18 months - BLM

This kid is a walking hazard. It has been a very trying month around our house. B is really testing our patience and has become very defiant. This is all very new to us as parents. Not to say Ryan was a piece of cake, but we definitely weren't having discipline issues this early on with him. It's so much harder when you can't communicate like you want to (4-6 months can make such a huge difference) and of course the timing with the baby is just PERFECT!! haha. He tests us daily and thinks it is pretty funny to disobey us. Recently, he is into climbing on all sorts of furniture including but not limited to: couches, desk chairs (so he can reach pens off the desk), getting on top of the coffee table, trying to scale the walls, finding stools to get leverage, you name it, he's tried it. It's become very hazardous to himself as well.

He is starting to try and jump from our wooden ledges (which are like dips down into the playroom and dining room) into his pottery barn chair about 2 feet away. 100% of the time, he falls short and onto his face, on the wood floor. I am not joking, every night this week, he has tried it 10-15 times, resulting in screaming & tears. It wasn't until last night, I learned exactly what he was doing because Ryan finally explained it to me. Needless to say, the chair has been moved. He is just a rough and tough little kid. ALL boy. Wes has started a nightly thing with the boys. When he comes home, he goes and lays on the rug in our living room and just wrestles with them. They jump all over him, get tickled, scream, run around, etc. They all love it so much that Bradley now knows to expect it and asks for it. This week, not 5-10 minutes after Wes gets home, he has gone and stood in the area and starts jumping and screaming for Wes to come over. He has so much energy.

He loves to climb on the couch when we are in another room and then squeal with delight. Whenever I hear the high pitched shrill, I know he is up to no good. So of course, I come running, then he just laughs. He is going to be the cause of me going into labor, I just know it.

His newest accomplishment. I know there will come a day, probably in our very near future, where he will try to start climbing the outside of the staircase. And then, I will probably have a heart attack.

He has also been hitting and slapping not only other people, but himself as well. He's into throwing things when he gets mad or stomping his feet when he wants to throw a temper tantrum. Due to all of his shenanigans, he has learned what time-out is over the past two weeks. The first time we tried it, we were in the living room, so we just had him go sit on the tile by the fireplace, and ever since then, this is where he thinks time-out is. It's funny because after two times being there, he knows exactly where to go and it hurts his feelings & he pouts :( Makes me sad, but at least we know it's doing something. And he will actually sit a good 1-2 min before we tell him to get up.

Now that we have all the craziness out of the way, I can focus on all the great things this kid does. He has such an awesome personality. Wes and I talk all the time about just how funny he is and that he is constantly making us laugh. He found this hat that used to be Ryan's and loves to wear it around the house.

His favorite thing to do regarding food lately, is feed himself. At first, we were kind of against it because it's so slow (and we already have a whole other set of struggles with eating) plus it is super messy. But this kid is hardheaded and when he gets something in his head, there is no changing his mind. He has actually gotten better with getting food on the spoon and into his mouth as of late. So I guess progress is being made, which is good since we will have another mouth to feed any day now. He loves to put his hand in the bag of whatever snack he is eating to grab food out, whatever it may be. As far as eating goes, he is doing a little bit better. As in, he will eat a PBJ now, bananas, yogurt smoothies, and has had a few turkey/mayo sandwiches. I guess this is progress.

The boys are so cute in the mornings. I have had to find things to occupy them while I get ready, since our bedrooms are upstairs and I can't leave them downstairs by themselves yet. One day, B just sat down with Ryan and started coloring and it's become a daily thing. I love it!

 Love these two!

 Selfie time. Love those chubby cheeks :)

Watching big bro at swim practice. It was so cute because he had his nose smudged up against the window and could actually spot him in the water. He would try and wave and say hi to him.

And the OCD continues. First Ryan, now B man. This was from dinner a few weeks ago. Lining up the goldfish. He likes to make sure everything is in its place and nothing is out of order.

Reading with CoCo. He's learned when we pull into their driveway and open the door, that we are at their house and will get real excited by screaming CoCo over and over.

Brotherly love. I love how B still loves to go sit in between Ryan's legs whenever Ryan sits down. He truly does just adore him, even though he isn't always the sweetest to Ryan. He does have a sensitive side though. He does not like to see him upset. Whenever Ryan has been upset or crying over something, B always finds him, rubs his head, and tries to kiss him.

I am hoping this continues when baby brother joins us! He was good with baby Jordan at our playdate a few weeks back. He kept trying to lean into her carrier and kiss her. Aawwwww.

B had his 18 month check-up on Monday and was a beast. Haha. He barely flinched at his vaccine! He's coming in very similar to Ryan, except a lil smaller all around.

Head - 19.5 in (89%)

Weight - 25 lbs. 15 oz. (52%)

Height - 34.25 in (93%)

Not much has changed as far as sleeping or eating habits. His size has stayed about the same; it's just his personality this is coming through more and more each day. He is talking a little more, but not a lot of new words this month. He does love to sing more and more each day. In addition to Happy Birthday, his other favorite tune to belt out is Let it Go, even though he has never seen the movie. He's learned the chorus from Ryan since he sings it all day long. B really gets into it, with a serious face, sometimes a few twirls, and actually trying to stay on key. It's cute. He's really gotten into brushing his teeth lately and if he sees his toothbrush or watches us do it, he demands to brush his teeth right then and there. He's also very obsessed with brooms. All he wants to do is push them around our house, all day long if we would let him.

It's kind of sad to think that the next time I do a monthly update for him, he'll no longer be my baby and will have assumed the "middle child" role. I am a little nervous as to how this is all going to go down, but I feel it will all work out in the end and he'll gain a new best bud out of it!!