We did take Slider on a walk today, but still… good for all those involved. Now I just have to teach JT to say, “Drop.”

Since JT has the coverage, and since I think it’s probably just a good experience to start having, he went to the dentist this week. We had ZERO expectations for the visit, other than sitting in the chair and maybe exploring the tools.

Here JT is playing in the kids’ area before his turn.

And then, oh my, he loved it. He loved the water squirter, loved the suction thingy, and loved the air squirter.

Then the hygenist said, “Do you think he’d let me polish his teeth?” (Since it was clearly going so well). And I said, “Um, you can certainly ask him!” She said it was helpful that we use Sonicares because at least he’s seen something buzzing in our mouths at home. She let him smell the bubble gum polish, and feel the polisher on his hand, and then suddenly he nodded yes and opened his mouth for her to do his teeth. So funny. She did his top four teeth and then we rinsed and suctioned… and he let her do the bottom four teeth too. He loved the sunglasses that came with the polishing, too.

He got his picture taken for the “No Cavity Club” and chose a duck out of the treasure chest on his way out. He carried his tooth bag so proudly to the car!

There is something to be said for taking your child to the dentist first thing in the morning, when he is rested and full. 🙂

We went to our friend Sunny’s birthday party and JT got to see her daughter, Hallie. They ran around and had a great time. Then… JT wanted to hug her. And kiss her (I told him no on the kisses). By the third hug, we had to take a picture.

When it’s rainy and I don’t feel like getting wet, I just have JT walk the dog inside.

(Although, as you watch, you wonder who is walking whom…) This went on for about fifteen minutes before I let poor Slider take a break. 🙂

Everyone knows that kids love boxes. JT chose to make his box into a car. “Vroom, vroom!”

Picture of the Week: from playing at the park today before lunch. I love it when he makes this face!

We’ve been able to spend some time outside since the rain has held off. We tried to get some 18-month pictures of JT (without going to a professional studio, since last time that really freaked him out). He was too excited to play with his outside toys that he hasn’t seen in months… and it was cold, and it was lunch time. So this is all we got.

JT and I took Slider to the playground the other evening after dinner. Slider will let JT get close enough to grab her ball-on-a-rope (which she doesn’t let other “big” people do). But now he is big enough to grab it and run – too funny. She was not expecting that!

What a week! JT turned 18 months old, and with that came some new things. We have a checkup on Monday, but I’m guessing he’s 32.5 inches tall and 25 pounds. We’ll see how close I am!

First off, early in the week, JT climbed out of his crib. I had seen him hoist himself up and lie on the crib rail last week, so Jim put his crib all the way down to the lowest setting. But a few days later, I went in to get him up from his nap, and he was standing at the door. (That’s a wierd feeling, by the way!)

So, with some reluctance, I transitioned his bed to the toddler-convertible bed with the mini-rails to keep him from rolling out. I am so glad we got a crib that came with all of that, so we weren’t having to go shop for a new bed all of the sudden. And, of course, he loved being able to get in and out all by himself.

Every morning after breakfast and every night before bath, we strip him down and plop him on there, just for practice. But today something exciting happened: he came running over and pointed to his diaper, and I said, “Do you want to sit on your potty?” and he nodded. So there he sat. And he happened to be playing with Jim’s iPod, listening to some tunes, and it was so cute that he was sitting there listening to music that I ran to get my phone to send a picture to Jim. (If you’ve had children, you can see the problem coming.)

And while I was gone, for five seconds, he got off the potty and stood in the hallway… and peed on the carpet. Which is really a bummer, obviously, because if I’d stayed he might have gone in the potty for the first time ever, and also because then I had to clean up the carpet. But we will celebrate that he told me in advance (which I mentioned several times, without mentioning the pee on the carpet).

Ever helpful, Grandpa Cole sent some more pictures for JT. This one he said could be a good training aid if JT is unsure what to do. Who is that cute little girl… who still has that teddy bear? 🙂

Go Bama! National Championship #13… and we were there in spirit. JT got ready for the big game by reading his Roll Tide! book about Big Al, the Alabama mascot.

JT loves to see football (pah-pah) on television. While he certainly didn’t watch the whole game, he did his share of cheering.

JT has really been enjoying his new table and chairs. Here he is doing puzzles with Grandpa Keene.

Recently, JT loves to get out the step ladder in the kitchen. This morning, he got ahold of a water bottle. Then he asked me to get out the step ladder, pushed it over to the fridge, and proceeded to “fill” the water bottle.

JT’s new fire station is a hit. He loves pushing his cars in and out of the building and down the ramp.

He is starting to be more vocal as he looks at books, since he knows so many of the things inside them!

The other day at lunch, JT threaded every individual ditalini noodle on the tines of his fork to eath them. It took forever, but he was so happy. 🙂

JT is enjoying scribbling in his notepads with crayons and colored pencils. Occasionally, he colors “inside” something someone else has drawn, which is fun.

Twenty-five things you can do with a plastic ice cream bucket… courtesy JT Keene.