Journey to the Knot: 18-Month Newsletter: Knox

Dear Knox,
Today is your HALF-BIRTHDAY!! Geeeezzz!! This time last year, you were getting your move on! You were just starting to be all over the place, crawling and cruising. A year later, you are now climbing up on everything. Just last week, Daddy found you standing on the piano keys all by yourself! He was in the kitchen, and when he peeked around the corner, there you were just standing all over the piano! We can't leave you unattended for a second. You're climbing out of your highchair, climbing and standing on tables, tops of couches, tops of chairs, in strollers, and getting out of shopping cart seats that you're strapped into! You have figured out ways to shimmy and worm your way out of those straps. This is keeping us quite busy - and annoyed - but it is pretty darn cute! Your physical agility and balance do have perks, though. Our baby gates to the stairs are rarely locked now because you are a pro at getting up and down all by yourself. You easily get on and off the couch all by yourself, and you rarely need help climbing at the playgrounds.

What else have you been up to this month?

-You are getting a little 'tude! While you're still easily distracted by something else you might like or enjoy, you want what you want when you want it! Man, you know how to demand something! Most recently, since you were sick last week, you are attached to your pacis and seem to want them (at least) in your hands at all times. If I say no, which I'm doing more and more lately to cut that habit, you are MAD MAD MAD! The best trick is to distract you with a toy or helping me with something or a book - or a song usually helps the most.

-You're saying so many more words. I think our count is up to 23, with phrases counted as one word (for example, you told Daddy to "hagooday!" as he left for work, which of course is "have a good day!" and my favorite phrase "Ioyou"... I love you). This month, you added "watch," and it's used often to tell us you want to watch a show - probably Yo Gabba Gabba, a show that continues to mesmerize you. We also hear "dis" a lot these days, as you point to what you want (this). A new favorite of mine is when you say, "hep" (help) and know we will come assist you. And, you've picked up a few bad habits from your brothers, as you ask, "Why??" when I ask you to come to me or to bring me your cup or to put that down....

-You had a cold this month that didn't seem to want to leave. I finally took you in a second time, and Dr. M diagnosed sinusitis, and because of a horrible diaper rash that we could not get rid of, she thought you may have also had a strep infection, so she prescribed Amoxicillin, and we should be done with that tomorrow! You've been such a trooper taking that medicine twice a day without issue!

-You are still infatuated with SHOES! When you were just learning to walk, you would bring me all the shoes - probably because you also loved to put shoes in your mouth-- so, I'd always take them away from you, and you therefore probably thought I was the one with the shoe fetish. Now, you just want shoes on - ANYONE'S shoes on - all the time! Daddy's boots, my flip flops, Banner's crocs, Levi's shoes at Grandma's house... doesn't matter where or whose... just give you those shoes!!

-You want to brush your own teeth and use your own spoon (and spill everything that was on it).

-If you could push a toy grocery cart around all day, you would be in heaven. While you occasionally still get frustrated when you can't push past or around something, you've gotten to be pretty good at maneuvering the one at our house and at Grandma's. You just LOVE these carts - and you'll find them at play places right away!

-You also really enjoy going in our toy closet and asking me to get you all kinds of things you'll play with for 10 seconds and throw around before asking for another toy. It looks a little like this: you pull me to the toy closet as you say, "um, um!" (come, come!). You make me open the door and turn on the light, and then you point to the game or item you want. "Dis." I say, "You want the fishing game?" and you say, "Yeah." You proceed to go sit on the floor, take every little fishie out of the game, scatter them around the floor, and then come over to me, pull me to the toy closet, "um, UUUUMMM! DIS!" pointing to a different toy (a few favorites are the play cash register with itty, bitty coins in them, Connect 4 with all the little checker pieces, or Squigz with 50 rubber pieces of various sizes). This activity is fun for only you. You aren't the best cleaner-upper yet, even though I know you know how to do it! When I ask you to clean up one toy before the next, I am met with a whiney, "Nooooo-ooooh." It's really fun - let me tell you.

-We had your well check with Dr. B today, and you seemed to be so very comfortable with him at this visit! Luckily, no vaccines to ruin the great appointment you had... those will come in September when you're off your meds and it's been a little longer since your last vaccines (we were about four days early to give you this next round given the dates of your last administered shots). You were so cooperative for Dr. B, and it was nice to watch you two interact. You sat on his lap while he talked with Daddy and me. You laid quietly mesmerized during your exam. You even got a finger prick and didn't bat an eye! He told us you are developmentally scoring between a 19-month-old and a 23-month-old. We are not surprised! You are one pretty amazing little guy!

STATS:

Weight: 26 pounds, 5.2 ounces = 80th percentile
Height: 33 3/8 inches = 80th percentile
Head: 47.8 cm = 70th percentile

Diapers: size 5, overnight 6
Clothes: 18-24m and some 24m
Shoe: 6
Bedtime: 7:30pm
Wake up: 7:00am
Nap: 12:45-2:30/3:00.... I wish it were longer!
Meds: Zyrtec nightly

Knox Morgan, we celebrated your half-birthday with donuts and a candle. You immediately blew it out, and we had to relight it in order to get through the singing of "Happy Half-Birthday." All day, your big brothers wanted to have a party for you and kept asking when it was going to be... they forget we don't have parties for half-birthdays. :) We took your chair pictures, and after your nap, we came in your room singing "Happy Half-Birthday" when Quinn and I went in to get you out of your crib. You laughed and wanted hugs and squeezes while Quinn giggled with you and hugged on you, too. You are so very loved by both of your big brothers. I have loved watching that relationship build and grow and unfold. There are times you anger them greatly (turning off the Xbox mid-game, or hitting them over the head with a lightsaber) because you don't know that your actions are impacting them, and there are times they greatly anger you (picking you up and trying to take you away from something you want; changing the show you are watching) mainly because they forget that you aren't baby who doesn't know any better - you are now a little boy with real feelings and real wants and desires! But, mostly, they are affectionate and loving with you. You adore them, their hugs, their kisses, their hand-holding. (If only THEY could get along with EACH OTHER the way they get along with YOU!) You and Quinn have a close relationship and adore each other's affectionate way of showing love. You and Banner are more of a typical big brother/baby brother dichotomy. You don't play much together, but you idolize each other and want to just hang out near each other. Like yesterday, I watched Banner sit down next to you, throw his arm around over your shoulders then kiss your cheek before you settled your head on his chest. Oh, how this warms a mother's heart!!

Next week, you start school. You'll be away from a family member for two days a week, and while that's not very much, it is breaking my heart to even imagine you in a room without a familiar face those first few mornings! We've had an amazing summer together, and it's going to be harder on me than it is on you I hope.... but the transition to school will be different than anything you've ever gone through. I have no doubt you'll be just fine. It's me I'm worried about! :) I know you won't remember all these months of just us and hanging out this summer, but I will. And, I'll miss my little buddy as you head off to school and I head off to work. (More on this next week!)

Here's to another amazing 6 months as you head to TWO! May it go as slowly as I wish!
:) I love you so much, Knoxi!
HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY!
Love,
Mommy