my heart every single time.

Mom's Proudest Moment: cuddling with E before bed holding his sippy cup of milk and I hadn't sealed the lid properly ... next minute, poor kid was covered in milk.

Dad's Proudest Moment: desperately excited to give E his first taste of chocolate custard and positive he'd love it, Scott did a huge build up and after 2 or 3 spoonfuls, E was over it. Scott was crushed.

Other Milestones: fully weaned is our biggest milestone ... from being the ultimate booby baby, E is settling easily for Scott at night with no more breast feeding. I loved being able to bf him but I had definitely tired on the demands since becoming pregnant and it was difficult for Scott as E just wouldn't settle without me. Our boy is now consistently sleeping through the night and I admit, its nice to have a break before B2 arrives.

activities

Monthly update: 16 months

14:17

Age: 16 Months

Stats: no weighing or measuring this month so nothing to share.

Clothes: definitely a size 1 in tees now but my little poppet is still too narrow in the waist and short in length for size 1/12-18m bottoms. He is still wearing some 00 Quicksilver boardshorts comfortably.

Favorite Foods: We are all about the squeezy fruit pouches here much to my disgust or as E calls them, 'yum yums'. Yoghurt or fruits, he isn't fussy so I keep a few in the fridge as a treat when he has eaten all his dinner. Nothing tops blueberries or kiwi fruit though and he literally inhales them.

Favorite Words: Mummy ... he will often say it in an enquiring tone or chasing after me around the yard. He also likes to just call it out in the middle of play and throw himself at me. We are also all about 'turtle' 'tiger' and the big one 'makka pakka' from In the Night Garden.

Favorite Activities: Ethan is Loving swimming on the hot Spring days we are getting so we are making the most of my parents' pool on the weekend and our passes to Wet'n Wild. He is also loving watching for planes and helicopters, as soon as he hears one overhead he starts shouting and wanting to go outside/on the balcony to see. Rhyme Time with Grammy at the library is still a big hit and he has the best time socialising, singing and dancing with other children.

Least Favorite Activities: We are back to despising nappy changes in the biggest way with all out screaming, tears, tossing and the like. Thank goodness for Huggies nappypants at the moment because trying to have him lay down is akin to pining down an octopus while its screaming at the top of its lungs at you. Bathtime is inciting similar reactions to nappy changes at the moment much to our surprise with screaming and tears until he is out then all smiles instantaneously.

His Favorite Things: his Little Tikes water table provides ages of entertainment although daddy made the mistake of sitting him on it last week so he now likes to climb up on it and sit in it himself. Shoes are a big deal too and he is insisting on putting them on just to stroll around the house. In the Night Garden DVDs and particularly Makka Pakka - does anyone know what it is with this show and kids? Honestly, every child I know is obsessed and mesmerised and E is no exception. 'Makka pakka' is all we hear after bathtime.

My Favorite Things: Huggies nappypants - see least favourite activity. The Nike shoes pictured - they are enclosed, have a velcro fastening and of light comfortable material so what is not to love? E has worn these every day since we have bought them. The good old Tupperware tumblers - I had these as a child and we use them now for E to have his milk after bathtime before bed.

Signature Moves: Trying to dip the bubble wand in solution and blow bubbles ... he hasn't quite mastered the blowing to produce bubbles. Pursing his lips in an 'ooooh' face when something surprises him. Telling off the neighbour's dog for barking with lots of 'uh uh'ing' and finger tutting.

Dad's Proudest Moment: Waking me up at 2am on Sunday night in a panic asking where Ethan is... he was sleeping over at his grandparents because we had date night duhhhh.

Other Milestones: Feeding himself, insisting on loading the spoon or fork and feeding himself at all times now. In huge news though, Ethan slept through the night this month for the very first time. Yes, we were a little bit excited about this. A true 6:30pm to 5:30am sleep with no getting up to resettle etc. It only took almost 16 months but we got there! Some nights we still have him up once but he goes back down after a quick resettle unlike just a few months ago when it was every 45-90 min wake ups with hysterics. See my night weaning post for more.

15 month

Monthly update: 15 months

14:29

Age: 15 Months

Favorite Foods: mini homemade quiche, nanananas (bananas), weetbix, cheese, frozen berries of any kind, steamed fish with a light lemon garlic marinade - he inhales this and would eat it every night if we offered it.

Favorite Words: So many words now, its crazy how quickly their vocabulary expands. Boat, bus, truck and ball are the most used while my wonderful sister and brother taught him 'noooooo' complete with head shake which he says often and with giggles because he knows its cheeky. The one that shocked us the most though was 'dinosaur' - he said it loud and clear just the other night while picking up his stuffed Ethandactyl toy and is now obsessed with them in books etc.

Favorite Activities: definitely still dancing but he is also loving climbing up and down the stairs - front on now which is a bit scary for mummy, stirring the mixing bowl - he has a little bowl and spatula and one day just started stirring them, now he likes to sit on the floor of the kitchen when I bake with his little bowl and spatula. His favourite time of the day is when daddy gets home... he hears the door open and goes crazy, running to balustrades and looking down calling 'dadadadadada' - talk about a King's welcome.

Least Favorite Activities: same as last month, having the remotes/phone etc taken off him and mummy not picking him up RIGHT NOW. These both lead to all out tantrums including running and standing in a corner of whatever room we are in, throwing himself on the floor or running off to hide in his tent.

His Favorite Things: his Chicago Bulls mini basketball, Fisher Price jungle animals and their accessories, bubbles ... the $1 Kmart/Big W bubble wands are this little guy's favourite entertainment at the moment and as soon as he spies a wand, its 'bubble gah gah gah bubble bubble' (translation of 'bubbles ta ta ta') so we spend lots of time outside in the sun blowing and chasing bubbles and I must say, I had forgotten the magical and wonder of bubbles until now. While we are outside, E is loving to play at his Little Tikes Pirate Ship water table, splashing and putting his face in. We both love the Disney Aladdin movie - we have it on for car trips and he loves to 'sing' with the Genie and Aladdin numbers and I love having it as background noise and singing along while driving. Did you have or do you remember Glow-worm toys as a child? My mum bought Ethan one and he loves to sit, press the tummy and sway to the lullabies ... I'm trying to use it as part of a new bedtime routine we are trying at the moment as he has never taken to comforters like a teddy or blanket.

My Favorite Things: Baby Bjorn - I have always kept it in my pram and it kills my shoulders as E is really to big for it now but its a lifesaver at the shops when i don't have time to let him walk and he won't sit in the pram. Ethan's new Bento lunchbox for daycare and my Bento accessories ... its so much fun to create and pack his lunch each week (I will do a post on the lunches once we have had a few (only 2 so far as he only goes to DC once a week). The Vtech Octobubble Orchestra bath toy - it blows bubbles, speaks and plays music so is a big hit with our little water baby and keeps him occupied while we attend to the 'formalities'. The Fred Bare sunhat was a reasonable buy at $19.95 and the best part? E keeps it on his head! I love that its a simple block colour and the toggle to tighten is around his head as he hated the under chin straps.

Signature Moves: blowing kisses and making the mwah sound are my favourite at the moment along with his waddling little run combined with a swinging arm.

Mom's Proudest Moment: E through a powerpoint adaptor that landed on the top of my foot/toes. It hurt like hell and I started hopping around cursing. Imagine my horror when E copied me, running around in circles, giggling and repeating what I was saying but thankfully mispronouncing the curse word. No more bad words from this mumma now with a little parrot on the loose.

Dad's Proudest Moment: Not a bad one but S took him to a play centre last week and E was running past swinging his arm around. After a while, he noticed E was swinging something in his hand. Turns out he was running around with a $5 note he had picked up somewhere.

Other Milestones: Its been a month of milestones here - we visited the theme parks Wet'n Wild and Seaworld for the first time and he was in heaven, Graduating from Angel Sharks to Gummy Sharks at swimming was the biggest one, a visit to Seaworld with the family (he was in heaven with all the animals) and the other was his very first sleepover at Granny and Granddad's while mummy worked the polling booths on election day.

Monthly update: 4 month old Charley Bear

Monthly update: 3 month old Charley Bear

Monthly update: 23 months

Monthly update: 21 months

Monthly update: 20 months

Monthly update: 19 months

Monthly update: 18 months

Monthly update: 17 months

Monthly update: 16 months

Monthly update: 15 months

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