Benjamin's 18 Months Old!

Today Benjamin turned 18 months old. Today was also Benjamin's 18 month appointment with his pediatrician.

The stats:
Height: 34 inches
Weight: 26 pounds, 10 ounces
Head size: 18 inches

Some of the topics discussed were:
Teeth: Benjamin likes to bite Mommy and Daddy occasionally. His molars are coming in and he's just experiencing discomfort (so is my arm). He'll probably have his first dentist appointment before his third birthday. He's been getting his teeth brushed at night and he doesn't seem to mind this.

Bottle and Pacifier: We have been trying to wean Benjamin away from bottles and his pacifier. This has been a slow process and once we begin to give him his milk in a sippy cup, we were told he may refuse it for a day or two. That's normal. He drinks his water and juice in a sippy cup, but milk is a different story. We would continue to use the bottle in the evening as this is a form of security before he goes to sleep. We keep the pacifier in his crib as there are times in the early morning when he wakes up crying. This is there to calm him down and get him back to sleep quickly.

Vocabulary and Skills: Benjamin can throw a ball overhand, can climb into an adult chair, identifies pictures in books, knows what and where his nose, ears, fingers, toes are. He knows a lot of words thanks to the numerous books he has, the music we listen to and the various lessons he's received at day care. He can even say "baseball" when I turn on the Orioles or Nats game and can say "bat" and "ball". Hopefully he will be scoring games by August.

18 Months! For Weena and I, we are constantly looking out for Benjamin and what he gets into and where he goes. He's experiencing independence and he loves to walk ahead of us and check out the surroundings when outside. We are always aware of our surroundings and are very cautious and watchful. As I said earlier, we are like Secret Service agents on the lookout and protecting Benjamin. "Ben, get down from there", "Ben, no put that down" or "Ben, don't touch". For all the hard work raising him so far, we are rewarded with a healthy and happy child and are very proud parents. He's developing nicely and we love seeing how happy he is when he is playing. He's even learning to share at day care.