18 Months Old // 5 Months Old

Laney had her 18 month checkup and weighed 21 lbs 5 oz (1 lb 2 oz heavier than her 15 mo checkup), was 32" long (same as her 15 mo checkup) and her head circumference was 18.75 in (also the same as her 15 mo checkup). Considering how little she's been eating, I'm glad she has gained a little over one pound. The nurse said we shouldn't be concerned that her height has plateaued. There wasn't a big drop in her growth chart percentile, and there's always an opportunity for measuring error when toddlers are squirming around on the measuring table.

Laney has transitioned to one nap per day and has developed a pretty consistent routine. She wakes up around 7:30 and has milk right away. Immediately. I have it ready for her before I even walk into her room. She's ravenous when she wakes up! I hear her crying, walk into her room, and she's standing up in her crib, giving me the signs for "milk" and "eat." She gets organic Cheerios and a smoothie around 8:30, lunch at 11, and goes down for her nap around 11:45/12. She naps anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. Then she gets a snack, dinner at 5/5:30, and bedtime at 6:15-6:30pm. We started putting her to bed much earlier (she used to go to bed around 7:30/8 a few months ago), and I've noticed that she actually sleeps much better and much longer when she goes to bed early! Of course, it helps that she's only napping once per day and needs extra sleep at night.

I'm so happy to say that Owen's sleeping habits have greatly improved! He's eating very well during the day - around 35 to 38 oz on average. Two or three days per week he'll drink 40 or more oz. I can't believe how much this little boy can eat! I'm so happy he's finally able to get all of the food he needs and goes to bed with a full tummy. He falls asleep for the night around 9pm and wakes up two (around 3 and 5am) or three (around 12, 3, and 5am) times for a bottle. Much better than 5 or 6 times! He also seems much more rested during the day. He's on the Eat-Play-Sleep routine, which is about a 2.5-3 hr rotation. I've been noticing that he falls asleep much more quickly and easily if he gets a chance to eat before his nap, so I've started transitioning him into an Eat-Play-Eat-Sleep routine. I'm washing quite a few more bottles each day, but it's worth it to know he's happy and well fed.