The Triple(t) Threat: Happy Half Birthday! 18mo wrap up

Wow! Our babies are one and a half! They are getting so big so fast!!! They certainly are becoming their own little people with lots of their own ideas! It's been fun to watch them starting to expand their play. The tricky thing is that they are also starting to talk about things that aren't present, which is challenging because we still can't understand a lot of what they say! Since our big trip to Seattle these kiddos can't get enough of being outside! Thankfully the weather is starting to warm up so we can actually do it. They're all starting to run a lot more now and are getting fast!

Sleep continues to be a big challenge still 18 months later. Isaiah went through a really rough patch where even when he woke up & was standing in his crib crying, he didn't settle when we picked him up and instead would ramp up even more and basically throw an all out tantrum, arching his back and screaming. Thankfully he seems to have moved past that and generally snuggles in when I pick him up but he and Avery are still up at least twice every night and sometimes three times. When they have a bad night then Ellie has a bad night and Ellie really needs a solid 12 hours of sleep to function. And when she doesn't get it she can be pretty whiny and clingy the next day. They are interacting with each other more and more every day and are often quite sweet to each other. I got Isaiah's bear hoodie on him the other day and he walked the walrus over to Avery & handed it to her and then insisted Ellie take the dino hoodie (the ones they most often wear). And there are lots of random "gentle touches" where they rub another kiddo's head or give them a "ba-ruh" (aka backrub). It's really fun to watch! Here's a video of Isaiah feeding Avery at dinner the other night and some other shots of them interacting.

kisses!

feeding the dog puppet blocks together

wrestling over the rugby ball

I attempted to get an 18 month group shot, but, well, group shots where everyone is looking and not cranky are incredibly difficult to get! So here are some of the best ones!

everybody is looking!

Avery pointing out her pony

Ellie was over it, but Avery looks cutest in this one so had to include it

Isaiah

Our little dude has really grown up the past couple of months! He has been making huge developmental strides, particularly in language. Isaiah is quite the chatterbox these days! He just jibber jabbers non stop though we can't really understand any of it! He reminds me a lot of my little brother Matt when he was little with his non-stop talking. He does have about 50 words now though that we can understand, which is what you hope kids will have by 18 months. He's even starting to put two words together every now & then. Tonight he scooped a big bite of dinner and said "big bite!" So cute! He is our most skilled user of utensils and works hard to scoop and poke his food at meals. He is also our little outdoor explorer. He loves to wander and isn't afraid to go fairly far from us, which is a little scary because we have three kiddos to keep an eye on, but I also love seeing him just be brave and take off on his mini adventures. Isaiah can be really sweet to his sisters, but sometimes he gets this mischievous look on his face & will do something he knows will annoy them. Isaiah is still our biggest music lover and random dancer. We started music class (a Christmas gift from my mom & dad) a few weeks ago and the LOVE it! I'll have to write another post about music class soon, but he is a music class rockstar! He really pays attention and imitates the teacher and other kids.

peek-a-boo!

"what?! "
just ridin' my giraffe listening to some tunes....

goofy boy wearing sunglasses in the tub!

my little outdoor adventurer!

buckethead!

Ellie

Ellie-belle really likes her personal space these days. She can get quite the squeal/pterodactyl scream when one of her siblings touches her or snatches a toy, particularly if she has just woken up or hasn't gotten enough sleep in general. Ellie loves her morning snuggles with mama and wants to snuggle for at least ten minutes before she wants to nurse. Really she likes to snuggle a lot throughout the day. Lately if we're out & about she will go explore or play and then come running back to give me a big leg hug. It's so cute! When she's not being snuggly though she can play independently quite nicely. She likes to walk holding hands and will just hold her hand out waiting for us to grab it. Ellie is a big fan of her stuffed animals these days and carries them around. They are all starting to really grasp the concept of ownership now and Ellie thinks it is really funny when we ask her who something belongs to. The other day Michelle asked Ellie if the cup of coffee was hers and Ellie said "nooooo" and proceeded to say "noooo" over and over when asked if it was Isaiah's or Avery's and she seems to get a kick out of the ridiculous questions like "is it Humphrey's coffee" and will laugh while she says "nooo!" Ellie has a ton of new words too and busts out new words at least once a day. We can't keep track anymore! Ellie also makes some hysterical faces these days! She's sooo expressive with her face!

just hangin' at the park

the run back to mom & hug her legs smile

one of soooo many goofy faces

happy girl!

"cheese!

Avery

Our little peanut is the queen of pushing boundaries. She knows the rules and likes to push the boundaries multiple times a day. Michelle and I are frequently using our behavior analysis skills we learned during our time at the autism center! There are times when it is clear that she is just looking for our reaction, so if it's not too dangerous we do a lot of ignoring. Avery really likes interacting with adults and when she's not being a stinker to get attention she is being super duper cute! She can really turn on the charm and does lots of sweet things like giving unsolicited hugs and backrubs. She also gives her siblings some great hugs and kisses. Avery is going through a separation anxiety thing particularly related to naptime and bedtime. She anticipates it coming and starts trying to stall with one more book, or milk, or "poop." The request for the potty is the worst because we want to do anything we can to support them using the potty, but sometimes it very clearly seems like a stall tactic! The great thing about Avery is that despite her sleep challenges she is rarely in a bad mood. Sometimes she wakes up sad, but it doesn't usually last long and she is back to her happy even-keeled self. And like the other two she can bust out some goofy faces these days. Her latest is that if she notices you are taking her picture she will give a big cheesy grin & instantly turn away from you as if to say "haha! look how cute your picture could've been!" Avery is also starting to sing since starting music class and it's super cute to listen to her little voice. She has a big vocabulary now and is pretty persistent with helping us understand what she is talking about by adding gestures and showing us things when she can. Avery continues to be our little gross motor girl and lately has been determined to be able to walk up and down short steps without holding onto anything. She's taken a couple of tumbles, but she keeps trying and has mastered up to three steps in a row.