18 months of Reuben Oliver…
Well, well… it’s been a whole 6 months since I last updated you all on this little chap! He has changed so much within the last 6 months, it’s c-r-a-z-y. It almost makes me wish that I had carried on posting monthly updates to be honest, but anyway – if you missed the monthly catch ups on this guy then here’s another for ya! If you follow me on instagram, you’ll have been watching him grow up over the past few months as I share a lot of him on my stories. He’s now the most loving and sweet little boy and I couldn’t be more proud.
Development
Where do I start?! I think my favourite thing he does is kissing. He kisses everyone that he likes and wants to show affection to, it’s adorable. He kisses me when I tell him I love him as well as if I ask for one. Sometimes he’ll run up to me with the biggest smile on his face and he’ll plant a little kiss on me or pout his lips waiting for me to kiss him first. It’s the best ever.
Walking is now a huge skill, last time I posted an update it was still fairly new and he was very wobbly like babies are, but he’s fully mastered it now. He still falls over now and again like all toddlers do, but usually it’s because he’s throwing himself on the floor! He throws himself on the floor when he’s happy for some reason, it’s a forward fall if he’s excited/happy and a backwards slam if he’s having a tantrum. Crazy kid! He climbs on anything and everything these days, the coffee table is a firm favourite, he’s mastered getting on it as well as getting off it which is kinda good so I don’t have to worry about him falling.
Most people told me that babies growth usually slows down a lot when they hit a year old, but Reuben’s definitely didn’t. He’s just about to go into 18-24 month clothing so he’s pretty much always been in his actual age group when it comes to clothes. Certain things can come up a little too big on him but generally, he needs trousers and dungarees in the larger size as he’s quite tall for his age. He’s still as chunky as ever though, those chubby legs are my fave.
He still isn’t talking but he certainly tries to. He makes a lot of noise, including some very funny sounds, he’s always making people laugh. He’s said “yay” recently when clapping his hands but he seems to say an odd word and then you rarely hear them again. He understands what words mean however, so you can communicate with him quite well. He knows exactly what “no” means and he even shakes his head now when he doesn’t want or like something. He’s very recently started nodding his head too but I’m not sure if he understands that it means yes yet, I think he does but it’s still a new one he’s getting the hang of!
He HATES being told off. Everyone thinks I’m so soft with him because you don’t see it, and I’m always saying what an angel he is. To be fair, he isn’t that naughty for a toddler, he is a dream child 85% of the time but like all children he has tantrums and gets in moods, especially when tired. When he’s being naughty I’m very firm with him and I shout no at him (but not too loudly, just firmly enough) if he’s doing something bad. He sometimes gets very upset to the point of tears and putting his head in his hands (sad but so cute at the same time) and other times it’s just a fake cry because he doesn’t really like it but isn’t that bothered haha! I try to stay firm but comfort him at the same time if he’s really genuinely upset and teary because he is still just a baby but I want him to know what he isn’t allowed to do at the same time. A lot of the time he knows when he’s being naughty so a telling off generally stops him from doing it again unless he’s in a cheeky mood! He’s started getting in these really hyper moods where he giggles away as he gets up to no good and I can’t help but find his giggling so cute that I never get as cross as I should… toddlers are so funny!
He hasn’t had many new teeth in the past 6 months really, we’ve had teething periods so many times but new teeth never seem to actually appear until he had a molar a couple of weeks ago which is now fully through. He’s also gone through a mega teething stage over the past week or so and there’s another molar coming through on the opposite side which isn’t fully through yet so we’re trying to get through this at the mo! He’s being a bit grumpy which is completely understandable but overall he’s handling it like a champ.
Loves
This guy loves toast, when he’s being fussy it’s pretty much the only thing he will eat! It’s kind of a good thing because at least when he refuses meals I’ve cooked, I know what I can give him so that he doesn’t starve all night. He also loves crisps (what child doesn’t?) and skips and quavers are firm favourites. I don’t really give him many packets of them, usually just as a quick lunch if he’s had a late breakfast or for a snack if we go out and he’s being a bit fussy.
I don’t know if I mentioned this 6 months ago but this guy loves his cars. It’s the one toy he will sit and play with for hours and hours. He has so many now that I’ve lost count! He loves anything he can push around, my mum actually bought him a toy pushchair and he’s obsessed with taking it everywhere it’s very sweet. Our house is basically a massive garage for toy cars I’m telling you, they’re everywhere! My brothers recently got remote control cars and we went round and Ru was obsessed with them, he loved chasing them around and he even used the remote to control them himself. I’m thinking of getting him one but I’m not sure if he’s too young so I’ll maybe have to get him one he can only have when he’s being supervised.
He loves running wild around the house, you’ve probably seen a lot of it on my stories. We have the living room as a completely ‘safe’ room that he can be left in with a safety gate at the door and the room is huge so he has plenty of playing space. However, I think he tends to get bored and enjoys being out of it because it’s forbidden territory as such. I never really let him out for long periods of time though as he just gets up to no good, he likes to put things in the washing machine and switch it on and off repeatedly as well as throw his toys in the bin! When he’s upstairs his favourite thing to do is empty my makeup drawers and go in my blogging room playing with all my props, as well as throw things down the toilet (usually toys or socks) so it’s safe to say I prefer him being where he can’t cause havoc! Before he gets bored he’s generally sweet most of the time though, he will bring toys from his bedroom to mine and sit on my floor playing with them like a little angel. I try to sit and play with him as much as I can as he loves me playing games with him and I get such guilt for working all the time. I can’t wait to have a car and dedicate days of the week to taking him out and about now that he’s older and will enjoy it and benefit from it far more.
He loves copying everything I do, I find him doing the most random things like sweeping the kitchen with the brush and trying to empty it into the bin just like I do when I’m cleaning up. He will also use baby wipes to wipe surfaces. It’s actually the sweetest thing, especially considering he hasn’t been taught to do it, he just picks it up from watching it being done. I’m very wary of how I act and speak around him now as it’s clear he’s taking absolutely everything in around him and you don’t even realise until he starts copying you!
So I think that’s everything really! Sorry this was quite a long one, 6 months of updates in one blog post is quite hard to narrow down. I’m sure there’s far more I’ve missed but I usually share milestones and other things on my insta stories if you want to follow us and see more of this cheeky guy! 🙂
