Last Wednesday, I had a birthday (that didn’t feel like much of a birthday given the strange circumstances in the world right now) and Bodie officially hit 18-months old. How it has been that long since he was born, I still don’t know…. but I do know that this is a really fun age! He’s sweet, silly, interactive, and very busy. Even though I’ve accepted that he’s a toddler now (and love it), I find myself still trying to soak up a few “baby” like characteristics (for example, he still sleeps in footie pajamas and probably will until he’s twelve… that’s a half joke). He’s growing up so fast and again, while I love this new stage, time is so fleeting. Motherhood is strange… you love seeing your child grow up and learn and thrive and gain independence, but you still long for them to be little and need your help and want to cuddle haha. Today, I wanted to share where we are at 18 months with Bodie in terms of his schedule, favorite toys/activities, clothes, favorite foods, etc.
Bodie’s Typical Schedule:
8:30 am: Wake up
8:30- 9:00 am: Eat breakfast (and about ten minutes of Mickey Mouse or Veggie Tales on TV)
9:00- 10:45 am: Play in playroom, outside activities (swing, drive car, wagon, etc.)
10:45 am- 12:30 pm: Nap
12:30- 1:00 pm: Eat lunch (and about ten minutes of Mickey Mouse or Veggie Tales on TV)
1:00- 3:00 pm: Play in playroom, outside activities (swing, drive car, wagon, etc.)
3:00- 4:30 pm: Various (sometimes quiet time in crib or light nap if he’s sleepy, sometimes running errands, etc.)
4:30- 5:15 pm: Stroller ride or nature trail walk in the neighborhood
5:30- 6:00 pm: Eat dinner
6:00- 6:30 pm: Run around like a wild man (we usually play chase or dance or run off the last of our energy)
6:30- 7:00 pm: Bath and Bedtime routine (brush teeth, jammies, lotion, prayers, goodnight)
*Obviously there is some flexibility with the schedule and it doesn’t look like this every single day, but for the most part, this is pretty on target (especially right now since we’re constantly home and not running errands, going to meet friends for lunch, etc.). He always takes one really good 2ish hour nap a day which is usually in the morning and then a light, short nap in the afternoon. That does change a bit though if we have appointments in the morning, he’s been in the nursery at church all morning, or something like that. Then his big nap will be in the afternoon.
*Because he has dealt with eczema his whole life, we don’t bathe him every night unless there is a need. If it’s a no-bath night, he just plays about fifteen minutes longer before starting the rest of his nighttime routine.
*He’s going to start two days of Mother’s Day Out in August, so things will definitely be adjusted a bit then I’m sure.
Bodie’s Favorite Toys:
Being the age he is, he is often just into playing with household things that he can bang together or push buttons on haha, but he also has some set toys that he really enjoys to “work on” or play with throughout the day.
BOOKS: Bodie is a huge fan of books and, as a speech therapist, I love that he loves books and get so much joy from watching him “read.” His ZeZe bought him this bookshelf to hold his books, so we made him a little library in his playroom and it’s been wonderful. He feels even more accomplished by taking the books out and putting them back in (or throwing them on the floor… whatever). DaDa by Jimmy Fallon is probably his favorite book ever. He loves his own dada, loves to say “dada”, and loves to make the animal sounds. I don’t know that another book will ever top this one for him. Here are a few of his other favorites right now:
PUZZLES: He loves working on bigger, peg puzzles and puzzles with chunky pieces. When he successfully matches, he knows it. He’ll clap for himself and it’s adorable. I will also add that sometimes he just enjoys taking puzzle pieces out and then throwing them down on the ground, but that’s just toddler boys I suppose haha. Here are some of his favorite puzzles right now:
MUSIC TOYS: Our boy loves music, y’all. He will dance and sing just about anytime there is a song playing or we are making up a goofy jingle to things we’re doing around the house. No surprise that he loves playing with musical toys. His Leapfrog Learn and Groove Music Table (similar music table), Leapfrog Spin-and-Sing, and Baby Einstein Octoplush are three of his favorites:
PROBLEM SOLVING TOYS: Bodie is very into fixing little problems and figuring out how things work, even at his young age. People in our family (half)joke that he’s going to grow up and be an engineer like his Aunt Sis. He loves little hands-on-toys that he has to work at:
RIDING TOYS: (No) Thanks to all the nasty weather we’ve been having for the past *what feels like* 7 months, we haven’t been able to be outdoors quite as much as we would like. But hopefully that will change soon. Especially with being cooped up in the house, we need all the fresh air and pretty days we can get as I’m sure you do too (kids or not). We’re dying to bust out the kiddie pool in the backyard over here. Bodie really loves to play outside and/or ride around on things. Here is what he enjoys most:
A few things we’re adding to our outdoor collection for the spring and summer:
Bodie’s Clothes:
My favorite places to shop for Bodie include: Gap, Janie and Jack, Mudpie, The Plaid Rabbit (local baby/kids boutique), The Beaufort Bonnet Company, Target, Amazon, and H&M. He definitely has his fair share of cutesy, smocked and monogrammed outfits (I love little boys in that style deep in my core), but we don’t necessarily wear that around the house for playing every day. We keep it practical if we’re just hanging out and don’t have a lot on the agenda.
PAJAMAS: I’ve shared before that we love the Burt’s Bees Pajamas. He sleeps in the footie zip-ups every night and the quality, fit, and prints are just so good. We also have several of the two-piece pajama sets that sometimes he just changes into for a matching play-set if we’re keeping it comfy and cozy around the house. Both styles come in so many prints and colors for both boys and girls. If you click on one below, it will pull up all of the options. He also still sleeps in a Halo SleepSack for an extra-layer of warmth. We like to sleep with the house on the cooler side at night and cool is also better for his eczema. The sack helps him not to get too chilly (and makes him still seem more like a baby… which we just love haha).
DAILY WEAR: Here are some practical play clothes that I’ve purchased and/or am eyeing for spring:
**If you’re looking for a cute preppy look without a higher price tag, I have a great option! This is the bubble that Bodie wore for his first birthday party (here’s the post about his first birthday party and some pictures). I got a couple of these because the price is so good for the quality and took them to our monogramming shop to have them personalized. They’re under $20 dollars and come in lots of colors. I love this brand and they make girl outfits as well. He has worn them sleeveless in true bubble style when it’s been warm, and with a longsleeve peter-pan collar shirt underneath and knee socks when it’s cooler out. A precious and versatile piece for a great price!
SHOES: These mocs are probably our go-to. They were great when he was learning how to walk and still work great now. He also wears these little water shoes from Target all the time. Here are a few other shoes he typically wears or I have purchased for the upcoming season ahead (note: many of these styles come in girl colors as well):
Bodie’s Mealtime Favorites:
Bodie loves meal time and is only picky about his food on occasion. Generally, that’s after he has had some pizza or chicken nuggets the day before so his turkey just isn’t quite cutting it for him the next day ha. He drinks milk for breakfast and dinner (and a couple of more ounces before going up to get ready for bed) and water for lunch and snacks. He eats a good variety of meats (chicken and burger are the favorites here), vegetables (carrots and green beans are his most loved), and fruits (he likes almost all fruit, but peaches and mandarin oranges are for sure the winners). Although he definitely doesn’t get it everyday, he loves pizza (and Chick-Fil-A nuggets)… pizza is for sure his favorite food. He’s for sure his mama’s child!!
I’ve shared some of these things before in my Best Baby Buys from Amazon, but here are some of our mealtime necessities:
The Big Guns:
I figured I’d also share what stroller we have, our carseat(s), high-chair, and a few playroom essentials for those that are interested. I’ve had a few questions in the past. I’m only going to include the things that we’re still using at this age, but for other items that I think were critical during the baby stage, see my New-Mom Must-Haves post. These are things that have been with us since the beginning and have stood the test of (18-months) time:
I could never have imagined loving a tiny human so much in all of my life. Bodie brings us so much joy each day. He is a fantastic sleeper and has such a silly and cheerful, little personality. He LOVES that his “Da” is working from home right now (silver lining of the world’s madness) and gets so excited that he gets to take little breaks and play with him. Imitating animal sounds, running around his playroom jabbering, looking out the window, chasing Harper, and going on the nature trail in our neighborhood are some of his favorite things to do right now. He sings along to the hand-washing song we made up, gets excited to brush his teeth, and loves to splash in the tub. He is truly a gift from the Lord and being entrusted to raise him and guide his little life is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Thanks for stopping by and reading. xoxo.
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