and how could i forget?

milo had his 18 month checkup on monday. he had his last shot of immunizations and that'll be it till his FIVE! yay! (excluding the flu shot, of course....)

he weighs 28 pounds and is 33.5 inches tall. (almost 3 feet!) the did a toddler autism spectrum questionnaire, all yes or no questions. one of them was "if your child oversensitive to noise?" to which i responded yes, since just the other day when i ran the vacuum cleaner, he started screaming and freaking out. turns out that's a typical sensitivity to noise, and milo's fully on the "normal" side of the spectrum (whatever "normal" means these days...)

and lastly, another new trick i forgot about, he's started blowing on his food, especially if it's how or he sees me blow on it. it's pretty cute how he puts his face mere inches away from the food on his tray, and makes more of a spitty, almost-raspberry, rather than a soft woosh of cool air.

the sniff test

milo's newest accomplishment is smelling things.

he'll sit down, grab his foot, and showing off his great flexibility, put his toes to his nose and start breathing loudly through his nostrils. put that foot down, switch feet and repeat.

he's also picked up a pair of ben's boxers, puts them to his nose and inhales ferociously.

and his shirt. a blanket. my coat. the cat. the boy stops at nothing, he's now a sniff-wiz.

and finally, the other day i asked him to "give mama a hug," since he still didn't seem to connect me with the term mama. we were sitting on the couch and he lunged over to wrap his arms around me in a tight squeeze. totally made my day.

then for kicks, i asked him to "give mama a kiss," and to my great surprise, he put his mouth to my jawline and made a huge smacking "mwah!" i was able to get him to repeat this several times, but he hasn't done it since.

such a goofy little boy.

ben says...

"some days i am just not ready for children."

another day another trick... or two

milo is a few days past his 18 month mile marker, and among his already impressive arsenal of infant-to-adulthood-accomplishments, we have now added using a straw and successfully opening the back door (as in: turning the handle while pulling the door open, and cackling with glee).

we have since added a mini eye-and-hook lock to the basement door, just in the nick of time.

oh, and there was also the day we took milo to the park, and he wanted to go on the big-kid swings, so with two of us hovering in case he took a dive, we let him swing a little bit by himself, sitting in the swing, holding onto the chains, and gleaming with pride.

we've also gotten him accustomed to wearing a helmet, and anytime we're in the garage, he now grabs his helmet in an effort to convince us to take him for a ride in his chariot (a two-seater bike trailer for toddlers). it's been too windy and cold lately, but we're hoping tomorrow we can give him another ride.

regarding milo's year and a half milestone, i'll repeat what i posted on my facebook status the other day, "can't believe milo is a year and a half old... walking and talking, and hammering and swinging, and hugging and snuggling, and watching and pointing, and learning and growing. i'm constantly amazed by this little boy that will some day be a giant. can i put these moments in tupperware?"

"please sir, can i have some more?"

the first time milo said "more" i was pretty impressed. he had finished off something during one of our mealtimes, and i asked him if he wanted some more. he looked up at me, nodded and clear as a bell replied "more" - although i suppose it does sound more like "mowrh" with the "r" being almost silent.

he has now gotten into the habit of handing me his empty sippy cup mere seconds after sipping it dry, and says "mowrh" with those inquisitive eyes.

we're still working on "please." (i thought we'd made progress when he had gotten to the point of saying "puh puh puh," but now it's "buh buh buh" and only sometimes.)