Eighteen Months

Briggs is now 18 months old.  I just love this age!!  Briggs is so fun, learning so much, and developing his own little personality.  As of his 18 month check-up on Friday, Briggs is 32" (34th percentile) and 22 lbs (18th percentile).  He is wearing his 12-18 and 18 month clothes, size 4 shoes, and size 3 diapers.  He takes a nap every afternoon, generally for 1.5-2 hours.  He sleeps about 11-12 hours at night, from about 8ish to 7ish.  He smiles big with his 12 teeth.

My happy, smiley boy

Likes:  Briggs LOVES trucks, cars, buses, fire trucks, trains, diggers, and tractors.  His favorite toys are his trucks/cars, our train table, and his Paw Patrol vehicles and figures.  He loves to read with his favorite books being those with (shockingly) cars, trucks, tractors, diggers, buses...  He does also still like the princess and mermaid figurines, his Little People toys (especially the bus), and most things that his sisters are playing with.  It's not uncommon to see him walking around with necklaces or purses or bows on.  If he gets to choose the after-nap show, he usually picks "Ryder.  Marshall."  (Paw Patrol).  Briggs likes going on outings, playing outside, baths, animals, and his water table.  He loves to climb. When we take Staley to school, Briggs always gets excited about seeing the school buses and the fish in Staley's kindergarten classroom.  Briggs is a pretty good eater with favorite foods being waffles, fruit, rolls, fish, crackers, and anything sweet.  He sleeps with his Cookie Monster and now also asks to be covered up by a blanket.  He still sucks his right thumb when he's tired.  He remains a bit of a Mama's boy and he love, love, loves his sisters.

Briggs cheesing it up with his necklace on.

(He's my only child who will look at the camera, smile, and say "cheese" when I take his picture.)

Sand, a shovel, and a dump truck?  Life doesn't get much better than this.

He's something of a Mama's boy, but he sure does love his Daddy too.

Dislikes:  Briggs definitely has a temper and will let you know when he's not happy.  Patience is not his strong suit.  He will throw fits when he doesn't like the food on his tray, when he has to stop playing a preferred activity, when someone takes something he's playing with, and when we won't pick him up when he wants to be picked up.  He is a pretty good eater, but does not like most meats or pastas.

Skills:  Briggs walks well and is trying to run and jump, although hasn't quite figured those out yet.  He can crawl up and down stairs, and loves to climb on step stools and ladders.  He tries to do everything his sisters do, including somersaults, running, and wrestling.  Briggs likes to figure things out, like turning on/off switches, activating pop-up toys, and putting together magnets.  He likes to scribble and put stickers on paper.  Briggs feeds himself with silverware, drinks from a spout cup, brushes his teeth, puts a brush to his hair, and helps get dressed/undressed.  He often lets us know when he's pooping or peeing.  Briggs is getting so smart.  He understands so much of what we tell him and follows directions well.  He is great at cleaning up his toys, throwing away garbage, getting his shoes, or finding a specific toy/book.  He can recite parts of books and songs.  He made up his own knock-knock joke and makes great connections, like seeing a St. Jude emblem and saying "Jude runners."  Briggs is talking up a storm.  He has hundreds of words, and is now putting 2-3 words together to express an idea like "Adelie cry."  "Briggy's shoes."  "Daddy mow tractor."  He talks very clearly and even has a few 4 syllable words in his vocabulary--"guacamole" and "Pocahontis."  Briggs can identify most of the Paw Patrol characters, Shimmer and Shine (from one of the girl's favorite shows), Nick and Judy (from one of the girls' favorite movies), some of the Mickey characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy), and some Disney princesses (Aurora, Belle, Elsa, Pocahontis).  I love hearing the new things he says every day and the new connections he's making.

Walking on the balance beam, just like his sisters.

Briggs is so much fun.  He is growing and changing so quickly, but still remains my sweet, snuggly, loving little boy.

My big 18 month old