jc at eighteen months

{check out previous monthly updates here}

eeep, this post is a little late. time is just going so fast! i can't believe that we are halfway through jc's second year and well on our way to turning TWO. i don't even want to think about it. i don't want to rush it. this time with jc right now is so awesome and i don't want to miss a thing. ok i might have just sung that in my head like aerosmith but that's beside the point. point is, STOP GROWING JC! STAY LITTLE FOREVER! /crazy mom rant




this is how most pictures of jc are these days. blurry. and he's well aware of the camera. either he's running towards it to play with buttons or he's hamming it up big time. and that's pretty much how he is when there isn't a camera around either. he's usually a little shy at first around new people, which i think is pretty common for most people. but once he warms up, he loves to be the center of attention.

i was sitting here trying to count all the words he can say this month but it's really hard to keep track at this point. he is constantly babbling and saying things that sound like actual "words" but are kinda hard to pinpoint. he can say a lot of words that start with the letter b, but they all sound very similar. i usually know what he is saying, mostly due to the context of the situation, but i don't think other people know that he's even trying to say anything. but there are several words that he says very clearly. he's also started imitating the dog and the cat. which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. what is really astounding to me is how much he understands. he's always listening, even when you think he's completely occupied in something else.




he is a very curious little boy. even at our own home that we spend most of everyday in, he discovers new things. and points out where i'm lacking in the baby proofing department. although, i'm becoming aware that it is almost impossible to complete toddler proof a home. he does really well while running errands (except for the fact that he expects me to hold a bowl of cheerios or goldfish the entire time we are at target so he can snack at his leisure) because he gets to look around and see new people. he wants to hold and inspect everything before it goes into the cart.

he's getting better at sharing and playing with other kids. i babysit my good friend's 1 year old son, damian, twice a week and it was becoming a little problematic between the two of them for a minute there. jc didn't want to share and this would result in yelling, hair pulling and biting. no bueno. just stressful for everyone involved. i started trying time out and i don't know if it actually worked or he just got over it, but he's doing SO much better. he lets damian play with 95% of his toys without a problem. there's still that 5% that are SUPER DUPER special (oh, like that empty salsa cup from the mexican restaurant we had lunch at the other day) that cause a problem, but i just try to recognize those toys before the issue begins and hide them. neither of them notice and no fights ensue. win win. he's even started OFFERING toys to damian. oh and giving hugs and patting his head. so cute!




jc is still a teeny tiny little guy. he weighed in a whopping 20 lbs 15 oz earlier this month and is 30 inches tall. he still wears mostly 12 month sized clothes but a few 18 months sized items fit him as well. but since he was a preemie, they still compare his size to babies about two months younger than he is and he is average in that age range. his head is huge though and is larger than average for his actual age! i've finally come to terms with jc's size and no longer fret about it so much. it used to bother me so much when people would make comments about his size, even when i knew they weren't being judgmental. it just always felt that way. his doctor is not concerned and he is a happy and healthy little boy. and hey, i'm getting more use out of every size clothing than any other mom that i know. what else could i ask for?

all in all, i think jc is settling into toddlerhood very well. i'm so excited for christmas this year because he sort of gets it. of course, he doesn't quite understand santa yet but he loves all the decorations everywhere and he will definitely understand getting presents everywhere we go for a couple days. i love him so much and i hope he has the best christmas ever!!

speaking of best christmas ever, you won't see me around these parts for the next few days. we are heading to tahoe this weekend and won't be back until wednesday. i am so so so excited to spend a few days with our best friends and their kids in the snow (hopefully, it's raining here today so hopefully that means snow up there!). i'll probably pop in on twitter and instagram (you follow me on both right? ok good.) but the blog will be a little quiet. i can't wait to share our trip with you when we come back!