15 months.

The good…

So chatty! He’s like a little parrot now, trying to repeat everything we say. He actually has quite a few words down already. My personal favorites are “cacka” (cracker), “gog” (dog), “ba boyyy” (bad boy 😂), and “ewwww.”

The *animal* says… he loves animals and loves to mimic their sounds. Horses say “nenene,” owls say “hoo hoo,” and he tries very hard to snort like a pig. 

The little explorer. He loves just walking around and looking at things. Everything excites him. He could play with a kitchen spoon for hours, literally, just carrying it around. He is overjoyed when he is outside wandering. 

Fast learner. It’s crazy how much he has learned in 3 months. At 12 months, I still felt like I had a baby. Now, I absolutely have a toddler. He acts like a little boy now. He recognizes things and understands things we are saying. It’s just really cool to see him develop. 

So much fun. He’s hilarious and a breath of fresh air. We are never bored with him. We are his whole world and right now, it’s nice having someone who just wants you to play with him all the time. He loves being chased, playing basketball, going to the playground, and playing with his toy cars. 

Bubble baths. We finally got around to giving him real bubble baths, with Mr. Bubble and allll the bath toys. No more baby baths. He looooves bathtime. 

The bad…

Tantrums. Tantrums have started, though I think he could be a whole lot worse about it. He mostly throws fits if you take something away from him or if he can’t go outside. 

Throwing things. He’s discovered how fun it is to throw things out of the cart, off the table, off his tray, etc. Nothing is safe in his hands. 

His first ear infection. So thankful we’ve made it this far with no more than a little runny nose. It was bound to happen. 

Separation anxiety. Wow, does this one have it bad. He cries and clings to our legs when we go to work, cries if we take him to the nursery at church, and screams bloody murder if I put him in his crib. I know it’s normal and a good sign of development, but it’s still really sad to see him so upset. I keep reminding myself that it’s just a phase… 

The ugly…

HOLY MOLARS. Molars suck. Teething sucks, and molars are like regular teething on steroids. Molars (and the ear infection) have made my child the clingiest, fussiest, nursiest baby at night. I’ve spent the last few nights sleeping in a recliner with him literally nursing ALL night. It’s the only way either of us can sleep, and it’s not ideal by any means, but… it works. 

Overall… 12-15 months has been my absolute favorite stage. So many fun changes and it’s so awesome seeing your baby develop into a little child with a personality and opinions.