Trace is 18 Months Old

Trace is an active little guy and runs pretty much everywhere he goes. When he does walk his little belly sticks out and he often puts both of his arms behind his back. It is pretty funny to watch. We call it the Grandpa Bob walk because he does the same thing. Too funny! Trace really enjoys going to the park, playing in the sand, going down slides, swinging and climbing. Our little guy is very active and then crashes hard. Trace gave up his morning nap over the past couple of months. He now takes a 4 hour nap every afternoon and then sleeps for a little over 12 hours each night.

Trace is still obsessed with balls. He loves throwing balls, shooting baskets with balls, carrying balls around with him, just seeing balls, and saying "ball". Trace can say quite a few words including "nah" (knock), "uh" (up), "mi" (milk), "bah" (ball), "mum" (mom), "dah" (dad), "nana" (Kianna), "Kayee" (Kaylee), "dah" (dog), "pup" (cup), "NAH" (snack), "iwannaNAAAAAH" (I want a snack)-this one gets pretty loud, "bah" (BYE loudly while waving enthusiastically), and "nigh" (night night). When asked he knows that a doggy says "whoof whoof" and that a monkey says "ah ah". Trace has really begun to comprehend things the past couple of months. It is fun watching him get smarter. Whether it be telling him to put his toys away, throw something away, take a bath, go tell his sister's sorry, etc., the comprehension is there. Although given he is just 18 months old, he often chooses to run in the opposite direction...

Trace has developed a bit of separation anxiety the past couple of months and especially does not like it when I leave him in the nursery at church. Trace adores his sisters and wants to be and play with whatever they are playing with. The girls both enjoy playing with their little brother and adore him. Trace continues to struggle with pulling hair, especially his sisters and their dolls. He still likes sucking his thumb with a handful of hair in his fist. Yuck! We are also working on not hitting, spitting, and pushing. Silly Boys!

Trace learned to eat with a spoon and fork pretty well. He also enjoys drinking out of straws and regular cups, although the latter are still pretty messy. Trace loves to try on shoes. He can often be seen walking around our house wearing someone's shoes. He is always proud of getting them on and comes to show us his accomplishment. Trace really likes to dance and is starting to sing "twinkle twinkle little star" with me at night. He has a really sweet spirit and still smiles frequently. Trace learned how to blow kisses and really plant an open mouthed kiss on us. He likes to do the open mouthed ones over and over. He is a lover. He also gives great hugs. We love our little mister!