Charlie is 15 months!

I've been trying to figure out just how to keep up with Charlie's life updates.  My good friend, Vanessa, had the cutest picture of her daughter with some fun words and loves over her last month and I just loved that.  A quick and easy way to capture the last month - or months in my case.  So I'm giving you all the credit, Vanessa!  Thanks for letting me borrow doing this!

So in addition to October 31 being Halloween - it also marked another month of your life, Charlie.  I cannot believe we have a 15 month old.  So many fun things, new tricks and new loves!!  However, I have not been so good at keeping up on monthly updates.  I cannot find time to sit down and document this between work, school and survival (aka - eating, sleeping, taking care of the house and you).  The last "Charlie" update I've done was on your birthday a full 3 months ago.  Shame on me.

What's even more crazy to me is just how much you have changed in the last 3 months.  And grown!!! Here are your latest stats from your 15 month appt:

Height: 32 inches (75 percentile)

Weight: 24 lbs and 12 oz (60 percentile)

Clothing Size: 12 month pants (although quickly getting too short) and 18 month shirts

Shoe Size: 5

Number of Teeth: 12 (think that 13 and 14 are coming in!)

From 12 months to 15 months you have fully emerged into a toddler.  You were walking then, but now you are so much more confident and can go up AND down the stairs pretty well now.  And you run.  Everywhere.  You keep your mom and dad on our feet for sure!  

Now this emersion into toddlerhood has been fun and challenging at the same time.  You are starting to communicate a lot - you tell us when you are done eating, you say "no" (hmmm...), you say "night-night dad", and are sure to let us know when you want something.  Some challenging things?  If we don't react fast enough to you telling us "done" with a meal...you literally take your hand and run it all over the high chair tray until all the food goes on the floor.  The dogs like it, but us, not so much. You also really like to throw your sippy cup on the ground when you are done drinking.  Why can you not just set it on the table?!  

Frustrating or not - you are pretty hilarious.  You like to point to your nose, my nose, dad's nose. You LOVE the dogs.  They don't LOVE you back, but somewhat let you mess around with them.  You really like the park and being outside.  We went to the common area of our neighborhood one day this past month and you just ran around and found sand.  Yep, loved that too.  We are going to have to try Monkey Buziness as the weather gets colder to keep you entertained I'm sure!  You also LOVE the petting zoo and corn pit.  We went to a fall festival and you were in love with those.  We also visited Deanna Rose Farmstead and what a place.  We'll be going there again!!!!

You are doing great at your new school.  You started there on September 3.  It was quite the rough first couple of weeks.  Screaming and crying every morning at drop off.  It was terrible.  I literally almost just went in and got you and took you home at least 2 times.  I would always call later that day and your teachers always said you quickly calmed down and had a great day.  And just like magic, one day you started not crying and waving to us and saying bye-bye when we left.  So much better.  

Sleeping has been interesting this month.  If you aren't sick or getting teeth you are a great sleeper.  At minimum 10.5 hours a night and sometimes 12.  But if something is up (which this is the season for being sick AND you seem to get all your teeth at once), you like to wake up REALLY early.  Like for a week straight you were up at 5:15AM.  Sheesh kid!!  I have to get ready for work at some point.  But luckily, like everything, it seems that stuff is just a phase that we go in and out of and as of today, we're out of it.  You take one nap a day around noon and sleep for 1.5-2.5 hours.  There are some days where all you want to do is go back to sleep at like 9AM (I feel ya kid!), but your teachers or us (if it's the weekend) do everything to keep you entertained and awake until official nap time.  You still have an early bed time (around 7:15 or 7:30).  We've tried to push it back a bit, but you still wake up around 6:30 or 7.  We are all learning together and we'll get it figured out.

Overall - I love love love this stage.  We can do so many fun things and we like to dance together and be silly.  Hearing your laugh might be my favorite thing in the world.  I love watching you play with your friends and cousins and see you interact with them.  You are turning into such a cute kid and still are so sweet to your mom.  You still like to snuggle with me at night.  One thing that also happened in this three month "no-Charlie-updates" was that we stopped nursing.  Done at 14 months and you adapted so quickly.  Mom, not so much - but I made it.  More emotional then anything!!

We are looking so forward to the holidays with you and so many fun family memories to be made!!!

Love you Charlie bear,

Mom and Dad

Here is a cute pic I posted on Instagram of him eating his ice cream cone after being a brave boy for his 3 shots at his doctor appointment!

Ice cream and bubbles = happy kid!