18 Months Smacks Us in the Face!!

Yesterday the boys turned 18 months-old, and we started the day out with a bang. Wesley tripped and landed on his sippy cup, busting his lip in the process. Later on, Andrew ran full steam into a door frame. He now has a bump and bruise on his forehead. Poor guys...they play hard and fast but haven't learned yet how to use the brakes. We have joked about who would be the first one to visit the local emergency room. My money is on Wesley. Why? Because it only takes a second for him to do this.

Fortunately the rest of the day was without incident, or hospital visits.

Today we had our 18 month doctor's visit. Mommy was called out of town for a meeting, so I was faced with taking the boys by myself. I am not as confident as Kellie taking the boys places, for fear of misplacing one. We found someone to help out but they couldn't make it at the last minute. So there I am in the parking lot, airing up the tires on our triple decker stroller, stressing about how I am going to get this thing through the front door of the doctor's office. With the help of the office staff, our visit was actually not bad at all. I used to dread sitting in our room waiting for the doctor. They understandably keep it warm in there, and the boy's curiosity had them getting into everything. Today the boys sat in chairs and were flipping through some books. We also played with the paper from the examination table, and I entertained them by making small pieces float from the ceiling. Andrew has become increasingly weary of strangers, so he was upset when the doctor came into our room. Everyone did great, and checked out just fine. Oh, and we had to get shots. I am surprised at how fast they recover from someone holding them down and stabbing them with needles. There were some tears, but the nurses were great helping me calm the boys down. Here are the stats for each of the boys.

Andrew:

Height 34 inches - 90th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 15 oz - 75th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Jared:

Height 34 3/4 inches - 97th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 3 oz - 65th percentile

Head circumference 49.7 cm - 93rd percentile

Wesley:

Height 34 1/2 inches - 96th percentile

Weight 25 lbs 4 oz - 40th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Its funny to see those numbers on paper, because Jared doesn't seem like the tallest, and Andrew seems 5 pounds heavier than his brothers because he is so stocky. The differences in their body types, personalities, and mannerisms make each one unique. It is amazing to watch them grow and interact with each other. Even the way they play is unique from each other. I have been home with them for over 6 weeks now, and everyday we discover something new. One day I overhear Wes say "dog", the next I see Drew sign "banana" as I am making his breakfast. They never fail to amaze me. We have good days and bad, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges of being a stay-at-home dad. I put together some video taken over the last week or so, and set it to music. My fantasy of being a rock star is being realized through the videos I create for them. Also, here are some photos!

Stick a fork in me, I am done.

I love this picture. Wes normally only shares his veggies.

We put on our big boy clothes for the doctor visit.

I make this look goooooooood...

The boys enjoy a post-doctor beverage.

Jared is in the 100th percentile for flexibility!

And finally, here is the video. Its about 2 1/2 minutes long, so it may take some time to buffer. Enjoy!