Charlie’s Nineteenth Month

18 Months to 19 Months

For some reason, I didn’t write a whole lot down from Charlie’s nineteenth month. It may have had to do with the holidays taking a big chunk of that time, or the fact that not a lot has changed with Charlie and his development, but I will share what I have.

The week of Christmas, when we were staying with my family, Charlie was really needy and whiney. He was just not himself! He was extremely difficult to feed. He would practically only eat yogurt, cottage cheese, and beans. It was very frustrating! It seemed like he was only happy if I was right there next to him. No one else could really give him the comfort he demanded. Looking back on it now, I really wonder if he was teething at that time. That could explain the difficult behavior.

He had his 18 month doctor appointment, and here are his measurements:

Weight: 23 lbs 12.5 oz - 41%

Length: 33 inches - 65%

Head Circ: 48.5 cm - 78%

While at his appointment, his pediatrician explained that Charlie is slow on his speech development. We knew he was a little behind, but it was a hard pill to swallow to hear the doctor say that he was officially “slow”. Apparently at this age, he should be able to say at least eight words. Charlie doesn’t say any “real” words except for “no”, “mama”, and “dada”...and even those aren’t consistent. He says “no” mostly when he is rejecting food at the table. For a boy who loves to talk and chatter so much, it is surprising that he still isn't saying anything. Because of his slow speech development, the doctor recommended we get help from Kids on the Move. It is a free (depending on income) state program that could help improve his development, so we will give it a try.

As mentioned in a previous post, we started 1:00 PM church. That is right when I usually put him down for a nap, and that has made going to nursery a nightmare! He is not doing well. He just cries and cries at nursery. It takes him a long time to settle down, and he just clings to me. Even having a bottle of milk in his mouth doesn’t help, he will just cry through his teeth. I have started trying to nap him early those days, but that is not always possible with the meetings Jason and I have and with choir practice that I sometimes attend. This is going to be a challenging year...but I know that kids are surprisingly good at adapting.

One positive thing from the past month is Charlie and I were invited to join a weekly playgroup with a new friend from the ward. Katie and her family recently moved into the ward last summer, and we instantly made a connection with them. They are fun, outgoing, strong-spirited, and hardworking people. Katie invited Charlie and I to join a playgroup she does each week with some of her old high school friends, and some other friends she has met along the way. I was thrilled! So now we have something to look forward to each Tuesday morning. It has been great! Charlie gets to get out of the house, practice playing with other kids his age, older, and younger, practice sharing toys, and exploring new places and things. And let’s not forget how great it is for Mommy, too! I am loving it!

Here are some pictures from the month:

Exploring Cabelas

A new portable high chair from Grandma and Grandpa Arbon for Christmas. He was pretty excited...and so were we!

We finally got a new forward-facing car seat! Charlie was way too big for the old one...especially with a coat on. It was time to upgrade!

Loving it!

Much better! But man, he is a big boy!

It is a whole new world facing forward! I love looking back and being able to see his sweet little face!

He still loves his cars! No surprise there!