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| e i g h t e e n m o n t h s |
Clark will be nineteen months in three days!!! he is growing and changing so much every day. he really is no longer a baby, but a little boy. it's hard to wrap my mind around but I'm sure once baby brother arrives, Clark will seem sooo big! but he will always be my baby.
we've been on all kinds of adventures these past few months...the holiday season is so magical with a child! we were Winnie-the-Pooh and his Hunny with our Christopher Robin for Halloween. Clark had a blast trunk-or-treating and was ecstatic we were actually willingly giving him candy! over Thanksgiving weekend we took Clark on his first Rawlings family vacation, just the three of us, and it was one of the best trips ever. we made so many good memories and I will forever treasure those days in my heart as a family of three.
Clark loved everything about Christmas...Christmas lights everywhere (he always wanted "mah" (more), the tree, the ornaments, the stockings, the parties, all the time with family and of course, the presents! he was SO spoiled (post to come!) and got a little overwhelmed halfway through opening all his presents and didn't want to open any more! hahaha. I think his favorite present was a simple set of keys!
he almost rang in the New Year with us (woke up twice before midnight and had a hard time going back down with all the fireworks going off) and is currently getting over a terrible cough. it has been freeezing here lately (Texas freezing so in the 30's) so we've all been cooped up inside, watching movies, playing games, and enjoying all our new presents.
2018 is going to be a year of change. I can just feel it. Clark is going to change soooo much over the coming year! this time next year he'll be talking up a storm and he'll be a big brother! we will be a family of 4 ♥
& the next time I do one of these updates I'll have TWO little boys!!! what an adventure!
eighteen month stats:
weight: 24.2 lbs (50th percentile)
length: 33 1/4 in. (80th percentile)
head circ: 18.8 in. (60th percentile)
♥ ♥ ♥
f i r s t s
♥ 9.16.17 - haircut! it was pretty much worse than getting a shot!! we took him to Shear Madness for Kids and they had little cars and space ships to sit in, tv's everywhere, music playing, toys, distractions, you name it...but it all meant nothing as soon as the clippers came out.
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| I miss his beautiful locks!! |
Clark screamed the entire time!! it lasted about 15-20 minutes so it was basically pure torture. and guess who's overdue for a haircut again??
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| before |
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| after |
♥ 9.23.17 - Clark put himself back to sleep when he woke up in the middle of the night for the first time! all our sleep training has really paid off.
♥ 9.25.17 - Clark started singing for the first time during General Conference along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! he sang, "bahhh, ahhh, baaa" in a really high pitched tone, mimicking them!! ♥
♥ 9.28.17 - jump on a trampoline! he was actually pretty scared and didn't really like it..
♥ 10.3.17 - dentist appt! see first haircut above on how much he liked it.
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| no cavities for this sweet-toothed boy! |
♥ 10.5.17 - new word: "na na" = banana
♥ 10.13.17 - fell asleep in his high chair during lunch! I've seen kids do this before and always thought it was hilarious but I never thought Clark would be one of them! we had played outside with his new water station in the morning and it must have really worn him out. I didn't even think to take a picture though, I felt so bad and immediately took him out to put him down for a nap.
♥ 10.15.17 - visited daddy's work! he got to ride in a 4 wheeler and then we ate lunch with dad. Clark was so excited he threw his goldfish all over!
♥ 10.24.17 - first zoo trip! you can read about how much he loved it here!
♥ 11.2.17 - first time finger painting! he hated getting paint on himself!
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| okay I painted the pumpkin |
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| Clark preferred sweeping to painting |
♥ 11.4.17 - new word: "mah" = more
♥ 11.10.17 - went down the slide all by himself!
♥ 11.16.17 - new word: "be be" = baby
12.8.17 - first snow - he thought it was way too cold and kept looking at me like we were crazy for being out there...also, he refused to touch it but I made him!
f a v o r i t e s
I've been recording these by month so I'll go in order...
at sixteen months Clark enjoys stuffing things down his shirt, pretty much anything he finds valuable...cars, phones, keys, nail clippers, credit cards, paint bottles! he loves taking the belts out of my robes and putting them around his neck. he also throws blankets and clothes over his head and wears them like a turban...
one of Clark's favorite things in the whole wide world is his ba ba (binky). whenever he sees it, he immediately gets sooo giddy and starts giggling and pointing to it like he just discovered milk chocolate! we should have taken it away when we had the chance! we've started only allowing it for naps and bedtime but I have no idea when we're going to take it away. it's like a security blanket for him and I don't think he'll understand if it's just suddenly gone. I think the plan is to wait until he's 2 and can understand better. not to mention, he's STTN great and I'm terrified to take it away since the sleepless nights will already be coming with the new baby!
Clark has been going to nursery at church for several months now. he absolutely loves it! he loves being with the other kids and he gets along really well with everyone. well, the Sunday before he turned 18 months old, we decided to try and leave him there alone for the first time. I left and watched through the window for a little bit but he seemed fine so I went to class. about 5 minutes later, I recognized a certain wailing coming down the hall and ran out to find him sobbing in the teacher's arms. I guess he hadn't realized I had left. poor baby! he's never been left alone with anyone other than my mom before so he must have been scared. for now, I continue to go with him because I really don't mind and I want him to get used to going but I'm wondering what we're going to do when kindergarten rolls around...
I think Clark may become some sort of scientist or maybe an inventor when he grows up because he loves seeing how things work. he must get that from his daddy! Mark's always working on some project around the house and Clark watches in fascination, taking it all in. then whatever he saw Mark do, he's doing that the rest of the week! he has a toy toolbox full of tools which he loves but he definitely prefers the real thing. I usually find him walking around with Mark's screwdrivers fixing everything!
Clark also loves re-organizing things. sometimes I let him stand on the washer/dryer and I watch him re-organize the laundry cabinet. I think his favorite part is how heavy all the detergents are! he may be a future weight lifter because he can already lift a full bottle of detergent over his head!
at sixteen months Clark enjoys stuffing things down his shirt, pretty much anything he finds valuable...cars, phones, keys, nail clippers, credit cards, paint bottles! he loves taking the belts out of my robes and putting them around his neck. he also throws blankets and clothes over his head and wears them like a turban...
his favorite song is "If You're Happy and You Know It," and he can do all the actions! he's become very attached to two of his blankets (his maroon one and gray & white striped one) and is always running upstairs to get them. then he likes to fluff them in a pile and lay on them.
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| maroon blanket |
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| gray/white blanket |
Clark is so so curious and his favorite place to be is outside exploring. I feel bad on the days when I have too many chores to do inside to get outside with him. he can now walk all the way to the park by our house and loves it!! this child loves being independent!
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| he also loves carrying sticks! |
at seventeen months, Clark loves Moana! he is obsessed with her song and immediately stops whatever he's doing to listen to it and afterwards wants, "mah".
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| mesmerized by Moana! |
he loves music of all kinds, especially good dance music! whenever he hears a good beat, he can't help but sway back and forth, stomp his feet, and clap his hands. he's got such good rhythm too! my tiny dancer.
we started listening to Christmas music after Halloween (okay, maybe before Halloween...) and Clark loves it!!! he pretty much loves anything to do with Christmas (obviously). his favorite song is "Teddy Bear Picnic" and he loves to hold a teddy bear and dance around with it whenever he hears the song. Clark actually sort of has a lovey now! he loves this teddy bear Grandma gave him that used to be Sean's when he was little. I named him Cocoa and Clark always squeezes Cocoa super tight whenever he sees him in Grandma's car.
Clark has always been a water baby and he looks forward to bath time every night. we definitely have a strong bedtime routine and bath is the start of it. when he hears the water running, he climbs up the stairs lightning fast and runs in. I undress him and as soon as he's naked, he makes a mad dash out the door and runs around the game room before coming back to let me put him in the bath! he does this every night and I always yell, "hey nakey boy, get back here!" as he squeals with delight!
Clark may have hated the dentist but he LOVES brushing his teeth! he probably "brushes" his teeth (more like gnaws on the toothbrush) 5-6 times a day. he prefers adult toothpaste (just a teeny bit) and loves handing me his toothbrush over and over to get more water so he can suck it.
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| getting the toothpaste out |
oh and did I mention, he weighs himself every day? he must see me do it as I monitor my pregnancy weight gain. he currently weighs 25 pounds! I've gained more than that, hahaha
Clark is the best little helper! one day I asked him to go switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer and he did!
he has become obsessed with his dada and loooves helping him outside with the yard. he actually does help! he rakes, sweeps and one time he spent 10 minutes tossing the tiniest little handfuls of leaves into a bag!
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| okay, sometimes he just jumps in the leaves |
at eighteen months, Clark has become so much fun! he is getting so smart and learns something new every single day. sometimes I don't even know where he learns these things! he discovered my lipstick drawer and loves taking them all out. he hasn't quite figured out how to roll up the lipstick (thank goodness!) but he loves taking the lids off and sticking his finger in. I taught him that was off limits and showed him what they are for and now he loves pretending to put lipstick on me! he takes off the lid and puts the lipstick to my lips, even though it's still at the bottom. he puts on all the colors before putting them back. and I thought I'd need a little girl to give me a makeover!
one of Clark's favorite things in the whole wide world is his ba ba (binky). whenever he sees it, he immediately gets sooo giddy and starts giggling and pointing to it like he just discovered milk chocolate! we should have taken it away when we had the chance! we've started only allowing it for naps and bedtime but I have no idea when we're going to take it away. it's like a security blanket for him and I don't think he'll understand if it's just suddenly gone. I think the plan is to wait until he's 2 and can understand better. not to mention, he's STTN great and I'm terrified to take it away since the sleepless nights will already be coming with the new baby!
Clark has been going to nursery at church for several months now. he absolutely loves it! he loves being with the other kids and he gets along really well with everyone. well, the Sunday before he turned 18 months old, we decided to try and leave him there alone for the first time. I left and watched through the window for a little bit but he seemed fine so I went to class. about 5 minutes later, I recognized a certain wailing coming down the hall and ran out to find him sobbing in the teacher's arms. I guess he hadn't realized I had left. poor baby! he's never been left alone with anyone other than my mom before so he must have been scared. for now, I continue to go with him because I really don't mind and I want him to get used to going but I'm wondering what we're going to do when kindergarten rolls around...
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| my handsome little gentleman |
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| helping dad put up Christmas lights |
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| organized by Clark Wilde |
Clark still hates diaper changes and getting dressed but I think he's really starting to grow up because sometimes if I ask him nicely and give him a 5 minute heads up, he will willingly lay down and let me change him...that is, as long as he has a phone, book, or toy to keep him occupied. I used to bribe him with m&ms!! (have I mentioned he is OBSESSED with candy?! it's probably the only thing he likes more in the world than his binky because if I ask him if he wants candy, that binky is out of his mouth in half a second!)
e a t
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| helping make homemade pizza! |
we've come a long way in the food department. Clark can still be pretty picky but if he's hungry, he'll usually eat pretty well. there are also a few no fail ways we get him to eat... a) distraction technique - put on one of his favorite shows and he'll mindlessly eat (almost) whatever we want to shovel in, b) big boy technique - give him a fork and let him feed myself. this way can be messy and not all of it always makes it in his mouth but he's been getting better and better! at almost 19 months, Clark can eat cereal all by himself! his favorite part is holding the bowl and drinking the milk (we still help him with that part).
Clark is a little dipper! he will eat almost anything if he can dip it in something...ketchup, hummus, spinach dip...I haven't met a dip he doesn't like! he gets this from his mama, the sauce queen! he still is not a fan of milk by itself...he drinks juices and water from a sippy cup but won't drink milk unless it's in cereal. the doctor said this is fine as long as he's getting calcium in other forms, which he is.
Clark's palate at 18 months:
♥ fruits - blueberries (FAVE), strawberries, grapes, bananas, apples, peaches, plums
♥ veggies - only disguised in a smoothie or pouch! he won't even eat corn!
♥ breakfast - cereal (FAVE - anything with marshmallows is his fave but he will eat pretty much all kinds!), waffles, (FAVE), scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pb banana toast, smoothies
♥ lunch - turkey sandwiches, pbj, crackers w/ ham & cheese, mac 'n cheese
♥ dinner - pasta w/ red sauce (FAVE), ravioli, pizza, stir fry, chicken nuggets
♥ snacks - goldfish (FAVE), animal crackers, chewy bars, fruit snacks (FAVE), pretzels, chips (FAVE), cheez-its (FAVE), hummus (FAVE), Chobani yogurt flips
things Clark won't touch with a 10 foot pole - vegetables, cottage cheese, and whipped cream!
s l e e p
I wrote about sleep training Clark awhile back and I'm happy to report he is currently STTN from 8-8:30 pm until 6-6:30 (sometimes 7!) am. however, there have been a few rough nights. I had read about how horrible the 18 month sleep regression was but he had been sleeping so well for months, I didn't really expect it to happen. well, a few days after turning 18 months, Clark suddenly stopped going right to sleep when I put him in his crib. he would stand up and cry and want me to stay. we had to do CIO all over and then he started waking up at night screaming, like he was terrified of something! we weren't sure if he was having nightmares or what.
after about a week of re-sleep training him though, he's pretty much been back to normal, except right around Christmas when he came down with a terrible cough. he would wake up at night coughing but would refuse to drink anything so a few times over Christmas vacation we had to feed him cereal at 3 am in order to get him to spit out his binky and then he would drink something. it's been two weeks since he got the cough and it's finally on its way out!
p l a y / d e v e l o p m e n t
every day I look forward to seeing what Clark will do next. he is always surprising me with how smart he is and how much he understands. he knows where all of his body parts are and can do hand motions to all of his favorite songs ("Wheels on the Bus," "If You're Happy and You Know It," "Going on a Bear Hunt"). music and dancing are his favorite! he isn't talking as much as he could be but that might be because my mom is teaching him Spanish. we'll see if he likes it better than I did! he has started talking more and more over the past few weeks though. at his eighteen month check up he could only say about 5 words but now I think it's more like 10.
Clark's vocabulary at 18 months
mama - me
dada - Mark
baba - binky
mah - more
sha - Xela (or any dog)
na na - banana
ha - hi
be be - baby
this past month Clark started giving kisses on demand...well, when he's in the mood. he almost always wants to give me a kiss! he loves to kiss me over and over until I have to turn my face because he won't stop! he is also still addicted to putting his hand down my shirt and he thinks it's funny to touch my nipples if I'm ever changing or when I get out of the shower! this boy is going to be t-r-o-u-b-l-e.
Clark can now shake his head no or nod yes when we ask him questions, which makes communicating so much easier! it's so funny to see him stop and think about what we're asking and decide whether it's a yes or a no. today I asked him, "Clark are you excited to meet your baby brother?!" and he nodded yes. I asked, "do you know where the baby is going to sleep?" and he pointed to the bassinet in our room. then I asked him, "are you going to love your brother?" and he thought about it and then shook his head no! hahahah
we talk about the new baby coming with Clark and I think he may possibly understand, to a certain extent. he knows the baby is in my tummy and points to my belly button and says "be be?" he knows his brother's name but still calls him be be. I used to be worried about what he would think of a baby but the other day I baby-sat for a friend and she has a two year old and a 6 month old and Clark LOVED the baby! he tried to give her all his toys, gave her her binky whenever she cried (and didn't try to take it for himself which surprised me!), ran to her when she was crying to try to help, climbed in the moses basket with her (HAH), and loved smiling and waving at her. I hope he loves his little brother the same way!
Mark and I talk about the future and what it will be like when we have 3-4 kids (we know we want at least one more) and Clark is the oldest. he is going to make such a good leader amongst his siblings. he has great leadership qualities we are already seeing. in his baby blessing, Mark blessed him to be a peacemaker in our home and an example and leader in our family. I couldn't have asked for a more loving, sweet, funny, smart, kind, adventurous and fun child. we love Clark with all our heart...what will it feel like to love TWO babies this much??? I can't wait to find out.
