Vander at Fifteen Months

I wasn't sure how often to do Vander updates, so I will post about particular things that come to mind and then follow his doctors appointments, which I think are quarterly all this year.

He weighs just under 26 pounds. So thank goodness this kid can walk because I can hardly carry him all the way from the car to his classroom in the mornings! They had his height the same as three months ago, so it was either wrong last time or this time or both since he can reach a lot more things and I had to put away a couple pairs of shorts since they looked like girl shorts on him. Either way he is definitely growing! When we were at the doctors office, it made me realize how big and different he is over these last three months, since he interacted with his environment so differently.

I just can't get over how much I love hanging out with this little munchkin! He is so endlessly entertaining. He is a goofball and he knows it. Vander smiles all the time, unless he is concentrating on something or mad you won't let him do something (then we get a tantrum) or when he gets frustrated he can't do something the exact specific way he wants it to go.

Vander loves to do the same things as mommy and daddy. Vander now sits at the table in a booster seat instead of a high chair. He will wash my legs and feet after we wash him in the bathtub. He helps me with laundry. He loves his cleaning toys from grandma and grandpa.

He loves organizing and reorganizing things. So he clearly gets that from me. He rearranges things in baskets and boxes and shelves. He sorts the cans and condiments in the pantry and fridge. It is so stinking cute!

 

But Vander is so independent too! He plays with his toys all on his own. He drives his cars around and makes noises. He will make his Goldfish (or pretzels or Kix…) talk to each other before he eats them. He has started reading his books on his own. He likes to do thing himself and the exact way he wants it. He very much has free reign in the house and outside in the back yard these days. We feel very comfortable with him going up and down the stairs. We are pretty well baby proofed in terms of the things we don’t want him getting into. Except now he likes to put my tampons in the toilet…

The world is his obstacle course. He loves to climb onto everything. He uses things as step stools to get higher up. So even though he has free reign we definitely keep a close eye on him.

He was sick with hand foot and mouth and an ear infection at the same time one weekend and ever since then he has returned to being a snuggle bug. I think he was so caught up in being busy and exploring that he forgot how nice it was to snuggle in mom or dad's lap until he was forced to slow down. So now he will come sit with us a lot more, which I absolutely love!

He is talking a lot. Well he was always spoken Vanderin a lot, but it is getting closer to real words now. He consistently says: hi, mom, dad, ball, uh oh, more, please (sounds like "peas" and he will sign it all the time when you ask "what do you need to say?" And is saying it out loud more too), me. He has also said: downstairs, car, up (he used to be better about his one), snack (said "nack"), dog. I feel like there are more but he just understands us so well when we ask him to do things that we don't have a whole lot of issues communicating. I mostly wish he could let me know if he is hurt when he falls down, or just scared. When he does get frustrated because something isn't working we are getting him to ask for help, which he does by looking at us and signing please, so that is good. I also tell him to think about what his is doing and what he should try next to get him to step back and not just get mad. Sounds like high expectations for a 15 month old but he does listen when I tell him to think about it.

It has been such a fun summer with this little guy! Being his mommy is so much fun! Vander is the main reason I am ok with Fall and Winter coming, since we will get to play in the snow!