Ian: 19 months

Hello! Happy New Year and all that:) How is everyone? Still kicking around over here...trying to get back to blogging but not going to stress out about it!

I wanted to do another update post on Ian. Last one I did he was 10 months old..oops! So since then, he's turned one!!, had a book birthday party, started walking at 14 months, talking, and pretty much just turned into a regular old toddler:)

Height (at 18 months): 33"
Weight (at 18 months): 25 lbs 5 oz
Clothes: size 2T
Shoes: size 6

He is talking up a storm and gets better and better with each passing day! Just like Maura at this age, he tries to repeat everything we say and is pretty successful at it. He is putting 2 and 3 words together, knows his animals and their sounds, lots of car/truck/construction vehicle parts and vocab, and just probably within the last week started getting some of his colors right! He loves to nod his head yes and say "uh huh" or shake his head no with "eh eh" when you ask him a question. A lot of times I'll say something like "let's go upstairs and you can help me with the laundry, ok?" (which he loves to do) and he'll say back "Oh kaaayyyy". He is such a content little guy, way more relaxed and chill than his older sister! (Whom I love to death, she's just 4 and full of lots of drama now!)

{his first real time out in the snow - that we got this weekend, apparently lots more to come soon - don't mind the poofy, unflattering snowpants, they were Maura's and are a couple of sizes too big for him. standards go way down for the 2nd kid!}

Sleeping Habits: This guy is such a good sleeper! His nap schedule changed this fall when I kept having to wake him up from his morning nap to go pick up Maura from pre-school or My Gym...so eventually we just tried one long afternoon nap and he took right to it. Now he usually sleeps for like 3 hours in the middle of the afternoon (say 2 - 5pm or 2:30 - 5:30pm), which is perfect because Maura and I get a nice long chunk of uninterrupted "big girl time" when we can play with all the toys that have really complicated little pieces, do a craft project, play a board game, etc. His bedtime routine continues to be the same...somehow he is still ready for bed like 3 hours after he wakes up from his long nap, but that's cool by me! We put him down around 8:30pm (although he usually rolls around quietly for awhile before falling asleep) and most days he sleeps through the night until sometime around 7:30/8am.

{having a cookie on Christmas Eve while the rest of us decorate them for Santa!}

Eating Habits: Besides sleeping, this guy also likes to eat! (Do you think its a boy thing, or a second kid thing, that they seem much easier and less fussy?) He'll eat most things***, could snack 24/7, loves fruit. Some things that he likes that Maura doesn't are blueberries, pears, applesauce, toast with jelly, and well, most things (since she's such a picky eater!). Still need to work on getting him to eat more veggies though. He loves warm milk in his purple sippy cup (#realboyslovepurple) when he wakes up and before he goes to bed.

***Well, since I've started writing this post - took me a few days to get it all together - we've had a bit of a down turn in the eating department! Ugh, so frustrating! Now he has stopped liking some of the things he used to like and has begun pushing away new foods without even trying them when before he would at least try anything you put in front of him. Bummer. Any ideas?

{his first time trying tomato soup!}

Favorite Toys: our Imaginarium train table that we got for Maura when she was two, books, cars, trucks, any kind of vehicle

{reading his favorite book he got for Christmas with his Great Aunt Peggy, "The Big Book of Things that Go"}

 Favorite Pastimes: playing in the playroom (he plays really well independently and will keep himself busy for long periods of time), he still really loves to read, being outside, watching "shows", horsing around with his sister, going in the car to pick Maura up from various things, coming shopping with Mama, and his new favorite obsession - coloring with markers

Favorite TV Shows: Thomas & Friends, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Peter Rabbit, anything on Disney Jr.

{here he is Christmas morning playing with some of his new Paw Patrol guys}

Here's some photos from a family shoot we did with Jannelle of Sweet Connolly Photography back in November (so when Ian was 17 months). He wouldn't sit still for a second so we spent most of the time chasing him around and snapping pics....but that's ok, this age is so fun!! Ps. Would highly recommend Jannelle to anyone local for newborn/family/wedding photography - this is the third time we've worked with her:)

Ah, he's so cute, I can't stand it!!! Love you so much, Buddy!!!

PS. Thanks to anyone still reading this blog (if there are actually some of you left)!  Now that Ian is a year and a half, I thought it might be nice to finally post some pics of his nursery, lol!!! Trying to finish taking those and edit them...hopefully to come soon:)