Thursday, May 1, 2014

18 month milestones


The day has come. Luca & Matteo have officially turned 18 months. 

Physical & Motor Development
Luca weighs 28lbs 15oz and is 32.3 inches long. Matteo weighs 24lbs 11oz and is 31.1 inches long. 
Luca & Matteo are walking alone. Luca walks with both hands up and in front of him in case he falls. His hand positioning is very telling of his personality. Luca is more cautious and hesitant. Matteo walks with his arms behind him for more momentum and speed. He has no fear and never holds back. Both Luca & Matteo crawl up the stairs, but we haven't quite figured out the going down yet (we have scary tall wood stairs). They both push toys while walking, and drink from straw sippy cups. They love to press buttons, turn knobs, and move handles. Luca has four top teeth and four bottom teeth in the front, and has started to get his molars. Matteo has almost all of his teeth. Poor little man got eight teeth all at once. Both babies no longer take a morning nap, but love their three hour afternoon naps. 

Cognitive Development (thinking, reasoning, problem-solving)
Luca and Matteo have developed a sense of self and see themselves separate from others. They both have a specific stuffed animal they sleep with. Luca is especially possessive of his dumbo the elephant baby. Both of them cling to Paul or I when they are fearful or meet someone new. They love to play hide & go seek and make animal sounds. Luca has mastered the lion roar, and kitty cat meow. Matteo and Luca can both bark like a puppy. It's super cute. We're working on identifying and naming body parts in the tub.

Social & Emotional Development

The babies engage in parallel play, but on occasion they interact during play time. They are never interested in playing with each other until one of them steals the others toy. Luca & Matteo are extremely curious. Matteo is more likely to explore things alone. They grab and move anything that is within reach. As they are getting taller, we have to be careful what we put on the kitchen table. Many bowls of cereal have been thrown on the floor. They love to show off their accomplishments and being praised. They even clap for themselves. Dinner time is the very best. The boys love to copy daddy and Joey. They raise their hands high above their heads and shout, "yay!" They also imitate kissy faces with mama. They still have temper tantrums, but Matteo has many more of these than Luca. He throws his head back and then bends over in knocks his head on the carpet. It's horrible to say, but I think it's hilarious to watch. They both show affection to people they love. Luca is especially fond of his speech-language pathologist, Lauren. 

Language & Communication Development
Luca & Matteo know the difference between mama, dada, jojo, rambo, & rocky. They say things like, "baba," "night-night," "up," "all done," "fish," "dog," "kiss," and my personal favorite, "uh oh!" They definitely use their own language. It's a mix of made-up words and sounds. They both shake their heads and say "no." Matteo loves to point at what he wants. He pinches the back of my arms or pulls my hair when he's frustrated. Luca has a deep chuckle laugh that sounds similar when he's upset. It's super funny!

These once preemie babies are sure growing up fast. Luca & Matteo have brought our family so much joy and love. Even Joey is obsessed with his baby brothers. I often find him hugging them aggressively and giving kisses. The babies put up with his over affection. When I ask what he's doing, he says, "mommy, they're just so cute, I have to squeeze them!" I wonder where he gets that from!? Uh oh!





























1 comment:

  1. you guys are rock star parents! i'm blessed to be able to watch them grow into the little dudes they are!

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