The Fleishers: 18 Months

Samuel turned 18 months old on October 7th. This was just after he went through 4 weeks of battling a severe cold with daily trips to the doctor and the possibility of having to be admitted to ACH. Thankfully, he powered through and got back to himself. I must say that his little personality is getting stronger each day. He makes us laugh constantly - plus himself because he knows he's hilarious. I'm amazed at how far you have come in 18 months, Samuel. For all that you've been through, you are the happiest little boy I know.

~ You should've been a little over 18 lbs, but with your illness you were 17 lbs 4 oz at your 18 month appointment. You are just over 29 inches long. This weight loss cause your BMI to fall off the charts again, but you're working on getting back to the curve.

~ You are in size 3 diapers and mainly 12 month clothes. You can still wear 9 month pants, but your legs are getting too long for them. You are just on the skinny side, so we have to roll up a lot of your pants at the waist.

~ You talk all the time and it's the sweetest sound in the world. Right now you can say "dada" and "uh oh". When I try to get you to say "mama", you shake your head "No" and laugh. I know you'll get there because you are starting to make more and more sounds. Your speech therapist is thrilled with your progress.

~ You are able to move around all over the floor in your own little way, and you are quick to get from one place to another. You especially like to get in a position where you can kick something with your feet.

~ Feeding wise, you are now on a milk-based formula called Peptamen and a calorie booster called Microlipid. You get 5 ounces of Peptamen and 5 mls of Microlipid per feeding, plus 20 mls of water six times a day. We are still planning to start the Blended Diet with you soon, but wanted to wait to make sure you were over your cold and well-adjusted to the new formula.

~ Your favorite toys right now are your bucket (aka puke bucket), puppy piano, Mickey Mouse tambourine, and any toys that you can swing at in the air. You're learning how to play in new ways and it's so fun watching you get excited when you learn something new.

~ We had your first Annual Review at Easter Seals for your therapy. You have make so much progress and your new goals are really going to challenge you, but I know you can do it! They are wanting him to start walking for further distances and using your walker more. Plus, learning how to place objects in a bowl or bucket, as well as, take them out. These are just a few, but you are already off to a great start.

~ Mike and I have been asked to join in on a Braille Bootcamp for parents at Arkansas School for the Blind. It still makes my stomach churn when I think about that, but it'll be so good for you if we know how to read Braille also. You are suppose to start learning Braille when you are 3, so Mike and I better get started.

~ You still do an amazing job sitting with little support for short periods of time, but you are best when you stand up. You're even getting better about standing with your walker and not pitching a fit about it - haha!

~ For 4 weeks, you were sick with a terrible cold virus. We were visiting Dr. B every day to check your weight and breathing. He had you tested for RSV and Pneumonia twice - thankfully both were negative. You were even tested for Strep, but the doctor concluded you just had a bad cold virus. The first week, we were most concerned about your respiratory status. You were breathing faster and working harder to take each breath. Your pulse ox was lower, so we increased your O2 to 1 liter for several days. We also included an Albuterol inhaler on top of your daily Flovent inhaler. The last week, we were worried about the amount of snot you were producing and your high fever - 103.8. We were, thankfully, able to stay away from having to admit you to ACH, but we came close several times.

~ Anything that lights up or plays music gets your attention. You laugh at any funny sound or at a random thought that pops in your head. You also like to shake your head "no" and laugh. It's become a game and I love it! It's just one more thing that you've learned.

~ You went on your first 2 vacations and did so well! We first went to the beach in May, then to Branson in July. It felt so good to get out as a family - even on top of the huge amount of equipment that comes a long with us. We even spent much of the summer swimming at your Aunt LaLa's pool. You grew to love the water as the summer went on.