I'm really kicking myself for not continuing to write a bit about Keaton every month--I still go back and love to read about Braden and Finley to compare them all. (That's good parenting, right? Comparing your kids?) But for now, here's 18 months.
If there's one thing Keaton excels at--it's hugging. He is an aggressive hugger. He loves to put his arms around your neck and squeeze and to lay his head on your chest if you ask for "sweet hugs." He thinks it's so fun to go up to the boys and grab them for hugs--and they will sometimes let him. Whenever he sees someone laying on the ground, he takes it as a cue to go sit on them. Maybe it's a third child thing... an intense need to be close to someone.
We moved him upstairs to his own room (the first time since he's been born that he had his very own room!) and he's been sleeping pretty well--as long as we remember to turn the heater on in his room. It gets cold! He generally goes down between 7:30 and 8, and I get him up around 7... he'll wake up earlier sometimes but is pretty content to play until I come to get him. I still can't decide if he needs one or two naps. Lately, he's been falling asleep in the car on the way home from dropping Finley off at school... and he's been falling asleep in his highchair more than is normal. So I try to squeeze in two naps when I can, and he seems happier.
He's had all his teeth for months, so the teething drama is past us (until those two year molars come in.) He went through a few weeks where he was extremely, inconsolably mad about sleeping, which I'm attributing to an undiagnosed ear infection. Lately he's become a better talker--he FINALLY says something for my name... either "mum" or "muma." No Texas accent here. I think he says dada too... and maybe something for dog. He also makes a sh sound and says GO but not really at appropriate times. He'll do the sign for MORE if he's really in the mood to be cooperative. He surprises me often with what he understands--he definitely knows when he's NOT supposed to do something, based on the way he'll walk towards something forbidden and stop to check if I'm looking and grin every few steps.
He's a full time walker these days! I'll catch him crawling occasionally, but for the most part, he loves to toddle around after his brothers. Braden is slowly becoming more fond of him... and Finley pretty sweet to him when he remembers that he exists. Keaton LOVES his brothers and just wants whatever they have. His newfound realization that he has his own opinions has resulted in more tantrums which is entertaining, for sure. He's a pretty happy kid, but you don't want to get in between him and what he WANTS.
Basically, he oozes sweetness and is adorable. He frequently gets compliments on his pretty eyes, which are really compliments for me because he's the only one with my eyes. He also gets lots of compliments on his zany curls--he has a mix of Finley and Braden's hair, and the dirtier and more peanut butter he gets in it--the crazier the curls get. He's the sweetest.
And that's basically all I got. My new 2015 plan to take more pictures is clearly failing since I'm slipping right under the wire here for January. Whoops. Maybe better next time. :)
