W 17 Month Update

Is it just me, or did August fly by??

So, W is still about 24 to 25 pounds and I officially packed up his 18 month stuff to save for BabyDeux!  He also wears a size 5.5 shoe, which apparently is kinda big for a 17 month old (but I wouldn't know either way).

This month we went to Dancing Tots, My Five Senses, (he and The Sailor went to) Donuts with Dad, La Leche League, Natural Parenting for Non Hippies, and Family Story Time...maybe that's why the month flew by! haha

Dancing Tots

My Five Senses

Family Story Time

Fun fact - as you can see from the picture at Family Story Time he actually favors his left hand.  I've heard and read that around 18 months is when they'll start to "permanently" favor one hand over the other so I'm curious to see what will happen.  I'm a righty - the left side of my body is useless except for eating (I've always been the person to only use my right hand to cut food and I use my fork/spoon in my left hand) but The Sailor is truly ambidextrous.  You'll notice he has tattoos on both of his forearms...yeah, he did both of them (he apprenticed to be a tattoo artist before joining The Navy).  Crazy right?

Some new things he enjoys doing (on top of everything he liked last month) is playing chase around the house and flying kites outside.

"Come here kite!!!" 

Yes, The Sailor attached it to a fishing reel

The beginning of the month was pretty much business as usual but the second half of the month has been pretty rough.  Not sure if you've ever heard of the Wonder Week Leaps but they're essentially a description of 10 "fussy phases" that all babies go through as they enter different mental developmental milestones and it's based only off their expected due date.  When I first heard of them I thought it was ridiculous, how could every kid get fussy around the same time?  Then his craptastic periods starting matching up with them so now I'm pretty much a believer.

There is a book and a phone application; I just have the app and if W is being a turd I open it up to see if he's in the middle of a "leap" and 99% of the time it's been right.  Right now he's in the middle of the tenth and final leap - the leap of systems.  The "symptoms" as described by the app that most strongly hit home are:

• Cries more often and is more often cranky or fretful
• Is cheerful one moment and cries the next
• Wants to be closer to you

Flipping adorable, right?  He hasn't napped like that in AGES

• Wants physical attention to be tighter or closer
• Sleeps poorly
• Reaches for cuddly toy or does so more often

Gabby counts as a cuddly toy, right?  BTW, he's kissing her, not biting

The biggest thing during this leap for us has been him being more stubborn.  Sometimes I'll say no to him, and he'll say it right back.  Not cool dude, not cool.  They apparently are developing a sense of self, and of their own body.  The other day at the Family Resource Center a little girl (probably 2 or 3 years old) hit him for no reason and he just looked at her and firmly said, "no!"  It was actually quite a proud moment for me - in my eyes that's the beginning of conflict resolution.  Instead of hitting her back or running to me, he just told her what's up.  Then she tried to kiss him and he had a melt down and came running to me, but at least it started out good! (And can you blame him for having a melt down...holy mixed signals Batman!)

At the beginning of the month I was seriously afraid he was going to stop breastfeeding completely.  I was barely making any milk and he would get more frustrated than anything when he was at the breast.  Every time he nursed I was afraid it was his last.  Then my supply kicked up a bit, but it turned salty (which is completely normal during pregnancy).  He'll still nurse for a while first thing in the morning, but needs water right after, and if he nurses at all throughout the day he switches sides a lot and I think he's just hoping the other side will be less salty.  But, I wake up and my boobs feel heavy (not engorged at all, just noticeably heavier than usual) and after his morning snuggles and nursing session they feel significantly lighter so he's definitely getting something!

I guess that's really it!  We've got another busy month ahead of us - hopefully he'll get through this final wonder week leap quickly!!!