Liam at 15 Months

Pictures at a later date...

Yesterday Liam had his 15-month well-baby check-up. He is as healthy as a horse!

Here are his stats:
Weight: 28 lbs 3 oz (90th percentile)
Height: 33 inches (95th percentile)
Head circumference: 19 1/2 (I think this is right?) - This measurement is OFF THE CHARTS big!

He received three shots during his visit, one which included the standard seasonal flu shot.

We've been giving him soy milk since he was somewhere around 12 months, as we think he has an allergy to milk (it causes him to become congested, leads to chest colds and also gives him bad eczema on his forearms). We don't limit dairy entirely but don't really want him drinking cow's milk right now, as that seems to be the culprit. We will reattempt cow's milk in a few months.

The doctor mentioned that Liam was "showing-off all of his developmental milestones" to her, as he was running around the room during the check-up. She asked if he was saying any words. When I mentioned that Liam says somewhere between 12-15 words, she said that was great, and that he is ahead of the pack (5-6 words at this age is average). I told her I was a bit concerned a few weeks ago because he didn't say ANY words. Then, overnight, his vocabulary increased exponentially. The doc mentioned that, although developmental professionals will tell you differently, every "second child" she sees doesn't speak as soon as the firstborn. She said that they UNDERSTAND words and phrases VERY well, but they don't often speak as quickly as firstborn children. So, I think Liam is definitely on track.

She said that the soft spot on the top of Liam's head is still there (not closed-up). I asked later if she was concerned and she said "no, his brain is just still growing." So his head circumference is off-the-charts yet his brain continues to grow.

He is really starting to be super social. He likes to say "Hi!" over and over again when he sees himself in the mirror, or when we see people in public. He likes to hold my cell phone up to his ear and say "Hi!". (Can you tell what I do for a living? ;-) I've said this before, but this kid is happy at a cellular level. (No pun intended there...)

Within the past month, Ava and Liam have been playing together very well. They love to interact and chase each other. They also like to fight over certain toys, too. Liam's previous response was "oh well." He now knows when Ava takes a toy and he definitely makes it known that he wants it back.

He found out how to crawl up on our ottoman and WALK onto the chair beside it. He is good about listening and sitting down, but this kid has no concept of gravity! He will walk off the ottoman (INTO MID-AIR) as if he won't fall. A few different grandparents have commented on how he has no concept of gravity or fear of it's consequences! Doug's parents mentioned to watch Liam carefully because Doug was visiting the E.R. for stitches twice before he turned two!

Liam still enjoys playing with blocks and will say "bock, bock". They are normally the first thing he will reach for when he wakes up in the morning (his bag of Megablocks). He can stack any blocks in towers that are taller than he is, which amazes me. I wouldn't think a child of his age should be able to have that steady of a hand or fine motor skill-coordination (especially considering the size of the blocks), but he does.

He doesn't like tomato sauce. I often wonder if this is because I experienced such bad heartburn when I was pregnant with him. But other than that, he is an eating machine! I would say grapes are his absolute favorite. When he isn't eating, though, he is moving. Constantly. He doesn't prefer to be held, but likes to be down playing in the floor. He enjoys all things electronic, and we've temporarily lost our remote a few times because of it.

He will take one long nap a day or two shorter naps. He goes to bed at 7:30 p.m. every night. He loves "taggie" fleece blankets (at least that's what I call them - they're the no-sew two fleece blankets tied together).

We continue to participate in the TEDDY study (for children born with a genetic predisposition to Type 1 Diabetes). We will participate in this study until he is 15-16 years old. He continues to be very healthy and does not have Type 1 Diabetes. We're hoping that his genetic predisposition never actually turns into Type 1. This study is being done in hopes of determining what triggers the genetic predisposition to turn into Type 1 Diabetes. We give him (and Ava) Omega 3 gummy vitamins daily, as this vitamin has proven beneficial for many things, including the possible prevention of Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM). I also try to give him healthy foods and limit any unnecessary sugar intake, which is good regardless of whether a child has a predisposition to T1DM.

When he wants something, it's hilarious. He will point at whatever he wants, but then point back to himself. He will do this repeatedly if he wants one thing, not using any words. I think it's pretty funny to watch. (As if to say "That...give it to me.")

While we were in Michigan, we were outside in Grandma and Grandpa Carey's backyard. It was a little chilly, so we all wore coats. Liam fell in the grass, but didn't want to touch the grass. So he held his hands and his feet up, so he wouldn't have to touch the grass. He stayed that way for at least a minute, holding himself up. It was pretty funny to watch. Doug and I have been doing the P90X work-out videos... It reminds me of the "Superman / Banana" exercise in the videos. :-)

Liam loves giving kisses, waving and laughing quite a bit everyday. I love that he is such a happy little guy!

Peace, love and Liam smiles,
Shelly, Doug Ava and Liam