20 months old

Oh, my goodness! We're just 4 short months away from having a 2 year old! Wow, time flies as fast as everyone promised it would when I had a baby.

I'm certainly proud of our little 20 month old. He gets smarter (and cuter) every day. Right now, books and trucks are his passions. And frogs. He adores frogs. His great granny sent him a plush frog hand puppet, which ribbits 3 songs. He was so thrilled when I first showed it to him, running over and saying "Frog!", and then I made it croak at him. His smile faltered and he took a step back to observe, and then he laughed and came forward to get it. It's almost as important as the Original Froggy and has been carried from room to room to room. He looks like a little hobo running through the house with his juice cup tucked under his arm and two big stuffed frogs in his hands.

I have concerns, of course, about his growing up. We weighed and measured him yesterday, and his weight hasn't increased since the doctor checkup (thank goodness his little appetite has finally leveled off), but his height is not progressing like we'd like. He's only in the 10th percentile. The doc is not concerned yet--it's something we'll reevaluate at the 2 year checkup. She says that he could be one of those kids who have big growth spurts. She asked if David had grown any taller after he got out of school, and he certainly did! I haven't grown a millimeter since puberty, but he kept growing until at least age 20. The doctor says Dennis could do the same. If he doesn't, he might only reach a height of 5'7", and while that's really just fine, I think it'd be easier on him if he made it to a little taller than that. Clearly, Chloe will be towering over him through their childhood years--she's all leg! And girls usually grow faster... I'm not staying up nights worrying, though. We do mark his height on a piece of painter's tape hung vertically on his door, and we mark it every month, and there has clearly been growth every month. And he grew out of his 12 month pants a couple of months back; they are too short now. So I'm probably concerned for nothing. I need feedback on those mythical foods that are supposed to make you grow tall. That's what our parents always told us when we had to eat something we didn't like. Perhaps it's time to start preparing those things for Dennis! (we can skip those foods that'll "put hair on your chest", which we could all certainly do without)

So, he's still feverish, and it got up over 101 today, despite our vigilant dosing of tylenol and motrin. I foresee a long night of baby in bed with us. It's still manageable, though, and we aren't to panic until 104. I can't wait til he starts feeling better. I HATE when he's sick. I feel so helpless and worried. So I will keep praying, and I will keep watching him sleep while working his little hands over Froggy's plush skin like he's got a braille message of comfort engraved in his velveteen. The fever tonight seemed to break before I went in to soothe his little cries and bring him into our room, and now he's resting a little more comfortably and isn't burning up anymore, so I have hope he'll be well tomorrow.