Tate Lately - 18 Months

You guys, this picture of my little Tater Tot!!!  Every time I look at it I swoon!  The day I took this was the day before the boys started school and Andy was off with them at the golf course.  It was a nice, cool morning so Tate and I went outside to enjoy the Fall-like weather and quiet time with each other.  He was just so sweet this morning (every morning), I couldn't help but try to snap a few pictures of him.  This is the only one I got of him 'posing'.  The next one is of him walking away, ha ha!

So, 18 months old!  Some days he acts more like a 2 year old with his tantrums.  Other days he's sweet as pie and snuggles in like a little baby boy.  I do love his sass and spunk but  not when it comes out at the grocery store. :)

Tate's Words: Mum (he has a British accent, guys!!), Da, Ba, Tractor, Choo Choo, Yay (every time I ask him if he wants a ba, or to eat, or to go outside he lifts up his arms over his head and says "Yaaayyy!"), Moo, Meow, Baa, Ahhh (for rawr for a bear), Uff (woof!).  I do believe he tries to say Brennan and Aiden but he hasn't done it enough for me to decipher how he's saying it to put it into text. 'Where it go?' is one of his favorites, too.

Height: 34", 95% percentile
Weight: 30.4 lbs, 98% percentile

Wearing: size 2T shorts and pants, 2T-3T shirts

Everyone comments on how 'big' Tate is.  He does look more like a full fledged 2 year old than 18 month old, that's for sure!  But he's a slim little guy...with big feet!  He's wearing a size 5 shoe!  (Those football shoes in the above picture have been through all 3 of my boys now!  I still think they're just as cute as the day I bought them for Aiden alllllll those years ago!)

Tate has started playing with clothes.  If there are clothes on the floor or in a basket that I'm trying to fold he will pull out a few and try putting them on.  The funniest is when he gets a pair of shorts on his head - they kind of look like a Mohawk up there!

Another favorite past time of Tate's is playing with the tractors and animals.  He can spend all morning pushing them around, making the motor sounds, standing the cows up and clapping 'yay' because he's proud of himself for getting them to stand and not just fall over.  He loves dumping the entire basket of tractors out but if I ask he will help pick them up. Sometimes he picks them up all by himself without me asking!

He still loves his Snuggle Blankie.  If he's having a bad day the best cure is to lay that blanket on the floor in a heap and he'll just fall over on it, bury his sweet little face in it, rub out his crabbies, and then get up and move on.  Luckily the crabbies don't stick around too long!

This was new a couple weeks ago -- he'd wrap his snuggle up around his head then fall asleep in the car.  Sweetie pie!

Tate's getting to be such a big boy!  He loves finding cows out in the pastures on the way to town. We hear 'moo' the whole way to and back from town, every time!

He also loves his big brothers!  Some times they drive him nuts, that's for sure, but for the most part he just loves playing and rough housing with them.

And on the rare occasion, doing this:

Tate is such a joy to have in our lives, we all love and adore him!  One of his sweetest gestures is when he tries to feed us his snacks.  He'll come up nice and slow with something little in his hand, bring it up to our mouth then open his as we open ours like he's helping us.  Then he'll pop whatever it is in our mouths, smile and go back to get some more.  Gah, my heart explodes when he does this! Such a sweetheart!

Bedtime is one of my favorite times of the whole day with Tate.  We walk back to his room together, then while I'm picking out a book he climbs up into the glider and waits for me.  Then we snuggle up and I read to him.  He must love it, too, because he'll sit and listen to an entire story now - not just a board book.

He is still stingy with his hugs and kisses.  If you ask for one he'll shake his head 'no' at you.  Stinker! But when he does give you a kiss - Aww!!!

Tate doesn't sit and watch TV, which is fine with me, but I do turn on 'Thomas the Train' after lunch some days and he gets so excited to see the 'choo choo's'!

Tate is so fun to watch grow and learn new things.  Seeing the curiosity on his face when exploring new things is priceless and I'm so blessed to get to be with him every day to experience these things with him!