18 months

a couple of weeks ago logan turned 18 months and it seems impossible to believe that he is a year and a half old (i think as a parent you never get used to your children growing up. i'm sure my mom and dad can't believe their "baby" turns 30 this week!). i already blogged about the significant event of 18 months - nursery at church - and it rocks! i really feel like logan is officially no longer a baby, he is a full blown toddler. i know that seems obvious, but he looks like a little boy (he has lost all his baby chub) and acts like a little boy and it is a bittersweet thing for me. i think the upcoming arrival of baby girl has made the fact that my "baby" is growing up a little more bearable. parenthood has been so wonderful...better than i ever imagined! we love you logan peter!

at 18 months our little boy:

• has become a squealer
• has quite the knack of scattering his toys around the house. i am amazed at the speed with which he can pull apart a once clean room.
  
• loves to knock on doors (especially while we are in the bathroom. fortunately the tininess of our bathroom means we can knock back...even while using the toilet. it is probably the only good thing about how tiny our bathroom is)
• loves to bounce on the bed, the couch, his crib, a pillow...anywhere
• still loves piles of pillows and flopping himself on them. we frequently drag the pillows onto the floor so he can play. he also loves his turtle pillow pet.
• loves wrestling and playing with daddy
• is enamored with trucks and cars. he plays with them constantly and loves to drive them all over the place...our arms and legs, the couch, the wall, dave's guitar case etc. it's fun to see him "pretend" with them
• pulls up his shirt to show off his belly (and his outie belly button that just popped out one day)
• loves filling up his dump truck with toys and making it dump. we're having a hard time convincing him that it is not so cute (or fun for us) when he dumps out his bowl of cheerios or crackers all over the floor.
• throwing anything and everything (including his food) :(
  
• understands that before bedtime we say prayers. he will bow his head and fold his arms reverently...for a few seconds, but no matter how distracted he was during the prayer he always manages to say "amen" with enthusiasm at the end
• he can name and point to most body parts (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, teeth, arms, hands, toes, feet, head)
• he can count to 7, although lately he has been skipping number 5
• he tries to say his abc's and "sing" the song but probably dave and i are the only ones that can actually recognize that
• runs everywhere he can
• hitting, not our favorite thing. which has lead to time-outs, not his favorite thing (although it does not seem to be deterring him from hitting. ideas?!)
• is more independent about playing for short periods of time, although never at the times that i need him be (like when i am making dinner). those are the moments he wants to be right by my side :)
• loves to be outside. we go for walks together to the end of our block and back and he thinks it is the greatest to be able to run around and explore (those walks we go sans stroller)
• has mastered "please" (and thinks if he says it he should get whatever he is asking for) and sometimes "thank you"
• loves looking at pictures - on the computer, cell phone or in a photo album
• loves to dance. he walk up to the computer and say "dance" which is my clue to turn on the music
• he loves to watch dave juggle. he will walk up to dave holding a couple of balls and say "juggo"
• when eating snacks, likes to have one in each hand (double fisting is the way to go)
  

stats:
23 pounds - 20th percentile
32.5 inches - 50th percentile
head - 47 cm - 20 or 25th percentile