Sweet Child of Mine: 15 Months

On Christmas Eve, we also celebrated Hatch turning 15 months old. The amount of knowledge a child can gain in 30 short days continues to amaze me. They really are like tiny sponges.

We went for his 15 month c/u at the pediatrician's office the week after Christmas. He weighed 25lbs 11 ozs (90th%) and was 33 1/4 inches tall (off the charts)!! Dr. Smith says he's going to be a big boy! He'll definitely be tall like his Daddy if he continues growing like he is. He had to get 3 shots and although there were some tears he handled it pretty well. Those shots sure do get harder for the parents as the child gets older because they understand what's happening and holding them down just feels so wrong. But, I am a big advocate for vaccines and I believe all the pain they go through is worth it in the long run.

Hatcher is getting his 4 molars in and to say it's been tough on him would be putting it lightly. At his 12 month c/u, his doctor said he was beginning the process of getting them and that his gums were very swollen. Fast forward 3.5 months and those teeth have just started breaking through the gum. It has been no fun at all for anyone involved. The sleep we had begun getting used to has become a thing of the past and temper tantrums are at an all time high. I will say though that since they've broken through things are starting to calm down a bit. He's beginning to sleep better and he seems to be tolerating it better. We usually alternate between giving him some Motrin or Benadryl before bedtime to help him rest and to calm the pain down. He likes chewing on frozen teething rings and his fingers seem to be his favorite teething pain reliever. We tried using Orajel for a few nights and after getting bitten multiple times to the point of tears (on my part), we stopped doing that. It just wasn't worth it. Maybe I'm being a baby but no one likes to be bitten!

We are beginning the process of dropping his morning nap. A friend recommended trying it to see if he might start sleeping better at night. We did it for the first time yesterday and he took a 2 hour afternoon nap. He went to bed at 7:30 and slept in his own bed without waking up until 5:00 and then slept with us until 7:00. We will take it!! Round 2 today and so far so good!

He has learned a new favorite song, Old McDonald. He loves the EIEIO part and will sing it over & over. It's the cutest thing! He learned it in one day and I was shocked. We have also been learning body parts and we have gotten "nose" down pretty good. Now, we're working on "eyes."

When Hatcher takes a nap or goes down for the night, Dooley has to get in his kennel because he's a barker and barks at every car, squirrel or leaf that moves outside of our house. So, he gets a milkbone and takes a nap while Hatcher naps. Hatcher's new favorite thing is to get the treat out of the jar & he has to walk Dooley to his kennel and give him the treat. Then he tells him "bye-bye!"

Every month just gets more fun and the more he learns to do the more amazed we are with him. Below are some pictures from the past month. Enjoy!