18 months and counting!

On Valentine's Day this little guy officially became nursery-age!  It's pretty amazing that in just 18 months a newborn can become such a little person.  Read on for the latest update on this busy toddler!


18-month stats
weight: 23 pounds 10 ounces
height:  33 inches

Watching NBA league pass on the ipad.

This boy is a daddy's dream!  It is not uncommon for him to request to watch sports on the tv.  Unfortunately, this toddler has discovered the world of children's television.  We went through a lovely stint where he was perfectly content to watch The Red Balloon and Miracle Baby's Jonah and the Whale--both of which I had no problem with him watching.  With Netflix at his fingertips (and yes, he can maneuver with ease), he now likes to watch shows that make us a little crazy when we have their songs stuck in our head the rest of the day.  Some of his current faves are Blue's Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba, Color Crew and unfortunately, Eebee Baby (which we despise).  We definitely have to limit his "show" watching, but it really can save my sanity when he can watch a show while I make dinner or something.  It's also very cute when he starts to sing or move along with the songs or activities on the show.

Emmett also loves to dance and to listen to music (he knows how to turn on Pandora on our phones).  He still spends lots of time drawing, playing ball, doing puzzles and reading books.  He loves to be outside, look for birds and planes and visit the animals at Petsmart.
Emmett is saying lots of words these days, though it's likely that only I would be able to understand a good portion of them.  His first sentences was "draw football" and he has started to say "mm-hmm" to respond affirmatively to yes/no questions.

 What parent doesn't love nap and bedtime?  Emmett is actually pretty good about going down most of the time.  His usual routine after we sing has been to lie down, put his hands behind his head and say "bye-bye."  It's pretty adorable.  He got a pillowcase from Grandma Monson for Christmas, so now he gets to sleep with his cool pillow.  The boy gets awesome bed head from his naps and usually sleeps for 1.5-2 hrs each afternoon and from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. at night.

 Emmett gets sillier and sillier each day.  This is his new cheeser grin.  He is an active boy--always jumping, climbing, throwing, catching and spinning.

As with most toddlers, he's really developing his whining skills and emotional prowess.  He is excellent at flailing, bonking his head, throwing fits and going from extreme emotions in an instant.  He likes things just as he wants them.  For example, if you are drawing with him, you must sit in the "chee" (chair) that he is pointing to.  Sitting on the floor or on the other chair is NOT okay.  The biggest challenge is when we can't understand what it is he wants!  He is also experimenting with hitting, which is ... interesting.  Despite his misbehavior at home, Emmett is still mostly nice, quiet and sweet when we are around other people.

 His naked buns are still cute in the tub (or shower).

 Grandma and Grandpa Schmutz gave Emmett some magnet letters for Christmas this year and since Emmett and I spend a lot of time together during the day, he has started learning his letters.  He actually does really well naming and identifying most all of the capital letters.  It's pretty cute to see him point out letters and say them so clearly.

Emmett is still a loving little boy.  I get lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles throughout the day.  He loves to facetime with Pop-Pop and other family members and is starting to learn the names of his aunts, uncles and cousins.  My personal favorites are how he says Quinton (tin-tin), Jerai (jaay) and Lucy (su-ci).

This video makes me laugh every single time I watch it.  I can't get it to rotate due to the version of quicktime it's in, but enjoy the horizontal dancing.

One more video featuring a taste of Emmett's "fast feet", more dancing, jumping in the bed, animal sounds and body part recognition (two months old, but still super cute).