baby update: we're coming for you nursery!

monthage: 18

poundage: 28lbs

teethage: 12

words porter can say: his first was 'all done' [or what sounded like it], followed by dada [which he uses for everything], he tries to say dog [the d sound is there]. he says eat pretty well. cracker and food, or some sort of variation. he mainly likes to grunt at us very loudly and point to what he wants.

what porter can understand: a lot! i forgot the magic that comes when they can't speak but can understand! he can understand when i ask him to go get his shoes or ask where landon is. he understands when i tell him it's bathtime, time to go outside, going bye-bye, eat lunch/dinner [obviously, pretty evident by his first words], or when i tell him let's go read a book. it's so fun seeing the light bulbs turn on! he knows what 'kiss-kiss' means but somehow has translated that to mean open mouth/tongue kisses, which is gross and adorable at the same time. he knows what it means when we say 'pray' but again, he thinks that means leaning against the couch/bed with your head on it.

what porter can do: climb! he likes to climb like most kids but his favorite place to climb is the kitchen table. he loves throwing fits and throwing himself on the floor when he doesn't want to do what i tell him we're going to do/not do. that's been wonderful seeing as how i'm as giant as a house. he can untie his shoes but i bet he'll learn to put them on early- he likes shoes a lot. he can throw things away or put laundry in the dirty basket. he feeds himself remarkebly well with utinsels.

what porter loves: mama but not in a 'oh how sweet' way- in a 'oh my gosh i need 2 minutes alone to poop' kind of way. he's a mama's boy through and through. we've been going to the gym regularly since he was 6 months old yet this kid throws giant fits when i drop him off and pick him up [he didn't always- it's something new]. when people come over he clings to me, terrified i'm going to abandon him [poor babysitters. bc i do abandon him]. he loves landon and loves playing with him and the big kids. landon really is such a great big brother but he also has his moments [it's probobly 50/50] where he can't stand him/picks on him/bullies him. porter loves alone time with me, meaning he doesn't like to share. with justin gone most of the year, i had to put them both to bed by myself and porter just hates having to share my lap to read stories so i'll often try to hold two different books for the boys.  he loves walking the aisles at church and smiling/playing with people, as long as they don't touch him. he loves food- especially his carbs [except sandwich bread- bagel bread is ok]. he loves treats and has a fine tuned ear for when one of us is sneaking a treat. he loves birds & dogs [and will go crazy trying to point them out to me] and most animals in general. he loves the pool but bathtime, not so much [that's usually because he has to share it with landon- when he takes solo ones, he's much happier]. loves pulling on my tablecloth and pulling it to the ground. he also loves mama to kiss his booboos which is adorable.

what porter hates: being abandoned by his mother to a babysitter. taking turns or sharing [normal]. when i try to swat his hands out of his pants [little dude can't keep his hands off his butt! drives me crazy! there have been several times when he was close to flashing his front/back to people by pulling down on his diaper! so embaressing but i can't put him in a onsie- those are for babies]. he hates getting his teeth brushed or face cleaned. he's not a fan of the carseat or when i ignore him to make dinner/clean dishes. he doesn't like most fruits/vegetables [but loves them in baby food form].

what we're working on: words and communiating what he wants [if i ask him what he's grunting at me about, he will gladly walk me to the area and thing he wants/finds injustice in- usually it's the kitchen]. not sticking his hands down his pants. taking better naps- about a month ago i switched him to one nap a day and it's been an adjustment [better then landon did- he had night terrors for months!]. he won't nap long for his one nap and wakes up too early so he usually zonks out for a few minutes somewhere in between. not throwing food on the ground. soothing himself to sleep [he's always been better at that then landon was- or i was more strict with him. but he still screams for a bit and sometimes needs some extra cuddles. we've also got to get this whole 'soft' thing down- he will often bite, push, or hit kids smaller then him. he especially has a fondness for eating poor baby ryan.

what we're looking forward to: becoming a big brother in a month! well, i'm looking forward to that. i doubt porter is- he's very much a mama's boy who doesn't like to share [and will often assault kids smaller then him] so i'm a bit worried. i'm excited for the extra time i get with just him [and the baby] once landon starts prek for a couple more hours a week. i feel so bad- my poor middle child is getting severely jipped on the mama time because of the new baby and i've got a bit of mommy guilt because i can't give porter [or this new baby] the time/attention that landon got. it doesn't help that EVERYONE tells me that 3 is the hardest number to adjust to and that it's going to be horrible for the next year. so that's going to be awesome.