We're changing his name to "Bruiser"

Jacob's 18 month "birthday" is today. It's hard to believe that he is already a year and a half old. Well actually, the truth is, it's hard to believe he's a year and a half old when he's sleeping peacefully in his crib like a little baby. I am quickly reminded of his age when he's awake and shaking his finger at me saying "no, no, no!" Now that's a true toddler.

Unfortunately, we celebrated at the Doctor's office with a shot of the chicken pox vaccine (poor baby) :( The good news, though, is that he climbed back up to the 95 percentile in height AND weight. He was 34 1/2 inches tall (he grew 2 1/2 inches in 3 months) and 31 lbs 14 oz! If I've heard someone call him "bruiser" once, I've heard it a thousand times and the nurse didn't hold back either. "He's such a BRUISER!" she exclaimed. Hmmm, I don't think I've ever heard that before?

He may look like a bruiser, but underneath that tall, padded exterior is a little boy who requires a kiss of any body part that he has slightly injured, who also gives kisses on demand (even to people he doesn't know!) and always greets strangers with an emphatic "hi!" (with a wave) and "bye!" (with a shout and a blow of a kiss). A bruiser he may be, but man is he a softy. That's just the way I like it.