Bruin is 1.5 (Happy Half Birthday Buddy!)

(I'm posting this two months late because that is my blogging average now. lol.)

One and a half is already here!  I'll be serving this kid a cupcake with two candles on it in a blink!

We took the little guy to a local lake for his 1.5 year session.  It was a really beautiful day but, it was quite warm and sticky so I had low expectations.  Bruin isn't the kind of kiddo to sit and smile for a camera but, I got lucky!  I brought his teddy along and he loved that we were somewhere new and that he got to sit on a special stool.  He gave us some of his sweetest smiles and facial expressions.  I melted.  And then he took off down the deck.  Happy boy = Happy Momma.

I sure do adore this little boy.  

Bruin weighed 24.5 pounds at his 18 month checkup.  He was >? (need to retrieve data!) inches long.  He is growing great!

Bruin's favorite things to do:

Dance.  This boy loves dancing.  Anytime Bruin hears a tune playing on a TV, tablet or cell phone, he  immediately throws one arm up in the air and starts waving it around.  He also has this one foot stomp motion that goes along with the hand swaying in the air.  When I am holding him he will bounce to the music in my arms.  If he is walking around he usually dances around in a circle while shaking his booty.  It's the cutest thing ever!! I love having a dancing kiddo.

Watch shows.  One of the very first words Bruin learned to speak was, "show."  He points up at the TV and softly says, "shoooowww."  When we are in the car he points at the DVD player and says the same thing.  He likes to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Psalty's Praise, Wiggles and Mother Goose Club.  Basically any musical show is his favorite.  No other shows keeps his attention.  He loves to eat a little snack on the living room floor while watching a show.  

Play outside.  He loves exploring the weeds, grass, rocks and dirt.  He is a typical boy and I love it.  Yesterday, during Daisy's tennis lesson, I took Bruin to an abandoned dirt lot full of gravel and weeds.  He had the best time throwing rocks, pulling weeds (yes, both of my children love pulling weeds because I LOVE pulling weeds. LOL), and playing in the dirt.  He doesn't like having pebbles or dirt on his hands though so he would then wipe his dirty hands on my shorts.  It cracked me up.  He also likes to kick a ball around in the backyard and climbing up and down on his little slide over and over and over again.

He loves to brush his teeth.  We pulled the stool out of the closet for him to use and now he climbs up and grabs his own tooth brush and toothpaste.  Then he brushes his teeth or plays in the sink for a little bit.  It passes time and it is teaching him a useful skill.  Win. Win. 

He finally enjoys taking baths.  I had no idea a kid could despise bath time as long as Bruin did.  He would take a bath but, he never enjoyed it and mostly he whined to get out the entire time.  Now when I ask him if he'd like to take a bath he gets excited and walks to the bathroom and stands beside the tub and waits.  He loves to sit right up next to the spout with his big pitcher and cup and he collects the water as it pours and then pours it back and forth from cup to pitcher.  He loves pouring things out.  He also loves to have me put a dab of shampoo, lotion or soap on his hand.  He loves just staring at it on his hand.  I have repeatedly showed him how to rub it on his other arm or to wash it off.  Then he grunts for more.  Good times.

We went to the great wolf lodge recently and Bruin was far too overstimulated by the noise and the splashing water everywhere.  He likes things to be quieter and more mellow at this point.   I'm not sure if it is an actual sensory issue or if Bruin is just a sensitive kiddo which is could be the case. We also tried playing in the sprinkler in the backyard but, he didn't like the suddenness of the water getting him each time it came back around.  We went to the pool a week ago and it was freezing still.  Of course he hated it.  He must get that from his mom.  Sorry buddy.  He sat on the step with me and seemed to enjoy that well enough.  We are going to try and go back to the pool when it warms up a bit and see if he likes it more then.  Hope so!

Bruin likes to do new things and he likes variety.  If I keep him occupied and constantly change up the activities then he is happiest but, I find that exhausting.  I created a sensory bin for him last week and it was probably the happiest I have seen him in a long time.  He sat for an hour and played with the beans and cups!  He likes to be challenged.  I have noticed how quickly Bruin picks up on things.  If I show him how to do a task like put all the marbles in a cup and then put the lid on and shake it, he can instantly repeat the task.  So, pray that God gives me energy to come up with new and creative things to do with this little guy to help him thrive and to keep him busy!  lol

Bruin is just starting to get to the point that he will "play," a little bit with Daisy.  He loves to follow her into her room and get into her stuff.  It blows my mind how patient and tolerant she is of him.  I think she just really enjoys having a sibling and she loves having someone to play with even a little bit.  Recently the two of them discovered that they could take the shelf out of the oven in her kitchen set.  Then they took turns sitting in the pretend oven and closing the door on each other and waving through the window.  Sounds rather odd to type that out but, it was ridiculously cute to watch and don't worry, I don't leave either of them alone for fear that Daisy might keep Bruin in the oven a little longer than necessary.  He'd survive but, meh, I'm not gonna chance it;).  Daisy is unbelievably gentle with Bruin.  She is a very affectionate kiddo, so he gets loves of cuddles, hugs and kisses from big sis.  He also gets back messages.  Daisy is on a kick that she loves to give us a message.  It feels nothing like a message but, shhhh don't tell her that.  We just love that she has such a kind heart and she is trying to do a nice thing.

He prefers being held 98% of the day.  I truly think that he is miserable a lot of the time and I think being held is the most comfortable place for him to be.  I don't know if his fussiness is because he has a low pain tolerance level and teething drives him crazy or if he is a sensory kiddo who is bothered easily by the stimulus around him.  He does get ear infections a lot due to teething and I know from experience how horrific ear infections can be.  Two weeks ago he actually ruptured his ear drum.  I feel terrible because I had no idea he was battling an ear infection prior to that because he cries all the time already so it's so hard to know what is bothering him on any given day.  I had been giving him motrin for his teething at night so I hope that helped a little bit.  We got him on an antibiotic and he seemed happier after a few days but, then he returned to his rather fussy self and again, I wonder if he is hurting or just not the happiest baby in the world.  It's so hard to know.  He will occasionally have a really happy day and I kid you not those are some of my happiest days in the past year and a half as well.  When I see him having a good day, smiling, laughing and enjoying himself I feel like I've been handed a thousand bucks.  I hope for more and more and more days like that for this cute little boy of mine.  I do so love him...so, so, so, so much.

Bruin loves his stuffed animals.  He is soothed by them.  We often take one on a car ride and he has a few in his crib to snuggle with at night.  He gives them big squeeze hugs and his face lights up with a big smile whenever we hand him one.  The best.

He wears size 18-24 month clothes from Old Navy and mostly 18 month everywhere else.  To be honest 18 month can still be a bit big but, 12 months is definitely too snug now.  He wears size 5 shoes with some room to grow.  Size 5 Target diapers.

He still goes to bed at around 7 and sleeps until around 6:30 most days.  I can usually get him to hang in his crib until 7 but, that is his absolute max.  He is not a sleep in type of kid.  Bummer dude.  And if you are wondering, we have tried keeping him up later in hopes of getting a more restful morning in but, nope...he rises at the same time no matter what time he goes to bed at night.  That being said, I am pretty intentional about keeping him on this schedule because I desperately need the down time before bed to decompress a little bit.  Bru naps from around 12 ish until around 2:30 depending on the day. We pick Daisy up from the bus at 3:30 which is why I don't push for a later start to his afternoon nap at this point.

Bruin loves to eat but, he is rather picky.  I have a hard time getting him to eat meat of any kind and vegetables are almost always a big fat no.  I have gotten him to eat canned green beans as long as I remember to give him a fork to feed himself.  He will also eat chicken nuggets in small pieces so long as I remember to give him lots of ketchup to dip the pieces in.  He loves ketchup and "dip-dip," as we call it. He will dip anything in ketchup if given the opportunity.  When he is done dipping his food he usually picks up the plate and sticks his entire face in the ketchup in attempt to get a good lick.  Hilarious.  Bruin loves to eat fruit.  His current favorites are strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, grapes, and mandarin oranges (from the can).  He also loves hawiaan sweet bread rolls.  He enjoys holding an entire sandwich by himself and eating it.  He like pb&j and a cheese sandwich.  He is not a fan of sandwich meat.  He will also eat just about anything that I am eating, even if it is something that he wouldn't eat if I set it on his tray.  Simply because I am eating it, he must also eat it by default.  Kids are so funny.  He did not ,however; like the avocado that I was eating last night.  He shuddered violently after getting a tiny bite.  So, no to avocado evidently.  lol  He loves sweets!  He can eat anything with sugar all day long.  Daisy was never my sweets kiddo.  She was super picky about cake and donuts etc.  Bruin will devour anything sweet...anything.

We set his teddy off down the trail and had him go "fetch" it for us so that he had something fun to do.  He loved this game and we got some great candid shots and expressions in the process.  My favorite kind of photography.

Bruin definitely has a bit of separation anxiety at this point and he is also a total Momma's boy.  More often than not a kiddo who spends a lot of time with a stay at home mom is going to have a season of attachment.  That is where we are at. I went through this for about 1.5 years with Daisy but, I forsee this phase lasting longer with Bruin because he is far more emotional than Daisy was.  If I walk out of the room and even leave Bruin with Daddy he has a full blown hysterical melt down and it takes him a while to move on.  He hates going to the church nursery and he cries off and on the entire time.  I dread going to church because the entire rest of the day gets thrown off because of his rough morning at church but, we survive I suppose.  It makes things harder for sure but, it is a phase and someday this too will pass.  Plus, I can't complain that my son adores me and loves to snuggle his momma.  That is priceless and worth it all!

  We adore Bruin's eyes. Both the color and the shape. His eyes are shaped like little almond, tear drops. Oh how this little boy melts me.

Happy 1.5 birthday buddy!  You are growing up so fast, I can hardly believe it.  You are the cutest little guy and you have Mommy wrapped around your finger...even if you are the biggest handful ever.  Love you my little prince.
xoxo,
Mommy.