18 Months: Leaps and Bounds

Tommy turned 18 months old on Sunday.  I think back to just a few months ago and he has really grown and changed so much in just a short time.  He's talking so much.  He knows so many words.  He knows so many body parts and animal sounds.  He knows what he likes and what he doesn't.  He is truly developing a fascinating sense of humor.  He laughs at all kinds of little secret jokes that we don't understand.  He likes to entertain us and strangers too.  He obeys pretty well on good days.  He still cries when we use the word Time Out.  He is so very smart and loving and fun and hilarious.  Every day is a new adventure.

One point five years old.  It's just crazy.

 I am proud to say this might just be genetically from me.  This is always how I sit in kitchen chairs for some reason.  Foot or knee up in the air.  It's super comfy! I understand why he does it!

 Tommy, a guy who knows what he wants, well he wanted to trade shades with Mama.  We are looking GOOD.

He is such a good little guy.  Look at him playing in his ducky tub, entertaining himself while mama got a shower.

 His diet is still really interesting.  Still no dairy/eggs/peanuts or soy.  He's had some digestive issues so we started giving him lots of beans and BOY OH BOY does that boy love BEANS.  Black beans, baked beans, pinto beans, lima beans, the list goes on and on.  He's beaneriffic. Beans, cauliflower and broccoli diet?? Needless to say, we're learning about toots right now.  It's hard to explain the difference between toots and poops to a toddler but he's picking up quickly. :)

 I'm still taking pictures of him asleep.  Cookie was holding down the fort and cushioning his head.

 It has been so hot out this summer so you know what that means? Popsicles! Grape berry popsicles!  You should have seen his face when tasting the coldness.  Then he kept going back for more.  Yum!

Pre-bedtime picture in his new Sesame Street pajamas.

Parenting Win/Fail
Andrew had a man-date on Sunday so it was just Tommy and me hanging out.  I decided to take Tommy to TJ Maxx.  Tommy was a pretty darn good kid if I do say so myself.  He put up with my maxxinista (is that how they spell that?) shopping.  My husband doesn't even do that. :)  As I was about to get in line to check out, a grandmotherly figure walked up to us and said, "You have a very well behaved son. I was watching.  He was doing everything you were saying and obeying so well. You are doing a good job."  My heart swelled with pride as she walked away.  That kind of compliment from a stranger really does wonders for the anxieties and fears you have about parenting.  I was smiling so big when I looked down at Tommy to show him how I proud I was.  He proceeded to swing back and smack me square in the face because he wanted more cheerios.   Fail.  I also didn't want to scold him because that dang lady was still in earshot.  Double fail.  :)  Tommy for the win.

Learning New Words
Every time we pull in the garage, I say to Tommy, "We're home!" So he started using the word too.  Only we might need to go over the definition with him again.  We pulled into a parking spot at Target and shut off the car. All the sudden we hear a little voice from the back seat, "HOOOOMMMMEEEE!!!"
HAHA! Now Tommy, Home is where we live, not where we spend all our money. :)

Health: The Trifecta is Complete?
Tommy recently acquired a cold of some sort and began to wheeze.  I called the doctor. He checked him out and his diagnosis was asthma.  This was not a surprise to us.  We have been told since he was couple months old that eczema, allergies and asthma usually come as a package deal.  I hadn't done any research into asthma yet (because I'm still a little in denial) so I really didn't know what to expect.  The more I read, the less scary it becomes.  He will most likely grow out of this too.  Hopefully soon.  These sicknesses are annoying for him and for us.  But as always, there are much worse things we could be dealing with.  This is really minor in the scheme of things.
So at 6 months he was diagnosed with eczema.  At 12 months he was diagnosed with food allergies.  At 18 months he was diagnosed with asthma.  Things can only go up from here!

18 Month Checkup: UPDATE
Tommy Hawk had his 18 month appointment with a NEW doctor this morning.

 They were so cool. I was about to put him down on the floor and they put down a blanket for him.  (Germs? I don't know why?)

 So Tommy had his own little picnic right in the doctor's office.  He had his cereal, cup, books, and toys all spread out around him.

We decided to finally switch pediatricians after not getting what we wanted from our doctor.
(As in, the last time I took him in when he diagnosed him with asthma, the doctor was having trouble reading through the chart -because he couldn't read the handwritten notes- and says, "Oh he has food allergies?"  Um YES.  I would think he would remember that after seeing him once a month for the past 9 months. This is not the only reason we are switching but it was the straw that broke the camel's back.) 
So our new doctor is a strapping young lad (haha) who was very thorough and took the time to discuss each of Tommy's issues.  He and his three year old daughter both have allergies and asthma so he had a lot to bring to the table.  He also said that Thomasaurus was probably diagnosed with asthma a little too soon.  He said it's fairly common for children to have a bout of wheezing before age 2.  It doesn't necessarily mean he has asthma.  He still has a chance but at this point he's not actually an asthmatic.  So that was encouraging.
After we discussed the trifecta, the doctor goes, "So what is going WELL for Tommy?"  He's got a sense of humor! I like it!
You know what else is cool? He's in the IU Health system so I can now access Tommy's medical records online! No more calling the office for his immunizations and then driving to pick them up (haven't they ever heard of a fax machine?? *eye roll*).  Hooray!  Also, I can email our doctor through the same system and he said he would get back to me in a couple hours (during business days).  That's super exciting! Technology (and people who embrace it) are AWESOME! Ha!

What a cutie little patient! 

Well Tommy, you're quite the big boy these days.  I can't believe how fast you're growing. Happy 18 Months!