Happy Half Birthday! Hayden at 18 Months.

Happy Half Birthday Hayden Luke! 

You are now closer to 2 years old than 1 year old.

• You love attention and now have started demanding it.  You will tug on someone's arm, pull their hand, or yank on their pants to get someone to give you your favorite snack you have found in “your” cabinet or throw a book in someone's lap to get them to read it to you.
• You clap for yourself and expect everyone else to clap for you when you think you have done something special or something you have been asked to do (pick up your toys, put something in the trash, not throw your cup, fork, or food on the floor, etc.).  Of course, we all clap with you! 
• You love to read!  You have recently become obsessed with looking at reading “My Big Truck Book” that is full of pictures of trucks, dumptrucks, firetrucks, tractors, large machinery, etc.  You are all boy!
• You have started exploring and trying to “climb”.  I thank God each day that you have not discovered how to climb on the couch, in chairs, etc.  Ha!  You did somehow climb into the laundry basket today and just sat down in there.  Quite funny!  I don’t think it will be too long until we call you a climber.
• You have really started to play more independently.  You have started imitating truck  and tractor sounds, flying a toy airplane in the sky, etc.
• Of course, your favorite place to be is outside!  You are happy just being outside walking around, picking up sticks, and exploring.
• You have started eating a little better.  You aren’t real crazy about veggies though. You will eat some peas and carrots occasionally.  We will keep trying!  You still love pasta-Spaghetti, Chicken Spaghetti, Ravioli, and  Tortellini.  Some of your other favorites are anything with peanut butter on it, waffles, cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, deli ham, quesadillas, yogurt, cheez its, goldfish, Nutri-grain bars, and pretty much any fruit.
• You have gotten really good at letting us know when you are “all done” using your sign language.  Except you do not do the traditional “all done” sign.  You do a sign that looks like you are dusting your hands off on one another.  Clear as mud?  Hard to explain.
• You have 7 teeth and are cutting 3 more right now.
• You wear mostly 24 months clothes, size 6 diapers, and weigh about 28 pounds.
• You have started going to sleep much better at night.  You usually go to sleep between 7 and 8 PM and wake up WAY TOO EARLY!  Usually between 5 and 6 AM.  We are working on this!
• On a good day, where we are actually home all day, you take two naps totaling of about 2-3 hours.  On a typical day, where we are running around doing various things, you get one good nap either in the morning or afternoon-whenever we might be home and a cap nap in the car.
• Some of your favorite words that you say many times a day are: moon, druck (truck), moan (C’mon), ball,  noooooo, no no, dark, Na-neee (Nanny), Mo-meee (Mommy), Da-deeee (Daddy), cow, moooo (any time you see a cow), bi (bite), dog, ish (fish), teeth, bye bye, and Boo!
• You LOVE to brush your teeth.  You will go into the bathroom and say “teeth” and point at your toothbrush.
• You have become quite good at throwing fits.  The good thing is most of the time you can distracted easily. 
• You still love your paci.  We have not been brave enough to tackle this yet. 
• You love to chase or be chased by the dogs (especially Chloe), Aunt Robin, or anyone else that will play chase with you.  You will hide in between someone’s legs to keep someone  from “getting” you.
• You love to open and slam cabinet doors.
• You love for your Nana to spin you around while you are sitting in her rocking chair. 
• You love ice!  When you go to your Nana and Papa’s house, you go straight to the fridge and beg for ice.  Your Lulu has started bringing you a cup of Sonic ice on Sundays. 
• One of my favorites-you have become more affectionate.  You have started giving hugs a little more freely.  You especially like to love on your Momma!  You will just come up behind me if I am sitting on the floor and hug my back or neck.  When you are hugging, you say”Ohhhhh” like when you look at a cute baby.   MELTS. MY. HEART.  You give great leg hugs too! 
• You are busy, busy, busy!  But, you are so much fun and make us laugh so much each day!
• You are one lucky little boy that is a little spoiled and has so many people that love you so much.

Hayden in action…