Ben is 18 months!

Every time we hit one of these round-number ages, it feels like an accomplishment. Ben is 1 and a half! Besides filling in the dates his last 8 teeth grow in and recording heights and weights, his baby book is finished. All of his baby book milestones are done, photographed, and recorded.


Three-quarters of the way to 2 years old. And we are seeing lots of fun 2 year old traits. Though he's always been a more compliant type, he is showing some strength of will, throwing fits, and refusing to do what he's told with the old toddler favorite "my legs don't work" trick.


He loves reading books, throwing and kicking balls, building with Legos, and singing. He also asks to color every day, but usually he just wants to play with the crayons. He likes tickling and playing peek-a-boo or surprise! He wants to be outside as much as possible, to run, try to jump, and explore.


Sometimes when I tell him he can't have what he is asking for, he will smile sweetly and repeat the request in a whisper. I think he's caught on to me telling Nate to ask for things in a kind voice. If I still say no, then the temper flares.


Ben loves watching Sesame Street, Super Why, and Bubble Guppies, as well as whatever Nate wants to watch. His favorite foods are pizza, french fries, chapati with soup (bean drippings or stew broth), and fruit, especially bananas and mangoes.


Ben seems huge, but he is just a bit tall for his age, and thin. He's 33" (75th percentile) and 23 lbs 6 oz (25th percentile). He's wearing what 18m clothes he has, as well as 24m/2T tops and shorts (from Nate's shelf). On days he wears disposable diapers, he still wears 12m shorts, but they no longer fit over his cloth diapers. He wears a toddler 6 in US shoes. That should be a 23 in European size, which most shoes here are, but the sandals we just bought him, with growing room, are an 18. Whose sizing standard is that?


Ben talks a lot and is beginning to say more and more Swahili words, as well as English. I have completely lost count of how many words he says in English. He is working on simple sentences now, but is not quite to the "I want" phase yet (you know, when every sentence they say begins with "I want..."). But, for instance, he was pretending to talk to Rodgers on the phone the other day and said, "Daddy! Where are you? We're at house," though someone other than his mom wouldn't have understood as much of that as I did.


He is goofy and silly. He loves to cuddle his teddy bear, which Grandpa named Bartholomew. We call him Bart. He loves giving kisses and splats (high-fives). He loves Nate and thinks he can do everything Nate does. It works out because Nate also loves Ben and calls him his "best friend" and "favorite friend."

Comments

  1. What great brothers you are raising! Well done, sister!

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  2. Aw shucks. You're making me blush.

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