18 months

I felt like 6 months was our first big milestone with Cap. Then there was the 1 year which is of course a big one...mostly for the parents I think. Now here we are with the next big one 18 months, 1 1/2 years old. This just always seemed like a big one to me. You hear so many people say this is the start of really fun toddler season. I have really found that each month we enter a new season to parenting as Cap enters into new growth. I don't necessarily find that one stage is easier or harder than the next, just very different. I haven't found one stage to be more fun than the next either, again, just different.

I love watching this boy grow and all the new tricks he comes up with every week. This month has brought a whole new peace for me being a mother that I will share later on. It is an intense job that the Lord has blessed us with, but it is one that cannot be compared with anything else in this life.

What started out as growing a human being in my belly, formed into taking care of every need of an newborn baby, to showing and exploring the world to a crawling boy, which formed into a walking boy learning what he likes and doesn't like and learning to communicate his desires and needs to us with signing and words. So much of who we are, how we act with others, our bad and good habits, how we eat and sleep, our passions and character, etc start forming and start their foundation as soon as we are born and enter this outside world.

Cap came out fresh, not knowing a thing really. We are here to teach, nurture, explore along side, show him love, mercy and compassion and encourage him to do the same for others, to teach him to make good choices, to teach him HOW to make choices, to show him how big the ocean is, show him how to make things grow, teach him to put dirty clothes in his basket and pick up his cars when we are done playing with them for the day, teaching him how to "do" life, then teaching him to go without knowing and any road any cost. This stuff doesn't start when he is 3 or 5 or when he hits middle school age, it started 18 months ago. I must admit, it is exhausting. Some days this mother gig doesn't look so pretty. God has this wonderful plan for Cap. And I say to you my son, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!" Joshua 1:9

Moving on:)
Newest tricks:
- takes his book, the rock, the duck, etc potty and does our "sign" noise with them
- did I mention he got 10 teeth in a matter of 6-8 weeks?? 4 of them are still slowly creeping more out.
- teething champ, you hardly would know he is even teething at all
- wears 24 month, 2t clothes up top, 18-24 pants, and size 5-6 foot
- 31 inches tall, 27.8 lbs, all taken at home
- talks a lot!  he was repeating the last word of everything you would say to him. now he just talks and talks
- loves bikes though never been on one
- really likes to go for rides in his stroller which is great for me so I can run with him
- if you ask him if he wants to go do something such as park, store, grammi and papa's house, he stops what he's doing...gives a head shake and heads straight for the back stairs towards our car
- loves to read books, current top 2 favorite is "brown bear brown bear" and "chicka chicka boom boom"
- he really likes animals, i might have said this one before, but it doesn't matter how big or small he wants to hold or touch it!
- been climbing up to get into his car seat for awhile now, big deal to me
- likes to be around other kids
- loves to play on big rocks, and still loves the small ones!
- no more BULLET!!!!! more on that another time
- still pees during naps and at night time
- has climbed out of his crib numerous times!!! took a bad enough fall that he hasn't done it sense then.
- favorite word right now is "off" he would like the light off, the fan off, the shirt off, the door off etc!
- a couple of days ago i told him bye and that i would be back after my run, he said "kiss, kiss"
- when i tell him i love him he almost always comes in for a kiss
- tries really hard to put on his own shoes
- would like to eat peanut butter 10 times a day, i have to get a video of him saying peanut butter, hilarious!!!
- loves to pick apples off the tree out back and eat them

I am sure I am missing bunches. He is full of personality these days. Full of opinions too! We are proud of our son and looking forward to the days ahead with him!