Walker is (was) 18 months!

Only about 5 weeks late and pictures are not aligned but I did it! ;)

Stats:
Weight: 25lbs
Length: 33in
Head: 46 cm (or 18.11 inches...is that even right?)
Moved to size 5 diaper
Size 18m-24m clothes; leaning toward 24m if brands make that size
Size 6W shoe

Likes: vacuum cleaners, pulling all things out of cabinets, getting into whatever someone else is showing interest in, snacks, his sippy cup, cozy coupe, digging, destroying brother's stuff, all things Grayson and dancing!

Eating: Walker has been gracious enough to add some new foods to his list of things he won't throw on the floor. Pizza, yogurt, fruit snacks and burgers/fries. Well-balanced meals, of course! :) He is probably the most well-hydrated human on this Earth. Still not interested in milk or any kind of juices and sticks closely to his sippy cup of water. He goes through so many a day and can really start griping at me if it's empty! A sippy of water is also kind of his security blanket of sorts. He carries it under his arm like a football and always has it with him. So cute!

Oh, and Jello. Because brother eats it.

Sleeping: Still my best, best, best sleeper! The saving grace of my fearless, fiery, strong-willed toddler! This kind of activity requires lots of rest! Sleeps from about 7:30pm-7:30am with a good 2 hour nap around noon or 1pm. I'm still very lucky to have both kids napping at the same time. If Walker has to go down earlier, I send Gray upstairs and he falls right to sleep as well. So, so lucky or these days would be long and tough!

Talking: Walker has a full vocabulary...just nothing you'd recognize as English ;) He jabbers on and on all day and it is just the cutest thing! He'll taaalk to us and we'll just reply back "Yeah? Is that so? Tell me more. I agree. What else?" I need to get it on video quickly before he starts saying real words. He has picked up more words than the last time I wrote. I have no idea how many - maybe 10. And one phrase: "I want this." All the time. Because the kid WANTS. Everything he can't have. Shouldn't have. Can have. Everything. The boy knows what he wants ;)

Moving: Walker is still fearless! He pays no mind to consequences that will result in his recklessness. I'm sure that's normal for an 18 month old but, as I have said a million times, Grayson was never like this!




TANTRUMS: I've never seen anything quite like this and he's mine all mine ;) Walker can work himself into such a loud, screaming, writhing frenzy that if I were to even give him what he wanted, he'd throw it across the room. Don't get me wrong, I know giving him what he wants would be the kiss of death but let's just say I learned this on a recent flight when I was absolutely desperate to get him under control. My poor buddy has trouble getting a hold of his emotions and, in addition to it being painfully embarrassing for me, it just makes me so sad for him. I hope this passes and that he isn't the 4 year old that is still doing this. Prayers for my little guy, please!

Growing up: Walker wants to do EVERYTHING that Grayson does! I'm having to change my thought process on so many things now just to take into account his wishes. For example, trying to order him nuggets when his brother is getting a cheeseburger is a BIG mistake. Even if he prefers nuggets; he will only want a burger b/c that's what his big bro is having. If Grayson wants to paint, Walker wants to paint. So we usually save things like that for his W's sleepy times :) I didn't grow up with siblings  at this age so this is all new to me! 





Walker is so relational! He loves the people in his life and has a ball with them...He can be so shy but so outgoing. Such a unique little personality!

Anyone remember when I used to call him my EASY baby? Ha! :) Love, love, love this coolest BIG personality that fits so well into our family. He makes us all so much better!

Loves his accessories! Sweet, sweet old man baby ;)

We recently cut his long mullet-like hair but it is SO silky and beautiful. I've never had hair like his so no idea what to do with it ;)

Sweetest cheeks you ever will meet :)

Loves stacking things and moving things from one container to the other. But more than anything, he loves destroying his brother's creations :/ This too shall pass, Grayson! 

Walker Beau at 14 months

Walker is so many things these days! He's so curious and confident, so stable on his feet and already loves to rough house with us and his brother. He is an explorer, a lover, a screamer and I think he's going to be my temper tantrumer! A 14 month old stomping their feet back and forth because you closed the pantry door is pretty darn cute. For now. :) I'm really surprised that, if I may put some labels on my child for a moment, my cuddler (not a word) and lover of an easy going baby is going to be the one who loudly tantrums. I guess love hard, fight hard?! That's Walker's motto these days, for sure!

Stats:
No idea on height and weight
Mostly 18 month clothes now; some 12m shorts
Size 5W or 5.5W shoe
Size 4 diaper

Words: I wouldn't call them "words" at this point but wow, does he have plenty of language. He just babbles all day long. So, so adorable. Especially when he's waddling like an overweight, drunk old man through this house without purpose ! So precious!

And y'all, one of my most favorite things about this sweet little guy is that he hums a lot! We all think it's to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, in fact I'm certain it is, and it's the sweetest thing! Whether he's playing or exploring by himself or getting sleepy and it's time for bed, he just hums away and it's so special.

Teething: He teethes passionately! Haha. But for real - this is tough, people. Poor baby. Walker is in the process of getting his 10th tooth and man, he wants everyone to know it. And I'm pretty sure they do. At least the neighbors do! Geez, this kid is LOUD.

Sleep: Champion sleeper still! Goes down without a fuss, maybe needs to cry it out for 2-3 minutes, but otherwise sleeps through the night and still takes 2 naps. I'm milking all of this since, as I've mentioned many times, I NEVER had this with Grayson! :)

Eat: Le Sigh. I mean I don't even know what to say here. Pickiest eater. Changes all the time. We waste a lot of food. I stare in the fridge/pantry hopeless and idealess for 4 meals and 2 snacks a day. The kid brings me the loaf of bread at least 3x a day. And is adamant (y'all, he's LOUD) that I give him slices of bread. That's it. That's all he wants. He HAS taken to yogurt, which is a great source of protein! And I get the super fatty stuff so there's hope! :) He has started insisting that he feeds himself. Ohmygoodness a 14 month old with yogurt. What a mess! But he's so cute...

Anything other than waffles or fruit that I put in front of him and he looks at me like, "What's this $#!%"

What could possibly be in that belly?! BREAD, That's what.

Overall Health: We had really good news from the allergist we saw (side note: my joke that Dr. Stacey Silvers kinda sounded like a stripper name fell flat when HE walked in the door and was a young, attractive family man and super sweet doctor. Oh well.) He decided that there just wasn't a need to put Baby Walker through all those tests since, in his opinion, Walker didn't have any allergies. He gave me a lot of credit (oh man, so nice to hear from a doc!) for managing W's eczema so well (thanks Nikki!) and told us to come back if anything gets way worse. Which it hasn't. I think we barely skated by a whole other world of allergies. For now. Beau is still allergic to everything green and Zyretc is the glue that holds this family together so who knows what the future holds. Just happy we didn't have to go through a lot of testing with a baby!

Things he's up to these days:
Collects and carries as many pacifiers as he can. This is his security blanket. I've found he goes down a little easier at night if he has at least one pacifier in his hand. So cute :)

He's so playful! Always wanting to be by brother, he tries to balance a cup on his head in the bath and thinks it's SO funny when it falls off, he is so, so ticklish and giggles uncontrollably when you tickle him, he likes wrestling in the bed or when you grab and his feet and pull him back. He enjoys putting things in containers and then taking them out. Stacking things, music and dancing make him beam, love to see the differences as Grayson still asks me to turn the radio off in the car. Just not into it ;)

Walker is 110% into the kitchen cabinets right now. And bathroom cabinets. And putting things in the toilet. And trying to escape out of any exterior door he possibly can. He still dives head first out of our arms b/c he'd rather be exploring on his own than being confined. This is the part where going to restaurants is a total beating b/c he just wants to run around!

He climbs, climbs, climbs! Anything he can find, one leg is hiked and I know what he's thinking! And then he has no concept of safety - I think I've mentioned this before. We are trying to teach him to turn around and go feet first off the furniture. So far, he thinks head first is the better option. :)

Always.

He climbed up there like he goes for a stroll every day. So sturdy on his feet and learning fast from his brother!

Loves to work at the table.

He had to borrow Grayson's big boy car seat for the day. Made him look so little yet so big!

Walker is a big time reader. He brings the same Hungry Caterpillar book to Mimi ever time we're over there. He points and puts his finger in the little hole. So cute!

Sorry, but I had to! A Baby Stacey! ;)

He got that from bathroom cabinet, no doubt.

We are so in love with Walker Beau!

Happy 1st Birthday, Walker Beau!

Our baby is 1! I won't waste anyone's time with all the OMG where did the time go stuff but seriously....where did this year go?! Okay, that's all. I'm baffled though.

Weight: 23lbs 8oz (81st %)
Length: 31.25in (93rd %)
Head: 18.5in (75th %)
Clothes: 12-18 months, some 18 month
Shoes: 4.5W
Diaper: Size 4

Words: Dadada (for both of us); Uh-oh (the cutest! And just like Grayson, you say it when you purposely throw things on the floor.); Gagaga (no idea what this is for) :)

Sleep: You sleep a solid 11-12 hour night and maybe wake up once looking for your pacifier. I need to put a night light in your room so that maybe you can locate it and save me a trip up the stairs in the wee hours of the morning.

Eat: Working on getting you off the formula and so far, so good. You have been down to just about 15-20oz. a day and eating everything else as solids. You hate meat right now unless it's mixed with something (like cream cheese, but duh, doesn't everyone?!) Loving lots of fruit just like your brother did at this age. And all kinds of beans. Yuck! ;) You are not taking to milk at all but we'll keep trying. Liking sippy cups more and more every day.

Overall health: Everything looked great at your annual appt! But you have eczema now and we are scheduled to see an allergist. You had a pretty bad flare up the other night that led me to believe that you were allergic to cantaloupe (the only new thing we tried that day.) The doctor said it was unlikely and was concerned enough to refer us to an allergist. More to come on that, I guess.

Earlier this week, we headed to your annual appointment at Scottish Rite Hospital. You still have healthy hips and continue to be enrolled in their study so that they can compare the not so good baby hips to the healthier ones. You will visit them about 4 more times until you turn 16 years old so that they can track your growth. We are happy to contribute!

Your birthday party was something else! We had close to 80 people in our house - what a time! We really thought that with it being sick season, many families probably wouldn't be able to make it. Oh, but they did! We loved seeing everyone and were so touched that they wanted to be with you as you turn 1! You gave them quite a show with an epic smash cake performance!

Football-themed invite! Figured it was appropriate since it was the day before the Super Bowl.

Back of invite. Beau is such a sweet photographer.

You really did have all of your clothes on up until cake time.

Penalty flag and ref banner didn't really go with the otherwise brown/green theme - oh well!

We loved the cake! We heard about Rosie from my friend Annie and she makes great cakes! Even delivers, which is heavenly on birthday party day! This size feeds 85 people and then some!

Munchies. We had pizzas, wings and dip too. Although I didn't order enough and we ran out :(

Mimi made W and football cookies!

Grays wearing his favorite jersey!

I giggle when I see this b/c it looks like Grayson is wearing a smash cake hat. ;)

Praise the Lord for cake! ;)

Couldn't make it to the bathroom so a kitchen sink bath became a party event!  It was in your underarms!

Mimi and Daddy washed you. This is a face of regret, my friend.

We love you, Baby Walker! I mean, Toddler Walker! xoxo