18 months {tomorrow}...A huge milestone! I thought I would take some time away from packing for our weekend trip to Duluth. I used to think it was hard to pack for myself....but when you add a husband, a toddler and dog---you might as well call it a full time job!
I have to apologize that there isn't any adorable photos attached to this entry. I sure have made you do a lot of reading lately! Well, I promise some super cute photos this month in addition to my novel entries----we just need the weather to cooperate, the props are ready and waiting, so it will be worth the wait, I PROMISE (that is if the weather ever holds out).
Harrison's become very social this month. He waves hi and bye to everyone and gives lots and lots of kisses. Harrison also likes to show off his belly especially when cars drive by---you could call him a little flasher. I love to watch him interact with other children, he just explodes with excitement. Our neighbor's have a 15 month old boy named Will that Harrison regularly interacts with (they also go to daycare together). The two are are incredibly cute together and they both have a long ways to go before they start sharing.
Some days I can't believe just how much Harrison understands. He is so smart, so smart. He is picking up signing well. He regularly signs "eat", "more", and "all done." If you ask him to go get you an object, he brings you the correct object more than 75% of the time. If you ask him where a bird is, he will point towards the sky and if you ask him which way is up, he will point up. He is a pro at hi fiving and is learning to shake hands and fist bump.
18 months has brought determination. Harrison is more and more determined to do things for himself and he doesn't like people dictating when he can and can't do things. This means tempertaturums are in full swing. Instead of crying, he screams now... I never thought I would say I miss the crying, but I most certainly do. He also finds the word "NO" funny...so we did some reading and it's pretty age appropriate for Harrison to find the word "NO" as a game. They suggested using the word "DON'T" instead. We have found the suggestion helpful. Despite the increase tempertautrums Harrison is getting better at taking direction. If I tell him "NO" or "DON'T" he is complying better. Just the other day he saw Doug out in the street and I told him "no, stay here" he stopped dead in his tracks and just waited. Now only if I could get him to come to me willing when I ask him, especially when it's time to get dressed or get his diaper changed. He loves the game "run away from Mommy." Mommy doesn't like that game.
Pretend play is so much fun! Harrison does a good job of making me feel like a kid again. We spend a lot of our evening cooking his Kitchen, playing in the sand box, dancing and picking dandelions. What more in life do you need? In fact as I type this he is drinking orange juice right of the container in his Kitchen fridge. I wonder if daddy taught him that habit? Another positive is the playing indpendently has picked up---we are appreciative of this. He is a good bird watcher and swiffer sweeper. This gives us a little more time to get things done around here. The porch finally got stained last week, both his and my closet cleaned out and some plain junk sorted through.
I use the word "careful" more than any other word of the day. Jumping will be next. I know it. Harrison is a crib and couch jumper and it won't be long until he is a floor jumper. This is scary stuff! He gets beat up enough walking and running and climbing so why don't we just throw another element of danger in this? I should add though we just bought him a pretty cute riding motorcycle which probably wasn't one of the safest purchases. Maybe he should be dressed in yellow caution tape?
Harrison weighed 22 lbs yesterday at an appt. at Gunderson. This wasn't a well check-up (the next one is in August), but rather appt. to address not sleeping through the night for 8 days. We called his ear doctor and the nurse suggested it was just teeth and to give Harrison Tylenol. You know what? I feel really bad for the next nurse that tells me that it's just teeth!
We ended up getting into see a pediatric doctor yesterday morning. The doctor wasn't his primary doctor, but we were desperate. Turns out Harrison's ear infection still hadn't resolved completely as there was still puss surrounding the tube in his left year and he now also has a secondary virus now that is causing him to have a sore throat (some vomiting, lack of appetite and the refusal to drink) which is why we are seeing the sleepless nights and the fussiness. We were prescribed Tylenol with codeine so that Harrison can sleep at night. At the appointment yesterday we also got a referral to an auto-immune/allergy specialist. Harrison will see that doctor July 7th. Quite possibly he will help us determine why Harrison has been so sick and maybe shed some light on to what more we can do. I just wish we didn't have to wait an entire month for an opening. Next Friday we meet with the ENT and the nurse who keeps telling us it's just teeth. I am sure she will be happy to see me!
Harrison has just let me know that this blog entry is long enough---he is getting inpatient and wants to go outside and play. Outdoors is best----he even has a great little summer tan started already and that's despite the "wonderful" weather we have had---so you must know we have been outside A LOT.
Wish us luck on our 5 hour evening commute to the Duluth area tonight. This is Harrison longest car ride since, well ever!
Have a great Memorial weekend--- hopefully the weather will not be what they predict!
