Baby Will || 20 Months

I really can't believe how much personality this little babe has! He keeps me smiling and laughing all day long. Here's some updates!

Weight: 19(ish) lbs
Length: 29 inches
Diaper size: Size 3
Clothing size: 9 clothes (still on some 6 month pants) & 12 month pajamas, I think we're going to be in this size for awhile since his growth has slowed a lot.

Nicknames: baby boy, lil man, mister, baby, kid

Health: Dang RSV season. Luckily he hasn't caught that bug. He did catch a cold, which turned into an ear infection, which turned into bronchiolitis. The original cold started about 5 weeks ago now, and he still has a cough/congestion which has been here for, what seems like, forever. Hoping it goes away soon! We are so ready for spring.   

Sleep: He's finally sleeping through the night consistently! Before, I was letting him nap when he needed it. Which was about three 30 minute naps a day. Which was frustrating to me because 30 minutes at a time wasn't enough to get anything done. My friend Ali told me to read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". After reading it we switch to 2 designated naps a day, 9am and 2pm. As soon as we switched he started sleeping through the night! He now sleeps 1 hour- 1.5 hours each nap and goes to bed around 7 and wakes up between 6-7. It's wonderful getting a full nights sleep now! 

Diet: We started seeing a feeding specialist this past month, so far we've gone 3 times. It's been SO helpful & Will does so well each time we go. Yesterday we had an appointment. Before the appointment he ate a whole thing of yogurt! Then at the appointment he ate another! Which is a huge deal! He still has texture issues, but we are working on that with things that won't break off in his mouth. For example, twizzlers, beef jerky, pretzel rods, & lollipops. Those are the 4 things he will put in his mouth and chew on right now. If any piece does break off in his mouth, he spits it right now. We are working on getting him to eat things like apple sauce that have a little more texture. Also working on crumbs of goldfish, graham crackers, puffs, etc. 

Loves: yogurt, SNOW, lollipops, going on walks, walking in his walker 

Dislikes: getting out of the bath and getting dressed, being over tired

Milestones: Nothing too new. He is still super mobile with his walkers and pulls up & climbs on anything and everything. He can stand independently for 3 seconds before sitting. We are still waiting for him to take his first steps!

Speech: He makes sounds of most consonants and he was making a "go" sound for awhile when we say "1,2,3 go!". He babbles a ton and it is just the cutest.

Recently I've struggled with seeing the bigger picture & being thankful for this little boy. Every week we have at least one appointment, sometimes 5 in one week. He has 5 therapists that we work with. As he is getting older and still not walking, talking, and doing things a 20 month old should do I often find myself frustrated. It is really hard for me to see these 9 & 12 month olds walking, and these 16-18 month olds running and talking. I been finding myself comparing Will to these other kids more than I used to. But then I remind myself of where he started. He was less that 2 pounds when he was born, and spent his first 4 months inside a hospital room. Because of that, I can't expect him to be where all the other kids his age are going to be. When he was born, I was told that usually they catch up by the age of 2. Well, he's going to be 2 in 4 months (CRAZY!) and he's no where near catching up. But that is OK. He had a different start to life than a traditional baby. He's overcome way more trials than one too. The fact that he is alive and SUPER healthy is nothing short of a miracle. I know that my Heavenly Father knew I needed this little boy and that he needed me to help him to become the boy he's meant to be. Will helps me have a different perspective and helps remind me to not only not compare him to other babies, but that I shouldn't compare myself to others either. We all come from different backgrounds and have different life stories, so we have no means to compare. I am so thankful for baby will and everything I've learned because of him the past 20 months.

On a happier note, yesterday it snowed for a couple hours, and we had recently bought him a snow suit (size 3-6months by the way HAHA!) and we hadn't had the chance to break it in yet. So I knew we would have to take him out yesterday. He LOVED it! Just look at these photos and how much joy is on his face!