18 months

Teddy is 18 months and a few ...weeks, and I never update this blog. I love the idea of it, and I would love to streamline it, give it more of a focus, update regularly, etc. But it just isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'm not going to take it down because I think a time will come where I will be able to use this how I want to and really get an interesting dialogue going about parenting topics, life, and all of that but it probably won't be for a few months or years and until then the updates will be sparse.

But as I mentioned before Teddy is 18 months and we absolutely love him to pieces. He rocks. He is all things amazing. He also drives me crazy, and is much too big for his own good. Can a certain someone now open every single door in our flat including the front door? Oh yes he can, and does! He loves to climb and bang and stomp and hit his head against things- seriously he cracks up if he can make a loud noise hitting his head against an object.

He is a little demolition man. He seems to have little to no feeling when it comes to pain. People comment often on the fact that he barely cries when he falls down, hits his head, etc. I mean right now he has both a toe nail and a finger nail which are bit brown and bruised and I have absolutely no idea how he got them because he never made a peep about it. This might have a little to do with our, "you're fine" mentality but it is mainly just him. We of course always offer a hug if he wants one- we aren't cold robots or something but for the most part hugs/kisses/cuddles are reserved for when he is sick or tired- and this is because he wants it that way or at least that is how we have interpreted the shaking of the head and the shoves when we have gone in for an unasked for cuddle.

He babbles a lot in his baby language and has recently started saying "Nein" German for no and "Nee" German colloquial for no, both are said with a rough clear shaking of the head. These words are also now said constantly even when he means yes. 2 weeks later and it is still at the point where it is cute... how long this will last however is questionable. He understands both German and English but still chooses to selectively listen as he pleases.

He loves to help me and it is crazy how much he understands in terms of the steps taken to get to a certain final product. For example he will go to the kitchen, go underneath the sink, grab a dishwasher tab, open the dishwasher, try to put it in the spot (still wrapped of course) perhaps successfully close the little drawer for the tab, then slam the dishwasher shut and try to start it. All because he has seen me do it and understands that this is how the dishes get clean. I also have been trying to include him as much as I can. We made cupcakes and he put the cupcake foils in the tray, handed me ingredients, then made a muck of the the silverware drawer- for example.

He loves going to the Tagesmutter and the daycare at my gym. They all love him as well. Of course for them he is a little angel who almost always listens which makes me happy. I was always much better for the babysitter as well.

He eats quite OK. We've stopped offering him so many snacks and choices after seeing how much better he ate for the Tagesmutter who doesn't really offer any snacks and who keeps meals very simple but wholesome.This seems to be working much better although I am still guilty of offering a bit too much if I think he hasn't had "enough" which I know is silly but I am the first to admit that I am not perfect.

He weighs about 30 pounds and we checked how tall he was but I have already forgotten- he is tall for his age but it is proportional. I don't notice it but I don't think you really do when it is your own.

I absolutely love this age and I love him and I am really enjoying life right now. I'm thankful for Teddy and my husband and my family and everything else. Since I don't want to get too sappy I will end it there.