Keepin' Up: 18 month Checkup for the Sam man

Oh 18 months...how the times they are a changin'! We are really seeing the little man come in to his own. He has really become a person with a sense of humor, priorities, and attitude.
His language is really good, I am so shocked by the sentences he is able to construct. He is using three and four words combos at times. And, he has nice little manners! He uses 'please' and 'thank you' regularly when requesting and receiving things. It is heart melting! But, with all that language comes frustration and temper tantrums too...exit baby, enter toddler!
He has really enjoyed all the new toys from Christmas, trains have really kept him occupied during this cold weather season. He is also enjoying the zoo animals, and his favorites are the dolphin and x-ray fish. He has taken to carrying them around, and sometimes takes them to bed. He has started to pick up on naming shapes and colors, and counting. Counting sounds like this..."1,2,3,4,5...7,...T" I am not sure how the alphabet works in to it all, but somehow in his mind it does.
Daddy is the be all and end all with Sam. He barely wants anything to do with me when Cody is around, they do everything together. They have a whole morning routine that includes cooking and eating breakfast, going potty, and warming up the hot-rod (ie. the car). This is nice, it gives me time to wake up and have some coffee.
He still takes his paci (baba) at sleeping times and car trips. We have been working on limiting it more and more, although the last few weeks have been difficult because he is teething. And boy do I mean teething, I think they are all coming in at once. Poor little lamb is in so much pain! I have given the Motrin and it doesn't even seem to help. He just pathetically whines, "hurt-boo-boo, owiee!" I have had some pressure to break him of the paci, but really my biggest 2 concerns with a pacifier are poor speech development (really not a problem, he is speaking volumes and it is really clear) and orthodontics (again, really not a problem, he has a dentist for a father and he'd probably end up with braces regardless). So, there you go, it makes him happy and comforts him.
I introduced him to my childhood favorite, The Snowman. He loves it!!! If you have never seen it, which is possible, it is so worth finding a copy of the DVD. I have never known a child not to LOVE it. It is wildly popular in the UK (or at least it was when I was a child), it is soothing and sweet, like a lullaby on screen.
He is eating pretty good most of the time. He is a 'snacker' and would prefer to graze all day, but I do manage at least two successful meals in his highchair a day. He is really good with a big boy cup and is still trying to master the spoon and fork. He is very busy and hasn't the time to sit and eat. He reminds me of Tristan with this. Sleep is great, he is good boy. Goes down with 1 or 2 bedtime stories, his prayers and a kiss at 7:30 and we don't hear a peep till 7ish the next morning. He catnaps around 11 in the car while I run errands, and takes a hefty 3 hour nap in the afternoons most days.
At his check up he was in 25th percentile for weight and height, 28.8 lbs and 32inches tall. He is wearing 12 month pants and 18 or 24 month shirts. He is built so much like Cody, all torso, broad back and short legs. The doctor was pleased all around with him, she recommended a multi-vitamen to make up for his serious distaste for veggies. I have to go buy the health food store and choose one soon.
Sammy is a super sweet boy, very cuddly and affectionate. I am enjoying him so much! He makes me laugh. It is so funny watching him learn how to be a teaser, or try and figure out problems.
Here a few pictures from lately:

Chillin'...post nap. If you look close you can see how sensitive his skin is, that rash is from having lunch. If he gets anything on his skin for longer than 30 seconds it turns bright red and gets hot.