18 months: Everything is an apple.

That's right, folks. My kiddo is smart, but... he sees apples in everything. Ok, so mostly fruit. But some random non fruit things...like the cucumber in my water, or the broccoli on my plate, or the weirdest...the red blood capillary (mole-like thing) on my neck. And he's so cute the way he says it. "App-boo" or "app-po"

Elmo kinda sounds like that too.

Here is a video of him throwing a fit because he wanted more plum ( HE LOVESSSSS PLUMS!!), though he called it an apple.



Speaking of vocab words... he's got a bunch now... some of these might have been said before, but I can't remember....

• Apple
• Yummy
• Stuck
• Night-night (to grandpa gibby)
• Pillow (June 16)
• Key (June 20)
• Mo song (June 21)
• Ki-ki
• Down/up
• Boom
• Whoa
• Keys
• "Own" for phone
• Cookie (Qew-key) asked for it at breakfast and made me almost giggle
• Cheese 
• Puh-puh (purse)
• Ti-Ti (Tiger...and sometimes Lion) 

• Train
• Please (he can sign it, too)
• Signs sorry
• Play 
•  Balloon (boon)
• Egg
• Car 
• Push (Puu)...which he says everytime we get to my car after daycare because he wants to push the button to unlock the backseat. And then he does it for the garage door opener. And the button on the humidifier. He gets this from me. I once shut down the escalators at CRown Center when I was 2...so I hear. From pushing the big, juicy, red button that says STOP under the railings. 

There is a book that is all the verses of ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT that he and I read one night, lying on our backs, with the book held above us. And ever since, he loves that book. And now, he can sing it too. Kinda. And we think the "mee mee" part is "merrily, merrily.."
I heard him singing one night after I put him to bed, and I had to capture it! Melted my heart.


With singing, jumping, making weird noises, or trying something goofy, he likes to direct others to do it. So for instance, if I sing Row Row, he'll point to Neil to sing too. And if grandma and pa are there, he'll point to them, too. Etc. Of course, we don't want to disappoint our conductor, so we oblige and he eats it up. And yesterday, when we were making motor boat noises in the same fashion, he pointed to Neil...(pffffft---that's what motorboats sound like, right?)...he pointed to me (pfffft)....and then to Kramer.
MEOW.

We laughed. And then so did Weston.

My mom taught him awhile back after a high chair at her house fell on him that he should sternly talk to whatever hurts him. So now, he shakes his finger and says, "No, no, no." He did this to my toe the other day when he stepped on it. He cried out and then said, "no no no!" He also did this to the water in the bath tub when a scratch on his leg was stinging from the moisture. haha  

He's great at stairs, and now refused to crawl up or down them, but walks, holding on to the bannister or my hand, etc. 

He loves to play with balls, especially these ones that light up that Grandma brought him. He likes to sit on the stairs and throw them at whomever is at the bottom of the stairs. He actually has a good arm, much to my dad's delight. :)

I think one of my favorite things to do with him and Neil is to play "hug attack."  Weston will run back and forth between us (did I mention he runs like Phoebe on Friends? I fyou don't know what I'm talking about, look it up on YouTube.) Then he runs head first into our chests, taking turns. His face is just so full of mischief, love and excitement as he barrels at us.

He insists on having napkins at his meals now. He wipes up his mouth, sometimes his tongue...and sometimes the tray after he intentionally spills something. ;)

Grandpa Dino came to visit for the first time in over a year, and despite Weston not having seen him since September of last year, there was absolutely no hesitation with Weston hugging and kissing all over his Bah-Bah. Yep, that is what Weston calls Grandpa Dino AND Grandpa Gibby. I know Weston AND Dino enjoyed one another so much. We were sad to see Dino go!

Here is one video of the mayhem Dino inspired. ;)

Of course, the 4th of July was a blast this year. Holidays are so much more fun now with Weston. Gah! Here is a video of his reaction to his first fireworks....

Other videos:

He loves to play chase...

One of his favorite things to say....

 He still hasn't mastered the JUMPING...but not for lack of trying.

 He was supposed to be napping. But instead he was reading. I'll take it.


He loves playing in water, though he won't sit down.


 Just some random stuff at breakfast. A few silly things he does. this is exactly why we don't need Cable.

 Finally he is able to play with a gift from Aunt Wendy & Uncle Troy. I have to admit, this gift shouldn't be allowed to be sold without a huge warning that says: DO NOT USE UNLESS SOMEONE CAN HOLD THE HOWDY COW IN PLACE. Seriously. It's physically not made right. Clearly was never tested. But luckily--if we hold it in place--Weston loves it.



And... list of a few tantrums as of late:

I was stupid and put a bit of antibacterial hand soap on his hands after hanging out at a park. Ooops. He wanted more and more and more and more. and when I couldn't give him more, he called up the beast inside.

I wouldn't let him chew on his dirty shoes.

I peeled the banana for him and didn't think to put the peel down on his plate, too. Duh



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I'll post pics in the next post... but everyday I am in awe of how amazing my kiddo is. He is so loving, so playful, so curious, so ornery, so cute, so very much mine and Neil's. He makes the littlest things amusing and most everything fun again. He's finally at an age that allows Neil and I to leave him alone for a few minutes if we have to pee (though, sometimes that's hard to do and he's really into trying to WIPE us if he's in the toilet room with us!! AHHH!). I enjoy the puzzle of trying to figure out what he means, and feel soooo validated when I do understand what it is his babble is saying. When he adds a new word to his vocab, I am so proud and excited. I can't imagine how I'll feel when he starts stringing more than 2 words together at a time. I already melt when he says, "Mo? Pwee? Cookie?" haha

I look so forward to spending time with our extended families just so we can see him interact with those we love and vice versa. And it's always hilarious to watch Kramer and Weston slowly build a 2-way friendship.  

I never grow tired of hearing daycare tell me he is smart. I do get tired of him thinking NO is a challenge to test me. But I at least appreciate his determination...his stubbornness...and his love of risks. I think long-term those will serve him well. In the meantime, Neil and I will continue to sigh heavily, curse under our breath and roll our eyes until we master this stage. What's that? There is no such thing as mastery of toddler-dom? Well, you see...KNOWING that is actually acing the test. ;)