Walking with the Cooks: Happy 18 months!

One and a half years old...can it really be?! Sarah hit 18 months last Monday as we spent the day taking down wall paper. It is truly a testimony to her growth and maturity that we were both able to work all day while she played by herself, moved around the house, and obeyed when necessary. It just keeps getting more fun!

Weight: 25 lbs, 4.5 oz (60th percentile)
Height: 32 in (60th percentile)
Head: 19 in (91th percentile)
Diaper: size 4
Clothes: 18 month clothes still fit well, but she is quickly moving into 24 month. Her bottom seems especially big and she might have a long torso. Shoes, size 4.

Likes: playing at her toy stations, playing with plastic cups (and other items that aren't toys, but aren't bad to play with), combing her hair, having clean hands, reading, dancing with her wrists, playing music, being chased, being tickled

Dislikes: doctors, being asked to stand up when she wants to be picked up, having a taste of something she likes then having it taken away, orange food (but this is getting better), nursery (again)

Schedule: It took us a while to settle on a schedule this fall. September 1st, the day we found out we were expecting, Sarah took a great morning nap and never went down in the afternoon. We thought it was a fluke, but nope, that was the new normal. She wasn't ready for just an afternoon nap, so we settled on an hour or so of rest in her crib when she got tired in the morning, but not sleeping. As our routine solidified (including being out for at least 3 mornings a week) she has been able to take the one afternoon nap and make it, happily, to bed time. She is going down around 7:00, sometimes earlier, and waking up between 7:00 and 8:00.

Eating time: Sarah still loves to eat, but has gotten to a stage where she is sometimes hesitant to try new foods or an item that she remembers as something she doesn't like. Recently, we won the let-it-sit-in-front-of-you-until-you-eat-it battle with great results. Some current favorites are peanut butter on toast, peas, kiwi, pineapple, and any type of bread. Our best weapon when we go to someone's house for dinner is to feed her bread the whole meal. She doesn't make a peep and goes home full and happy.

Talking: We have seen great improvement on this front- praise the Lord! She is clearly saying many words now and understands pretty much everything we are saying. The road to two way communication is a great one! Words she says: baby, mama, dada, hi, bye bye, night night, light, bow, bear, beads, ball, blocks, good girl, thank you (though this is still better as a sign), alrighty, and no (an opportunity for discipline at its finest). She also is learning some animal sounds, particularly for dogs and cows. Sometimes she sings along as we are putting her to bed or with her fridge magnet toys. It is very cute.

Walking: Still not walking solo and still seeming like any minute she could let go and be steady. She cruises around furniture, pushes the kitchen chairs like a walker, and pulls up on anything. She just has to gain the confidence! A friend who has done some work with early intervention and had a late walker herself came over one morning to give me some ideas for play activity that would "wake up" Sarah's muscles. They are fun for all, so well see if it really makes a difference.

Teething: Sarah now has 7 good teeth: 4 in the front and 3 molars (all but her bottom right one). The molars definitely have expanded the selection of food we feel she can tackle and she has fun really chewing things rather than just swallowing them down.

At today's appointment: We were very encouraged by the doctor we saw today and feel like our prayers for the doctor to be reassuring and proactive were certainly answered. She said that Sarah is right on track in almost all areas, including speech and number of teeth. Walking is the only thing she is lacking. While the doctor watched Sarah stand and walk and was convinced that everything looks fine, she said that at this stage they like a neurologist to take a look. We expect to get a call tomorrow about an appointment with one of the children's hospitals in Boston and to see someone within the month. That will (Lord willing) rule out any possible internal issue. We also expect to hear from the people at early intervention by the end of the week. They take a more a physical therapy route and will come to the house to "play" with Sarah and inspire us. We are still confident that Sarah will walk in due time, but are excited to take some steps to ensure that we aren't holding her back in any way.

Next appointment: Her 2 year-old well baby visit is scheduled for Monday, July 23 at 10:45.