Brandt Grows Up: 18 Months!!!!

This sweet boy is 18 months old today! Happy half birthday, buddy!  Statistics: Weight: 28 lbs, 12 oz (94th percentile) Height: 34.5 inches (98th percentile) Head Circumference: 49 cm (90th percentile) As you can see in his eyes, this boy is wild and sweet. Playing: He's loving and a rough-and-tumble boy all in one! I just love him so much! He runs just about everywhere he goes. If anyone is near the floor, he'll jump on her/his back and start riding them like a horse! He still struggles with pulling the girls' hair, but he has also started spontaneously hugging them, which is so sweet. :) He loves, loves to play. He plays from the moment he gets up until he goes to bed. He loves to dance. We have dance parties several times a day. He's obsessed with all animals and all books, especially books about animals! :) He loves, loves to make all of his animal sounds, and he loves any ball of any size. He can sit in my lap and read a book (or several) for an hour. He also loves to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and any song from Frozen, The Wiggles, or the "Little Praise Party" that we listen to in the car!  Sleeping: Brandt finally sleeps all night, unless he is sick, and he takes one good nap in the middle of the day! He usually goes to sleep around 12:30, and he sleeps until 2ish. He is our kid that goes to sleep the easiest. I just walk into his dark room, hand him his puppy, sing one song, and then I put him down. I say, "night night, Jesus keep you safe. Mommy loves you." Then I walk out of his room. he's a dream right now. I plan to keep him in his crib until he graduates from high school! ;) Of course, he has to have his blankie and his puppy to sleep! It's a gift if he gets his Daddy and a lullaby, too! This makes the third baby who loves to fall asleep to "All the Pretty Horses when their Daddy is home." 

Speaking: Brandt has so many words that I cannot even keep up! Just today, after hearing us sing it to him over and over and over again, he said, "birfday!" He also says, "mama", "dada", "sister", "sissy", "youuu" (i love you), "air-pane", "choo choo", "ball", "cow," "come on", "night night," "ba-nana", "apple", "gi-ger" (Daniel Tiger), "me-moue" (Mickey Mouse), "cheese," "cack-er" (cracker), "chi-chen" (chicken), "milk," "water," "baaah" (bath), "tac-tor", "boat," and many more that I can't remember right now. He even told us two nights ago, "I wan a go night night!" He learns more words every day! Oh, and, of course, he knows all of his grandparents' names, too! ;)

This is Brandt with our favorite doctor, Dr. Fikkert! He loves to look at her pictures. She has zoo animals and beach pictures in all of her rooms. He's looking at the mama flamingo feeding the baby flamingo! ;) She has been a tremendous blessing to our family. 

Sizes: Brandt is still in a size 4 diaper, and he is wearing mostly 2T clothes, though some 18 month clothes still fit! He is suddenly in a size 7 shoe! 

He loves his mama something fierce! And he loves his Daddy--so much! They have already started wrestling in the evenings, and that is Brandt's favorite part of the day! They are two peas in a pod!

…but oh how he loves his sissies. They all love to be close, at least until the hair pulling begins. ;)

Clearly, Brandt is really starting to get into mama's picture taking obsession! ;)

Brandt Ryder, 

We love you SO much! You make our hearts burst with joy. Your sweet, wild spirit and your zeal for life make everything so much more exciting. You look at things so differently than I do, and I love that. 

Every new adventure with you is more fun than the last. 

Happy half birthday, our wild monkey man! 

We love you!!!!!!!!!