Zielinski Family Blog: 18 months!

What? Is that possible? It has been a year and a half since you were born?

People aren't lying when that say that it flies by. We enjoy every moment with Emerson and can’t believe he’s 18 months old. He’s doing so much and constantly learning.

He speaks to us now, asks questions, and mimics very closely. Although we don’t understand every word, he’s definitely “communicating.” He continues to sign for “please” and “eat” but has a large vocabulary of single words, and quite a few phrases.

He runs from room to room. A crawler at 5.5 months, a walker at 10 months, and a sprinter at 18 months. He’ll climb onto anything and jump down, regardless of what’s below. He’ll climb the staircase in just seconds.

He loves to make animal sounds, and mostly gets them right. Every once in a while, monkeys moo and dogs meow. Kramer-the-cat is one of Emerson’s best buds. They wrestle and play, but also cuddle. Sheffield-the-dog is a dog for adults. Emerson understand this most of the time, but is still very interested in dogs…Marley, Koa, and others that are big and playful, and he giggles when they lick his face.

Emerson continues to be an incredible sleeper. He goes to bed between 7:30 and 8pm and has to be woken at 7:30am to get ready for school. On the weekends, he sleeps until 9am. This is all with a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. I suppose his sprinting may have something to do with his sleeping. This little boy can throw a ball (and sometimes other things) clear across the room. An arm that makes his Dada proud. He’s insistent when he has a goal. Whether it’s wearing his “mUggs” (boots) instead of sneakers, or having another tortilla chip, Emerson is clear about his wants. He loves to look at books, but often doesn’t want to give up control in having someone read to him.

Emerson dances like no one is watching. He’ll break it down to everything – from classical to rap and has serious rhythm. Rhythm that makes his Momma proud.

He has friendships that are fascinating to watch. He loves to greet his friends at the door, and runs through the house with excitement at their arrival. At school, he’s greeted by all the ladies every morning, who seem especially interested in him.

He eats everything. And then some. I haven’t found a fruit that Emerson doesn’t love. Bananas are his favorite, likely b/c they are so much fun to eat right out of the peel. Pasta, chicken nuggets, turkey dogs, and all the usual suspects are still favorites. He’s not opposed to scarfing down some broccoli, either.

He can identify every part of his body. Hair, cheeks, eyes, teeth, fingers, toes, belly, ears. You get the point. He can even identify what's under his diaper. Front and back.

He hates socks. Unless they are under his boots. He likes to have access to his feet. Emerson is going to love a barefoot summer.

He loves the shower. And the bath. And the pool. And anything having to do with water. He’ll play in the sink while I make dinner. He’ll spend ½ hour in the shower and dump pitchers upon pitchers of water on his face and head, and crack up every time.

There’s a soft side to our little brut. He has a Brutus-doll and similar blankie that he curls up in a ball and lugs around on his shoulder. He will give hugs and kisses, and loves to make people laugh. He’ll cuddle in the evenings as we’re quieting down before bedtime.

He’s getting so big and strong. Is it possible that he’s no longer our baby, but our little boy?

We headed to Lancaster Saturday afternoon to celebrate Great Grandma Lineberger's and Great Great Aunt Norma's 80th birthdays, along with Emerson's 18-month birthday! We even got to visit with second cousins Brent and Suzie. So much fun!

He goes straight for the piano, every time.