In classic reality for the second child, I've gone almost two full months without posting an update on Asher's growth and life. The 17 month post will never be, so I'm jumping into the 18 month post, just a couple of weeks late. Ha!
Growth/ development: Asher's a walking, running, talking machine! It took him so long to learn to walk, but he picked up running in about ten minutes. It's hard to keep up with him as he wanders all over the house, and in the yard, and down the road to splash through puddles and peek at the pig in our neighbors' backyard.
At his checkup last week, Asher weighed 27 pounds and was 33 3/4 inches tall. He didn't gain much weight since his last checkup, but he grew a lot taller! Since birth, Asher's been seeing one of the doctors at our local family practice. Sadly, that doctor left the practice and this month Asher saw someone different for the first time. He didn't seem to notice (or mind) a single bit, but I feel really sad about the loss of this relationship and am not as satisfied with the new doctor. Bummer.
Sleep/ schedule: Asher switched to one nap just in time, because at the end of February our family rhythms changed with the addition of an afternoon babysitting job. I leave the house at 2pm with both kids, so Asher's nap needs to happen before that. He usually wakes up for the day between 6 and 7, then goes down for his nap between 11:30 and 12. If not woken up, Asher will often nap for 2.5 hours, but on school days I always have to wake him up to get out the door for baby-sitting.
He goes to bed around 7pm, sometimes closer to 7:30 if he's taken a solid nap and doesn't seem fussy. Other than sleep times, Asher doesn't have any specific schedule. He mostly spends time playing independently, exploring, and wandering around making messes. His bedtime routine is very simple and he almost always goes to sleep quickly and easily.
Communication: We can't believe how much Asher talks! It would be impossible for me to list how many words he uses-- far more than Charlotte did at this age. Both Joel and I are surprised by how much he can say, maybe because we expected him to develop his vocabulary slowly since he is a boy. But we were wrong! Some of his favorite (or most used!) words include: Char-Char, Daddy, Momma, ba-ba (bottle!! still!! haha!), ME!, MINE!, NO!, yes, please, see, ball, keys, car, Bible, book, dog, cheese, and drive. He knows many animal names and can make a lot of their sounds. My personal favorite is his imitation of an elephant, which includes waving his hand up into the air like an elephant's trunk while snorting out a gust of air!
Dislikes: Being told NO, being made to sit down or be strapped into the car seat, food that doesn't interest him at that exact second, not drinking from a bottle all day every day (HA!), having toys taken by his sister, and not being allowed to watch his favorite music videos over and over and over again. He also doesn't like having to come inside before he's ready! This has proven to be a real challenge, as the weather for the last four months has been unbearably rainy. Charlotte loves to play inside and can keep herself pretty well occupied inside for most of the day, while Asher gets antsy and frustrated if he can't go out. I have a hard time balancing their needs and their varying interests in these current stages of development.
It blows my mind how much joy one little guy can bring to our world. We love you, Asher Bash. Sooo many hugs and kisses!
No comments:
Post a Comment