15 Months

Matthew turned 15 months old this week and man is this kid a ton of work! I seriously can't take my eyes off him for more than a minute because who knows what he'll into or doing! He now weighs 24 pounds (43%), is 31.5 " tall (63%) and his head circumference measured in at 46.5 cm (31% - the pediatrician thinks either the nurse measured his head too tightly or his head is growing taller instead of wider right now, hmmm you think he takes after his dad?). He is still following the pattern of being bigger than his brother in both weight and height, but has a smaller noggin. For my own comparison, at 15 months Joshua was 22 pounds 10 oz., 30" and had a head circumference of 47.6 cm - odd thing is these were Matthew's exact weight and height measurements at 12 months!

Too say Matthew is a handful is putting it nicely, but really the kid is very curious about everything! Trying to keep up with a big brother and do what he does is a hard job for 15 month old. Here's some tidbits in list form about Matthew at 15 months old :
~Matthew LOVES to be on the go and outside - staying in the house all day just seems to drive him nutty (and me too sometimes).
~Matthew loves to play in water which is a great thing during this hot, humid summer we've been having!
~Is saying 7 words: hi, mama, dada, da (Josh), dee dee (kitty), uck (duck), ya (yes). He's even said "hi dada" and "hi mama". I'm still keeping an eye on his language development though given my experience with son #1!
~He sleeps 12-13 hours at night and takes one 2-3 hour nap a day. Putting him down for a nap or nighttime is a breeze as we simply lay him down in the crib with his blanket and pacifier and he hardly ever even makes a noise.
~The child is walking everywhere now; not always steady on his feet, but he walks everywhere and man is he fast! Needless to say, the stroller, car seat and carts in stores are not his favorite places to be anymore.
~Trouble, as we like to call him, LOVES to climb on anything and everything. He's been climbing ladders since 11 months old but now he can easily climb up onto couches, chairs, tables, picnic tables, into the Expedition, and just recently up onto the bar stools at our kitchen island. Like I said, this kid can't be left alone for even a minute!
~Not only can Matthew climb on or into things, but he's also a very talented at climbing out ofthings. He easily stands up in his highchair or seat for the picnic table; even when tightly buckled he somehow manages to wiggle free. Today when buckled in the grocery cart he completely turned himself around. This kid could have a gig as an escape artist!
~Matthew has become the typical toddler who is a picky eater. The child won't eat a vegetable, just spits them out the moment the enter his mouth. He also is rejecting cheese and most meat. Sure makes meal time fun, not. He does however devour any kind of fruit, grains and his milk.
~Matthew has taken a liking to playing with cars, trucks and planes. Many days he stands in his bedroom window watching the garbage trucks in the neighborhood and he's always the first one to hear and spot the planes in the sky.
~He wants so badly to play with Joshua, but it's hard when there is a 4 year gap. Most of the time there is fighting, but on rare occasions they enjoy each others company.
~This little guy makes us laugh so much as he likes to copy things others are doing or just plain be silly. His latest trick is to click his tongue and mimic people chewing.
~When it comes to discipline we are going to need an extra dose of patience with this child. When told no Matthew likes to smile, sometimes laugh and simply do whatever he did again. Little stinker can be naughty!

Can't wait to see what he learns in the next few months, the crazy kid!