Celebrating 18 Months!

Samedh had his 18 month physical today. He weighed in at 15lbs 15oz and is now 29.5 inches tall. His pediatrician reviewed the growth chart with us and indicated that Samedh is following an upward curve, though it is slow and gradual. As long as he continues to grow at his own pace, there should be no concerns. Samedh still has a small perforation in his right ear as a result of the recent ear infections. We inquired about a hearing test, just as a precaution. The doctor's office referred us to a local ENT, and Samedh's hearing test will be on Thursday, March 22. He seems to hear just fine, but we would like to know if he is hearing 100% out of both ears.

Samedh has also started learning new words, and seems to add new ones almost every day. The following words are a regular part of his vocabulary:
"uhmm" = milk
"I do"
"door"
"up"
"na" (sounds like "nuh") = no (short for nahin)
"ball"
"Bob" (he has a toy called Farmer Bob)
"Oh-oh"
"egg"
"hi" (his first word)
"bye"
"ya" = yes
"hot"
"Mamma" (we're still trying to teach him to say "Daddy")

Samedh has been walking for well over a month now, and has even started running. He can climb up stairs, but going down is still puzzling. He loves to read books and enjoys sitting on my lap while reading. Some of his favorite books include Curious George Rides, Goodnight Moon, A Mother for Choco, and Daddy Loves Me.

Samedh likes to have his teeth brushed, and seems to be getting new teeth all the time. He currently has 6 front teeth (4 top, 2 bottom) and three molars. One top molar is almost all the way in. He does a great job chewing foods and isn't as bothered with textures as he was in the past. At least not for now. That could change at any time. Right now his favorite foods include chicken, mashed potatoes, mashed egg yolk, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, any kind of cheese, Yo Baby Yogurt, grilled cheese sandwich dipped in Prego sauce, and red or green grapes. We're still working on sneaking in the veggies (he hasn't caught on to me hiding carrots in his mashed potatoes yet:).

All in all, Samedh has made some amazing progress during his few months at home. He is full of energy, and quite the entertainer. He is very interested in movement and how things work. He'll tip his trucks and cars over on the side just to spin the wheels and watch them move. He also loves to watch the weather forecasts on TV, and is mesmerized by maps and doplar radar. Most of all though, Samedh has bonded with us beautifully. He is truly an amazing little boy, and we are so happy that he is a part of our family.