18-Month Drake

Look at our BIG 1 1/2 year old----

He looked so big sitting on the exam table at his doctor's appointment yesterday!

 Weight- 24 pounds 11 ounces (33rd percentile)

Height- 34 1/2 inches (95th percentile)

Head circumference- 18.6 inches (32nd percentile)

Everything looked good at the doctor's, but Drake had a really big tantrum and screamed when Dr. H was trying to examine him.

That sorta seems to be the story of our lives lately.

18-month Drake is very different from 15, 16, and 17-month Drake.

I love this time of his life, but it's also very hard.

He finds new ways to try my patience each day and is constantly trying to be more and more independent, which can be good and bad. 

The tantrums, screaming, hitting, glaring, and biting makes me want to cry sometimes. It's hard to understand why he does these things- no one ever taught them to him, but I know it's just how kids are at this age.

It definitely is NOT all doom and gloom though. 90% of the time he is the most outstanding, awesome baby and he just makes life so stinkin' fun!!!! 

There is nothing like being a parent- no greater joy. It's the best!!!

Here's some fun pictures of Drake at 18 months

A new favorite place to stick his fingers-

He seriously never stops eating. He is constantly snacking all day long.

Staci made this cute collage of Drake on her phone. He is hilarious in the tub. On this particular night, he was so sunburned from our day at the pool. I applied sunscreen twice, but he is a major toe head with blue eyes and fair skin, so it was bound to happen some time.

Drake's favorite things still continue to be bats or golf clubs, and balls. Not a day goes by that we don't spend time both in the house and outside hitting a ball all over the place. And, seriously, he is REALLY good. The kid can accurately chip a golf ball clear across the yard and hit a ball off a baseball tee so far. It's kinda crazy!

Here he is swinging with a stick he found-

He also loves watching sports, especially Daddy & Uncle Hunter's baseball games every Tuesday.

 He is very into books and reading right now-

Drake...

• watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse everyday, points out Mickey on anything he sees, and does a hilarious little dance to the hot-dog song. Mickey is definitely his favorite character. He also likes Curious George on TV.
• loves sweets and candy, but likes grapes, blueberries, and strawberries just as much.
• is usually quite obedient and tries hard to obey.
• is extremely silly! Tries to make everyone around him laugh. Has a most contagious giggle.
• loves to play with his toys all day long. His favorites include- bats, balls, play vacuum, train, phones, play computer. 
• can make many animal noises- dog, cat, bird, cow, lamb. Next to sports related things, animals are his favorite. Everywhere we go, he points out the different animals that we see or points at all the animals in books we read. 
• has 12 teeth! Canines will be coming soon.
• likes being outside more than anywhere else- running in the grass, going down the slide, hitting his ball, chasing Sasha, wandering, playing in the dirt, pointing at birds, and going on walks.
• loves his dog Sasha! Loves to chase her and play with her, but also pet her and love her. Sasha is the first thing Drake thinks about in the morning  and we have to immediately let her out of her kennel when Drake wakes up.
• is talking like crazy. He understands so much of what we say and we are learning to understand him. His vocabulary has jumped leaps and bounds over the last couple weeks. His newest words are "I Poop". hehehe.
• loves his grandmas and grandpas SOOO much. They are definitely his favorite after mom and dad.
• is now going to nursery! Last week he stayed for 30 minutes by himself and then started crying because another little boy had started crying. We are so proud of him! He loves nursery though!
• has bumps and bruises all over his little body. He is constantly climbing and exploring, which results in many a fall. 
• is completely terrible about getting his diaper changed. Terrible!
• gives hugs and kisses to everyone. Definitely one of my favorite things about him. He gives so many big, slobbery kisses! So sweet!
• has some funny unique quirks like sticking out his lower lip when he is thinking hard. And I have yet to find a child that squints more than him in the sunlight. He must have sensitive eyes. It's pretty funny though.
• constantly wants to learn. He points out things and asks what they are. He seems to be changing daily.
• is worth every little tantrum, and always makes up for it with a hug, a kiss, and a "Sowwy".
• makes us laugh and smile daily. Rob and I constantly just stare at him or watch him play and look at each other and say "He is so cute" or "He is hilarious". Hopefully this kind of pride is forgivable! :)

 He just keeps getting bigger and smarter daily.

So far, this part of his life is definitely the funnest!
He is the handsomest little man and makes my heart melt daily.

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Oooh....we love you buddy!

We love you SO SO SO Manies!