Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Eli's 15 Month Update

Normally I post some fun Eli updates in my monthly recap post, but I'm a bit behind this month and Eli is already nearing 16th months, so I figured I'd pop up in and give a more lengthly recap. Sure, some of this is simply for this Mama to remember, but I also love sharing with all of you who have watched him grow right along side us. So, without further ado, here's Eli's 15 month recap!


Little man continues to be on the little side, but he's always followed the curve for his age so everything's fine. He's weighing in at 20.6 pounds (18th percentile) and is 31.25 inches long (50th percentile). His big ole noggin has an 18.75 inch circumference, which puts him in the 75th percentile. So basically he's got a tiny waist, is decently long, and has a big head. This can make clothes a challenge sometimes. He typically wears 18 month clothes, but he still fits into some 12 month clothes. If we do two piece outfits I have to put him in 18 month tops and 12 month bottoms. Jammies and rompers are fine. Who knew that I should have never bought any clearance shorts last year without drawstrings?? The 12-18 and 18-24 month clothing jumps seem so huge that it's so hard to guess sizing! He's still got his beautiful big blue eyes and I hope they never change!


Eli is a great eater! We made it 15 months nursing, which surpassed my goal of one year. I am thankful for that sweet time and what it did for our bonding, my health, and our wallets. I'll miss some of those snuggles since Eli is wiggly these days, but he drinks whole milk like a champ and will usually cuddle with me while he drinks his morning sippy cup of milk. He enjoys cereal pieces or rice cereal with his breakfast, but will also totally eat eggs, hashbrowns, and even bacon if Mama and Daddy are making a big meal. He usually eats some sort of fruit and yogurt for lunch, and his favorite is bananas- which he's learned to eat on his own as long as I peel it for him. He sometimes gets so excited about his bananas that he forgets to chew, which has led to a few banana-vomit-nap-wakeups (momming is glamorous, folks). Dinner is usually his biggest meal, and he is all about bread, peanut butter, most veggies, rice rusks, strawberries, and the occasional pouch. He also loves anything he can find on Mama and Daddy's plates, and recently tried pulled pork, pizza, and enchiladas. He has seven teeth, with an eighth on the way. Generally, teething doesn't give him much trouble. The boy can eat!


Eli continues to be a great sleeper, and I'll continue to pray that this doesn't change. With school ending and without having to get up so early to get to work and daycare, we've been letting Eli sleep in a little, and he totally will. He generally goes to bed around 8 and wakes up around 8 or 8:30, but if he wakes up sooner he'll just lay in his crib quietly and hang until we go get him. (What a champ, am I right?) He took two two-hour naps all the way through the end of the school year, but I decided to try to transition him to one nap this summer. After letting him sleep in a little later in the morning, he pretty effortlessly could stay up from 8 until 1 pm, and then go down for one three-ish hour nap. This means mama can get some stuff done...or go to the pool while Daddy is home and E is napping. What a dream!  If E has any early cranky moments, we just go outside or have a snack and then he's good. It's been so nice to have a good chunk of the morning free to go to the park, the pool, etc, and not have to worry about coming back or a morning nap. And I generally try to get up and work out before he's awake, so I'm basically in love with this schedule and have no idea how I'm going to get myself back to work in a couple of months. Ugh! Who wants to leave a sweet face like this??


I have genuinely loved every single stage with Eli. He's so great, and I really find more and more to love about him as the days pass. I had no idea how much fun this new toddler stage would be! Eli is talking up a STORM! His new words and phrases (in addition to his previous words) include the following: tree, flower, bubbles, car, shoes, bug, pool, puh (which he says when he poops), bye bye, wow!, bath, and (my new personal fave) "See ya"- which he says at completely appropriate times. He is a huge mimicker and it is the sweetest thing ever. He is FINALLY walking, after taking his sweet time and just preferring to crawl everywhere at breakneck speed. He isn't completely flawless, but generally he'll take 12-16 fluid steps, pause to catch himself, push back up, and then get after it again. I'm so excited for this new progress, and all that it means when it comes to less crawling in awkward/dirty public places, less carrying, and more exploring together, hand in hand. I have a feeling he'll be running before we know it! He's so full of wonder and discovery and it's incredible to watch his brain at work.


Other fun things Eli does: dances and tilts his head side to side whenever he hears music (see video above of him tearing up the dance floor at my brother's wedding), pauses to pick up twigs and carry them in one hand while holding my hand with the other, tries to put any shoe in the house (including my heels) on while saying "shoes" over and over again, loves going outside to watch Daddy do man things, begs to go down the slide in my lap again and again (and how could I deny him?), shoves way too many "fishies" in his mouth at once, giggles and blows bubbles in the pool, gives mama kisses on the lips, LOVES his finger toothbrush and tries to brush on his own, tries to put my sunglasses on backwards and upside down, loves pushing anything with wheels, giggles with glee anytime I tickle him or point out his belly. I could keep going. This boy is the best!


All in all, Eli is a joy and I couldn't ask for a better baby. I know that there are lots of days ahead, and that not all of them will be easy or fun or wonderful. We will have our moments, but I'm cherishing the ones we do have now. Eli is the greatest gift that I never knew I was so desperately missing. I never knew I could love someone so much. My love for him is fierce and he loves right back. My heart could burst into a million pieces when he looks up at me with raised arms and a cheesy, toothy smile, and says, "Mama!". Sweet Eli, you are prized and precious, liked and loved, chosen and cherished, blessed to be a blessing. You're a child of God, and a treasure in our family. We love you so much, no matter what, and we always will!

Currently,
Kelsie

6 comments:

  1. Awww, he's such a cutie!! I love to read about your positive experiences. I'm not a mom yet, but I really hope to be in the next year. You often hear about the hard work, the mess and stuff, but there's so much love involved as well. And I feel it right here! Makes me want to become a mom even more.

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    1. Thank you, thank you!! It's definitely work, but like you said, it's SOOOO great too! Moms don't always talk about that part, but it's truly so worth it!

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  2. He is just the biggest CUTIE PIE - I"m obsessed!!!

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    1. Thanks so much, my friend! I'm pretty obsessed too! And now you're going to have your own little one. AHHHH!!! <3

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  3. He's getting so big!! Allie's at 12 or 13 teeth or something like that and it's been horrible haha her first 8 were a breeze and then it went downhill from there. I swear she'll have a full set of teeth by 18 months at this rate haha but it's so great that he's still sleeping well!! I'll send positive vibes that it continues!! That's one area I'm so thankful for with our little one lol

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    1. I can't believe how big our babies are!! And he's got about 9 now, so I'm hoping he hangs in there!! That's crazy that she already has so many. Thanks for the vibes- having a good sleeper is HUGE!

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