Rhylan at 18 months

Disclaimer: A little bit of proud Mommy bragging to follow.......

I can't even believe it- our BABY is a year and a half old. Not so much of a baby anymore, as he has grown into a full fledged toddler- and all of the joys, challenges, and temper tantrums that go with the title of "toddler".

Rhylan had his 18 month check up yesterday (a couple of weeks late due to having to switch doctors due to insurance changes). The new doctor thinks he is doing quite well, and just as his old pediatrician had done, she kept him on the charts (developmental and growth) for his actual birth date, not adjusted age for prematurity. Yay!

Mr. Rhylan has become quite verbal lately; he will tell you many animal sounds and names, his brother's name, names of relatives (and favorite characters, which happen to be "Pooh Bear" and "Mack", which is Mickey Mouse), simple questions (what's that?, who's that?), simple commands (up, done, down, more), body parts, and many other small words (bath, car, book, etc.). He has also taken to following simple directions, such as "Rhylan, can you take your shoes to your room?", and started to understand more about turn taking/sequences while playing with us.

He is quite the physical little man- climbs everything he possibly can. He seems to think that tables are supposed to be sat on vs. at. He has also developed quite a little sense of humor lately, and cracks us up (and himself).

He is a pretty active, happy guy- especially when he and his brother are playing. Seems he thinks he can keep up with a 5 year old, and does a pretty decent job most of the time. But, he also really enjoys quietly reading books (either on our laps, or "reading" on his own), playing in his room by himself - especially with his kitchen, where he has been caught serving Pooh and Mickey meals that he has created, and building/sorting.

I can't believe that he could possibly by a year and a half already. Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday we brought our little peanut home, but yet at the same time, I can't remember our lives or home without his laughter.

Some Stats from yesterdays appointment:

Height: 31.7 inches (27th percentile)

Weight: 24 lbs. 9 oz. (29th percentile)

And some pictures of him from today (a pretty good mix to show a typical day for him, and his personality):

Playing with his tools

His snorting/I'm pretending to ignore you/and think it's cute face

Quietly thinking

And finally.... caught in the act of climbing onto the dining room table!