15 months old

Benjamin is now 15 months old.

We had our latest visit to the pediatrician. Benji is a healthy growing 15 month old. He now weighs 22 lbs. 3 oz. and is 30 inches long. He's in the 10th to 25th percentile for both.

While at our visit, Benji decided to try out some climbing skills. He started out climbing up on a small child's chair. He then pushed it up against a larger chair, climbed from the small one onto the seat of the adult chair, and then up onto the back. He did get a bit frustrated that he couldn't manage to climb up onto the window sill. Ah, more fun and games.

He has also been trying to climb over the gate to the kitchen (after crawling under it didn't work). We'll see how long until he is crawling out of his crib. I hope it is a while yet.

Since we last left you...

Benji:

• has gotten a haircut at a salon
  
• had his 8th tooth brake through (today) molars are expected soon
  
• has begun signing consistently, mostly more and food
• is really into eating paper right now
• has started talking instead of crying when he wakes and throws everything out of his bed and the shelves next to his bed
• enjoys emptying his toy bucket and putting things into it (he helps clean up)
  
• has started to figure out how many of his toys work and how to make the electric ones go on his own
  
• has started crying when one of us walks away...nearly always.
• has connected with our close friend Cat, cries when she walks away, calls her SCA name (Eilidh; pronounced AY-lee) and chases after her
• likes eating with utensils, or at least trying. doesn't quite have the logistics of stabbing and scooping food down yet. He is still a pretty good eater, willing to try anything and eat most things.
  
• may be progressing to one nap a day
• started pressing the buttons on the front of our TV, we figured out how to lock them (a sure sanity saver)
• thinks everything he picks up is a sword. He loves to pick up sticks, hairbrushes, and anything long and stick like. He will hand you a toy and want to hit the toys together with you.
• has adopted a "lovey". He looks for the blanket his Grandma Wendy knit for him whenever he is put into bed. He has also pulled it out a few times and walked around the house with it.
  

In short, Benji keeping us busy. The bathroom has to be kept closed because he throws everything in the tub, tries to flush the toilet, empties the trash can and pulls things off the top of the toilet and counter. Our bedroom door must be kept shut as he goes in and opens and empties the drawers and goes into our bathroom. The kitchen is gated off or he goes in and brings out "snacks", opens cabinets or plays with the locks on the cabinets, throws things in the garbage or gets things out of the garbage and opens the drawers.

We had an unexpected doctor's visit the end of last month when Benji fell into the edge of the dresser and wouldn't walk without holding onto something for a bit after it happened. Of course, by the time the doctor saw him he was running around the room and acting normally. Doc still checked him out and said his falling is just part of being age.

In short, Benji is a healthy, happy, active, almost 15 month old boy!