Rhett: 18 Months

 October 5, 2013

Dear Rhett,

You are a year and a half old!  In the last six months you have changed so much, becoming more of a little boy every day.  Yet the beauty of being the second child is that with the perspective your older brother brings, you are always the baby in my eyes!  We continue to find so much joy in your sweet personality.  While you remain very laid back and easy going, you also have a sharp sense of humor and a stubborn streak.  Our running joke is that you're the sweetest, most laid back baby...until you're not!  Once you get ticked off, you let the world know and it takes you awhile to simmer down.  You've thrown some epic tantrums and are quite the expert at going limp-noodle and flailing all over the floor.  I find it quite hilarious and I love that you are sugar sweet 95% of the time while also having a fiery side.  We call you our "bruiser" because you are so very boyish in everything you do.  From the way you walk to your low, raspy voice, you are totally a dude.  And a very friendly one!  You wave at everyone you see when we're out and about, and you love to give hugs and kisses.

Your language has exploded in the last few months!  Your first few words came just after your birthday: Mama, Dada, ball, bye bye, bubbles, and my personal favorite: coffee!  After that, I could hardly keep up with writing your new words down.  By the middle of the summer you were combining words a bit, your favorite phrase being "All Aboard!"  Now, you repeat just about everything word we say!  This month you even said your name for the first time, and it's hilarious because you really emphasize any ending consonants, so you say a breathy "Rhehh-" followed by a hard "ttt."  New favorite words are ambulance, firetruck, a siren noise (weee-oooh), Weber, help, and of course, NO!  You also use a lot of sign language, especially more, all done, please, and milk.  I love this stage of helping you learn to communicate!  You are so smart, baby.

At your 18 month checkup you weighed 27 pounds and were 34 3/4 inches long.  You are tall!  You wear size 18 month clothing with some 24 month outfits and jammies, and a size 6.5 shoe.  You sleep from about 8-7 each night and then take a good 2-3 hour nap each afternoon.  We stopped nursing when you were around 14 months old.  You aren't an adventurous eater, but you have your favorites: grapes, cereal (yo-yo), crackers, cheese, kashi bars, applesauce, peanut butter sandwiches, oatmeal, and noodles are always hits.  You don't care for many meats.

Your favorite things at this age are being outside (ow-sigh!), playing chase with Riggins around the house, tickling us (you scrunch up your nose and come at us with little wiggling fingers; so cute!), reading, bath time, and washing your hands.  You love trains, cars and trucks, your Cozy Coup, your baby stroller, and your rocking horse.  You love to wear hats and glasses.  You love music and dancing, especially to your "Wheels on the Bus" Cedarmont Kids DVD.  You mimic everything your big brother does, and you love to give him hugs; it has been so fun to watch a friendship begin between you two.  However, you also already know how to be an ornery little brother who pushes his big brother's buttons!  Who knew that started so early?  

It has been an eventful six months for our family!  In May we closed on our new house, just in time for you became an official Oklahoman by riding out your first tornados in the storm shelter.  Throughout June we renovated the house, and in July we left our little rental and officially moved in.  You spent three days with Grammy and Grampy in Arkansas during the move and loved it!  In September you returned to your birthplace for a family trip to Memphis.  It was so fun to share some of our favorite things with you there: Overton Park, the Zoo, Central BBQ, Gibson's Donuts, Levitt Shell, the VECA Greenline.  I hope we can return many times as you grow up so that you will get to know and love that special city where you were born!

Darling Rhett, you make my heart burst with pride and joy.  Your piercing blue eyes, soft blond hair (with sweet curls in the back!), and perfect little white teeth just make me melt each day.  I am so very lucky to be your mama, and I cherish these precious days together; I know they will go by in the blink of an eye, but I can't wait to see the man you become.  What a treasured gift you are to our family!

All my love,
Mama