My Buddy

Peter had his 18 month check up this afternoon. He measured 34.25" long (94th percentile) and 25 lbs 9 oz (47th percentile). He didn't gain any weight since his last visit. I'm not sure if that's because he has been sick the last couple of weeks or if he's making his way to the string bean body-type that Bryan and Jill share. The doctor said I should add more butter and fatty things to his food to see if we can get his weight up some.

The doctor said that the 18 month visit is the worst with respect to stranger anxiety and asked about Peter's speech. I answered that he probably had fifty words and was speaking in some four word sentences. The doctor examined Peter with the stethoscope while I held him. Peter whined nervously but was so cute and brave. He finally lost it and cried hard when the doctor looked in his ears and throat. When I picked Peter up again, he said through tears, "I'm ready to go! I'm ready to go!" The doctor laughed.

These are some of my favorite things that Peter says:

"I come." (Hands outstretched, eyes pleading to be picked up)

"I'm just kidding."

"I like that baby."

"I want more milk please. Thank you."

"I want a vitamin. I reach it." (They're up in the kitchen cabinets.)

"I want the Leapster."

"I climbing the stairs." (Or in general, "I climbing" anything)

"I read George. I read." (His favorite Curious George books)

"I want Thomas. I want chug-a-choo-choo."

"Too hot. I want coat off."

"Jill too loud."

"Jill crying. Time out Jill."

"I love you, Mumma." (Dada, too)

"Happy Birthday, Mumma." (He says this every day.)

"I don't wannu!"

"I waddle." (Accompanying a penguin walk)

Other notes on Peter... I'm crazy about him! He is so cute and affectionate at this age. He has a great sense of humor and still does the squealing Howard Dean laugh and yell. Tonight he and Jill ran in circles around the living room and dining room, both of them yelling, "Everybody, RUN!" They were having the time of their lives.

He loves cars. Bryan rewinds car commercials and NASCAR for him to enjoy. His favorite thing, though, is this Huggies commercial On Demand. A diaper-clad baby runs away from his dad, and he's too fast for his dad to catch. Peter lights up and giggles every time he sees it.

Peter is still too much of an early riser for our taste, but he's come a long way. He wakes up like a bear, too, demanding whichever parent is still in bed (more me than Bryan). He angrily says, "I watch the news!" because when I'm first up, I sit and watch it with him in my lap.