18 Months

Lincoln is 18 months old! It's been a while since I've really updated about what Linc is into, so this post gets a bit long. Hang in there. It's all worth it!

Lincoln is just the happiest 18month old I've ever met. He is smiling all the time. People always ask when we are out if he is showing off or if he is always that happy, and I tell them he is always that way. Its a wonderful change from his colicky days when he was younger than 8 months. Lincoln is not too shy and likes to wave and smile at nieghbors and people in stores, which gets him lots of attention!

Lincoln has discovered recently that feeding all of the animals treats is a great way to get them to pay attention! I have to help Linc give dog and kitty treats at least two times per day now. Lincoln knows where the treats are in the cabinet and will get them out and bring the bags to me to help him. Linc loves to walk around holding the bags and shreiking with joy as the animals get excited too. Its funny.

Lincoln is really into cars and trucks, now. He loves little matchbox cars (I just have to be sure that the ones we give him to play with dont have the removable wheels or other pieces). Linc likes to pretend the cars are driving and make the motor sound, which he is fantastic at. "Ddrrrrrrr." I think it is so cute when Linc will "drive" something that isn't a car, like his fork around his tray at a meal. "Ddrrrr." Lincoln also recently is starting to pretend on his phone. He walks around holding it to his ear. And just the other day, for the first time, he was walking around for at least 20 mins with a play bowl and spoon, pretending feeding himself something! I love to watch his brain grow before my eyes!

Language is huge with Lincoln. Even before he was really saying words, he was making noises all day long. Literally. He's a talker. Now that he is starting to understand more and using words himself, lots of activities now involve comparing the names of objects. Lincoln likes to present two objects to you and ask, "deh deh?" (Whats this, maybe?) I will tell him the name and we repeat with the other object. Back and forth until he is satisfied witht the comparison. He then smiles and goes back to playing on his own. This game is played several times a day. Usually with two cars or with two magnets from his magnet board.

I think that Lincoln literally is saying a new word eveyday. And he is making inferences about concepts, too. I love that when ever I say something about my being cold or that it's cold outside, he says, "ice." Some other words he uses are keh-keh (kitty-kity), bay-bay (bailey, our big dog, a close second favorite) ou-sigh (outside), baou (ball), bah (bath). Just yesterday he said appa (apple). Lincoln will jibber-jabber and it sounds like he is talking in sentences, but none of it it actually words. He just loves to talk and make noise, including animal noises for duck (quack), monkey (ah ah), and elephant (bbrrrr).

Lincoln still loves books, too, although he is starting to play a lot more with other toys. He will sit alone at least once per day to look through his board books. He also will bring books to me to read for him. His favorites right now are Dr. Suess's ABCs, and Boytons Belly Button Book, as well as the DK Baby Pets. (He's loving animals right now).

Music has always been very influential with Lincoln. We found out at an early age that he responds to classical symphony (mostly mozart) very well. We keep a cd of his in the car for times when he is fussy. We just turn on his music and he calms immediately. Lincoln also loves the tempo of solid gold oldies, like The Beatles (he naps to this), and really enjoys being sung to. We can get through any booboo with a round of "The Wheels on the Bus" and "If You're Happy and You Know It." Linc loves to clap his hands and stomp his feet when prompted for the latter.

Lincoln is starting to through tantrums, but they are small. Just a little foot stompt and an aggrivated cry when he is told no to something he really wants (like giving the pets treats right as we are sitting down for dinner, or for the fifth time that day!). He does have a short fuse though. He gets mad quickly, and almost gives a little shake as he stiffens his body during his rage. But a minute later he is smiling again. I'm glad, so far, his tantrums are not involving him flopping on the floor like a fish and screaming!

I took Linc to Dr. P last Friday for his well visit, and everything went well, except for his weight. He scored very well on the checklist she asked and passed the Autism screening. He got his monthly Synagis shot, too. She was very pleased with his talking skills that he showed off for her, and she said physically he looks good. He's just not gaining weight.

18 Month Measurements:
18lbs 8.3 oz (below the growth chart - less than previous month)

30" tall (less than 3rd percentile but pretty much on trend)

HC 48.3cm (~70th percentile - leveling off)

Everyone is always asking how Lincoln's weight is. Family, friends, and doctors. We all know that Linc is a little guy, and weight gain seems to be the area that is the most challenging for him. I am always trying to add calories to his foods to help his gain "catch up growth." Butter, creams, extra cheese, and his powder supplement and formula are in the mix, too.

If Lincoln were at his goal of 10th percentile (his ranking at birth), he would weigh about 22lbs and be 31" long, which is still not big. But when you only weigh 18lbs, 4 pounds is a big difference. 

How much has Lincoln grown and gained? Well, this month he is actually down about half a pound. Lincoln really has very good behavior most of the time at meals. He eats pretty typical amounts of solids, for the most part (at least 4 tbsp per meal) and is not a very picky eatter, which is so great. I'm so happy that I'm not writting that Lincoln has trouble gaining weight due to some adversion to food or some other physical restriction.

He just simply requires more calories than he is consuming. He doesn't drink the typical amount of fluids an 18 month old does. He IS picky about what he drinks. He finally will now drink regular whole milk from his sippy cup and from an open-mouth cup (that I hold), but he only drinks on avg about 4oz per day. If he drinks more, it's usually because he didn't eat well at a meal, so doesn't helping with his calorie count.

So the plan is to switch back to a high calorie/ concentrated formula in place of milk to help Lincoln get a few more calories in. Other factors that contributed to Lincoln's recent weight loss are his ability to RUN now, which he does all the time, and the fact that he dropped the bottle, and is picky about what's in his cup as far as thickness goes. So, this transition period is something we will work past and I know Linc will gain again. He really is doing wonderfully, for any 18 month old, and especially for a CDH survivor.

Linc is heading into Same Day Surgery tomorrow (hopefully his last). Please keep him in your thoughts and I'll be updating you all as soon as I can.

Linc looks so grown up at 18 months!
Compare this photo to his previous frog pics below.
I wish I would have taken more of these through the months.

8 months

2 weeks