19 Months

Because I am a month late with an 18 month update, I give you a 19 month update on Sam (and even still it's late for that - #momlife).  I just looked through Callie's 18 month update, and was surprised to see how similar her brother is to her (they both demand(ed) a taste of whatever sauces are on the table at a meal - syrup, sour cream, salsa, salad dressing, etc), though there are definitely differences, too (like Cal knowing her shapes but only barely walking and Sam walking for months but doesn't care one bit about shape names).  Kids are a joy (and a challenge) and I just feel lucky to be the mom of these two.  Anyway, on to Sam (I haven't done an official "photo shoot" of him for a while, so I'll just pull a random assortment of semi-recent ones, which you may have already seen or will see in the future in other posts, for this post).

They're full of fun and personality, these two.  And Sam adores
his sister.  Cal, well, she tolerates him most times.  ;)

Sam has started talking up a storm - he is trying new words every day, and bonus! some words have multiple meanings (for example: bompa/ba-ba/bapa = grandpa, tractor, backpack and Deeya = callie, quesadilla, kitty cat).  He loves to practice the ones he knows over and over and over again.  My favorite is when he first wakes up he has to go through naming the family and pointing to everyone (Dad! Bomb! Deeya! Bomb! Dad! Deeya!)

This is after eating licorice in the car on the way
home from the store.

This is after smearing ketchup through his hair
so I used it as "gel" to try a new 'do.

One of his favorite tricks lately is his daring table-to-couch acrobatics.  He'll stand up on the end table next to the couch and then sort of jump/dive onto the couch or the recliner.  Over and over and over.

This was yet another "trick" that only lasted while
Mom was not home and then the box was moved!

Sam loves: going outside (he is so fast to run for his shoes if its even mentioned as a future plan), swinging, strolling (understatement of the century), sliding (with rumble strips), snacking (he begs for snacks at the library, which are usually there after story time, but when we go on days other than Mondays, he's sorely disappointed), cars and trucks and things that go (matchbox to real life), bat-ball (pointing out basketball hoops on our walks), reading (truck books are his fave, but also loves Joone (he calls it the bompa book) and Dr Seuss's Teeth Book and will sit through just about anything we are reading), splashing rocks, sticks or shoes in puddles, grandpas, breakfast, sweet potato "fries", asparagus, eggs of all varieties, cheese, Music Makers (his favorite song is Drive Your Car sung to the tune of Row Your Boat and ends with a cute "beep! beep!"),

By the end of winter he was tantruming when
we came inside instead of when we went out
in the snow.

Notice the motorboat lips making all the car
sounds in Richard Scarry's book.

Cute story alert: watching music and spoken word on 4/9 was a hoot.  He pointed out every thing he knew in the videos (grass ("wass"), goose ("goose" - I didn't even know he knew that word!), water ("wah"), church ("durch" - really any large church-like building, including the state capital and temple)).  Then after the first song he folded his arms because he guessed a prayer was next (but not so on the motab broadcast).  After the second song he tried folding arms again (but still no prayer). When Lloyd Newell started his spoken word part, Sam folded his arms again and said "pair".  (Close enough, buddy.)  (Side note: his "folded arms" are the cutest things ever - he pokes his elbows out and puts his wrists together, with his hands pointing downward and touching on the backs.  I don't know if that even makes sense at all, so if I ever get a photo of it, I'll be sure to update this post.)

Sunday best.  But not pleased with the photo
shoot.

Sam does not seem to love: swimming in a big pool, nursery (18 month separation anxiety is real, though he had his first successful no-parent-whole-nursery day on 4/9, and it went even better on 4/16 so maybe we've crossed a bridge), meat (except chicken nuggets or hot dogs - does that even count?), bathing in other people bath tubs (but he loves ours!), milk (he used to drink a bottle every night before bed and then he got sick and threw up a whole bottle and never drank one again; he will sip a bit from a sippy cup, but not much, and I forget to give it to him since Cal doesn't really drink it either).

Let's add "holding still for a picture with his
sister" to that list of things he doesn't love,
shall we?

Gets it from his dad, methinks.

Sam is finally sleeping through the night (and even "sleeping in" till seven on occasion).  He started out sleeping much better than Cal, but then we had some rough months.  But around 18 months things turned the corner for her and they have done so with him, too.  Luckily he will still sleep in his crib at night and pack 'n' play for naps, so that is a blessing!  He actually loves to take a nap.  He knows when he's tired and when I ask if he's ready for a nap he'll usually wave goodbye to whoever we're with/whatever we're doing and lay his head on my shoulder down the hall to his bed.  He sleeps in the cutest little bum-in-the-air way and still asks for/gets a bink when it's sleepy time.  He's down to one solid 1-2 hour nap a day right after lunch (and sometimes before if we happen to be driving home from somewhere and he falls asleep in the five minutes it takes to get home).  At night he usually goes down around 7:30 and wakes up between 6:00 and 7:00 (if we're super lucky it's the latter, but usually closer to 6:00).

A very rare (these days) naptime cuddle in the chair. (He wasn't
feeling too well.)   I love the car clutched in his fingers.

Sammy is a super helper, learning how to clean up toys and books when we ask him to.  He's actually a better sharer than his sister (hmmm).  He's content to play by himself for good little stretches of time, usually occupying himself with the bookshelf or the matchbox cars or the colanders and spoons and beaters from the kitchen cupboards.  He's very affectionate and will give slobbery kisses on the lips or cheeks or loving head bonks.

There's those motorboat lips again!

His stats from his 18 month check up are:
weight: 23 lbs 5 oz (37th percentile)
height: 34 inches (97th percentile)
head circumference: 47.5 cm (54th percentile)
He only cried for a few seconds when he got his shot and didn't even make a peep when they stuck him to collect a blood sample to check his iron levels (came back normal).

Other stats:
diaper size: 4s (has been in these for a while and will likely stay for a while longer
clothes size: mostly 18-24 months, some 2T (waists seem to be a bit big on many things but shirts and pants aren't quite long enough if they fit around the middle well - they must be related to their father!)
shoes size: 4s, though growing out of them soon I think (his feet are a little small compared to other kids his age, much like his sister)
teeth count: 18 chompers!  (I swear he was constantly teething for the past year, but we finally seem to have a reprieve)

He's a healthy and active little guy and we sure love having him in our family.

Watch Samuel grow: 12 months | 11 months | 10 months | 9 months | 8 months | 
7 months | 6 months | 5 months | 4 months | 3 months | 2 months | birth