The Perkins Pack: 18 Months- Officially Toddlers!

I feel like I can't really call them babies anymore. I still do sometimes, but just out of habit. Like when Dave calls their sippy and straw cups "bottles". I sure don't miss bottles. Speaking of cups, we're starting to work on open cups in the bath tub (with fresh water, not bath water!) and only using straw cups. They don't seem to like sippy cups much these days which means less cup changing for me, so I'm good with it.

At 18 months these toddlers are all over the place! I can hardly get a non-blurry picture or decent video without them moving or grabbing at the camera. They're always on the go from one play area to the next to the tupperware cabinet to the hallway (great running space) to trying to get in the pantry or fridge to the windows and back door... People ask me how I contain them- I don't! They're in the pen in the early morning and right before bed for dressing purposes and quieting down for sleepy time, but besides that the house is free reign.

The weather has been so nice lately we've been outside almost everyday. They love it! And it wears them out, so I love it too! At first they were scared of the grass so it was really easy to monitor them as they stuck to the patio, but now they're everywhere and I really have to watch the dirt/mulch/grass eating. If it looks like they had a snack of oreos, it's really just dirt. Ben and Andrew find it hilarious to put anything in their mouths I tell them not to. They're all fascinated by bubbles and squeal with delight when a good batch is flying at them.

They all still LOVE books. Allison is rarely seen without one in her hands. They're all speed readers- quickly flipping pages, pointing at pictures for you to name, then it's over and on to the next one. They don't like to sit and listen to a whole book, unless it's God Made You Special VeggieTales book. I read it everyday after lunch; I had to take it away because it caused too many fights, so now it's group reading time. It plays a song at the end and they get so excited! They take turns pushing the button for the song and they just hold out those little pointer fingers in anticipation.

Andrew's turn to push the button

The fridge is open! The fridge is open!

They all like to walk backwards into your lap with a book, or just back up until they can lean on you or perch on your knee. The bigs can get on and off riding toys which is nice for me! The littles try, but their legs are just a tad too short still. We're still working on using utensils; they can get them in their mouths, just can't quite scoop food or stab it well enough. We've introduced coloring which mostly involves swatting crayons from mouths. Our dance parties are more fun as they're all developing their individual moves from swaying and clapping to little feet jigs- I still need to catch this on video! Diaper changes are more interesting depending on their mood and level of wiggliness. I've gotten pretty good at changing diapers and clothes on the move. Toy and food stealing and cup/utensil throwing are sport around here. Our vet is surprised Maggie's not overweight from cleaning the floor :) But, despite the moodiness and fits, they all like to give hugs and kisses. The girls will blow kisses too!

At their 18 mo well check, they were able to run all over the place in their diapers. Luckily, there were plenty of helpers with me to chase them around, but it was a nice reminder of how busy they are when we're not in our regular environment. Overall the appointment went well and the only concerns were their lack of independent utensil use and Caroline's lack of curving on her growth curve. She's been added to the extra calorie diet plan Allison and Levi are on. At 18 months...

Andrew: 25 lb 13 oz, 32 in tall, he shovels food like no other and is quick to steal more when he's done, he's most likely to steal toys and most likely to give you a hug, loves push and pull toys, riding toys, books, peek a boo (if you say Where's Andrew? he'll cover his eyes.), laughing, bubbles, getting into the fridge and pantry, and lounging in his little chair

Ben: 25 lb 3 oz, 30.5 in tall, he is still super silly and most likely to throw a full on tantrum if he doesn't get his way or someone takes his toy, he loves to throw things, slide, read books, grunt and laugh at himself, get into anything I say not to, give kisses, watch bubbles, pick out pieces of food he doesn't want and hand them to me, and sway to music

Caroline: 21 lb 8 oz, 30 in tall, she has the biggest crinkle-nosed smile and the loudest wail which she lets out all too often, moody (we don't call her Cranky Caroline for nothing) and independent but still needs her Caroline cuddles when she's tired, loves to throw her cup for attention, likes to read books, slide, ride the rocking horse, run outside, help load the dryer, dance, belly laugh when tickled, play with Maggie, block of the play area so she has it to herself, and nap

Leah: 18 lb 0 oz, 28 in tall, generally the best behaved and happiest unless her tummy hurts, loves music, stories, cuddles, therapy, pinwheels, pom poms, brightly colored balls, tambourines, and counting, she's sleeping better at night and is making steady progress in therapies, her latest favorite real foods are bananas and pudding and banana pudding (go figure), and we've been making big changes to her feeding schedule because she's a big toddler girl now

Allison: 17 lb 4 oz, 28 in tall, she loves praise and acknowledgement of anything she is doing, still pushes around the big boys, always carrying around a book or stuffed animal (usually Minnie Mouse or a monkey), will plop in your lap for you to read to her, likes to dance, run outside, read, point to pictures (especially Elmo) and name objects (in her own way), loves to point to things if you ask her to (she even knows all her siblings' names), help with laundry, get into the fridge, tug on your clothes, unplug the baby monitors, press buttons, and do low scale climbing.

Levi: 17 lb 8 oz, 28 in tall, he could swiffer all day long, but any push/pull toy will do, besides swiffering, he doesn't do one thing for long, least interested in tv, loves Maggie's toys and teasing her, likes books, dancing, head stands, independent play, talking, tilting his head to look at you, peek a boo, and carrying around toys

About a month or so ago it was time to bust out the 18 month clothes. I HATE switching clothes sizes. It's at least a week long process since I can only work on it for short spurts. First I get all of the new size out of storage (VERY THANKFUL for hand-me-downs!), sort it for initial give aways, wash all of the new size, sort by gender and clothing type, then see what I'm really keeping as I start to run out of room in their drawers and bins. This is all after I've already boxed up the current little kids clothes and moved the big size down to the little ones' drawers and bins. Anyway, here was my 18 month laundry pile...