15 Months Old

Age: 15 months old

Weight: 20 lbs., 13 oz.

Height: 2'7"

Head circumference: 47.5 cm

It's safe to say that BB has hit full-on toddler mode. From building quite the vocabulary to having early "terrible twos" tantrums, our little guy is experiencing massive growth spurts in both his personality and size. I'd say that his personality has been cumulative, but it's definitely become much more defined within the past few months. He is still extremely strong-willed but he also has the sweetest, most caring nature. For example, he is always looking out for his toys, stuffed animals, us, and other children by offering (sometimes to the point of accidentally forcing) food or drinks into our mouths lol. I'm also proud to see that he's grown into a big helper, whether he's helping Mommy put the books into the return slot at the library or using a rag to wipe down his high chair tray - he's often looking for ways to pitch in. He still has his moments of pure fury but we're trying to not reinforce that this behavior gets him attention or his way. When he's not on the go, he's very affectionate, giving hugs when we ask for them (and sometimes on his own), blowing kisses, and giving big open mouth "kisses" on the cheek once in a while.

Milestones: 

• His understanding of language is going through the roof. I can tell because our little BB LOVES to eavesdrop! For instance, Leif and I were talking about going to the doctor that day and BB got very tense and begin panicking and other times, water or food will get mentioned and he starts pretending to splash or put food in his mouth. His top words right now are mama, dada, "boo-bree" for blueberry, "die-da" for dinosaur (or anything that looks remotely like one), moo, quack, neigh, "ba-ba" for bottle, and "duh" for duck. Mostly, he communicates through real and his own invented sign language. He also points at things he wants or finds interesting, hits the couch or chair to show he wants up, puts his fingers to his mouth and says "mmmmm" when he's hungry, puts his hand up on an imaginary steering wheel for car, and "splashes" with his arms for water or bath. I've always had a pretty good idea of what he wants or am able to anticipate his needs, but his ability to communicate has made many daily processes a lot smoother... that is, unless he doesn't like something that's happening. Since he understands so much, I can reason with him better such as saying things like "we have to get in the car so we can go home and have a snack." This works some of the time, but if he has his mind set on not getting into his car seat, that's another story.
• He's pretty good at using light switches, turning the radio on, using a spoon (or at least dipping it into something to eat), climbing stairs, closing doors, opening drawers, and tinkering with objects until he figures out how they work. His favorite types of toys are giant legos, trains and cars, books, stuffed animals (when he's in a snugly mood), pull-along toys, his airplane that you can dissemble and reassemble, anything that can be used as a trampoline, and wooden puzzles. 
• He's making some progress eating more, but it's still a struggle getting him to eat a balanced diet! There are some foods he can't get enough of like corn, most types of fruit, toddler cookies, crackers, sugar cereal soaked in milk, green veggies, and flavored yogurt but I have to find ways to sneak in or convince him to eat anything else. The other day, I literally had to do a full-blown cheer-leading routine to get him to eat a few big bites of his meal. I've been told that toddlers don't grow very quickly and only really need a couple handfuls of food at each meal but I want to make sure that he's getting what he needs!
• BB is a huge animal lover and gets excited to encounter, read about, and play with figurines of them. He can replicate the sounds of many animals (or at least make a decent best attempt) and enjoys our trips to the Old MacDonald's Farm petting zoo to see all of the farm animals and Noelridge Park for the ducks and geese.
• I'm so grateful that I've been able to take BB to library programs. He's become very social, always observing the other children and only really has issues if another child starts yelling or screeching loudly next to him. I've been reading about secure attachment and I can see that clearly demonstrated by the way BB ventures away from me to play and explore while knowing I'm there when he needs me. I'm happy to see this healthy independence blossoming within him, but at the same time, we're still working on getting him used to me not being around at every moment. Work in progress!