The Beast is 15 Months Old

Today my little Beast turns 15 months old.  I cannot believe that 15 months have gone by, but yet I can.  Do you know what that means?  That really means that I have not gotten a good nights sleep in over 15 months.  Wow, that is crazy.   I don't know how a person can function with so little sleep.   I know that I barely function on a day to day basis anymore.  

I used to be organized.  Seriously, I used to be so organized when it came to sending out birthday/anniversary cards and especially Thank You cards.  Now what happens is I buy them but they never get sent out.  Heck, I'm lucky if I remember to call and tell someone thank you for something that the kids or I have gotten.  It's terrible and embarrassing.   After my wedding I got over 300 thank you cards out in 2 weeks.   That will never happen again.

I can't even finish a thought or a sentance anymore.   I can be on the phone with someone and halfway through my sentance, I forget what I was saying or I get distracted.  My sister can confirm this one - she probably doesn't even like to call here anymore because it's like having a conversation with a 2 year old.  

Tomorrow I have to bring him for his 15 month well baby check with his dr.  This is going to be F-U-N.  Not only does he get shots (it's going to take about 10 of us to hold the little bugger down and 2 to give the shots and then he's going to scream so hard that he holds his breath and turns all red, yep he does that) but I know I am going to get lectured by his dr for 3 things.   I know because I got lectured (nicely) by him at his 12 month appointment.  

1.  The Beast doesn't sleep through the night.   At his 12 month appt, the dr said to me "You know, he REALLY (emphasize on Really) needs to be sleeping through the night."   Well No Shit Sherlock, you think that I don't wish that more than anything in the whole world.  I LOVE getting up every three hours to a high pitched scream, going down the stairs (half asleep and falling at least once a month) to get the Beast a bottle.   You think I don't know that he is too old to be wanting milk during the night.  You think that I haven't tried to get him to stop.  (Heck, tried is an understatement, I've begged, I've pleaded, I've tried to bribe him, I've cried, etc)  We have tried to let him CIO (Cry It Out) only to have him scream for 4 hours straight and holding his breath on more than one occassion.  This just doesn't work because we have poor Olivia who has to go to school the next morning exhausted from listening to him scream all night, not to mention poor Jack who shares a room with him.   Oh and there's Trevor who gets to go to work.   I have also tried to give him less milk each time but the kid knows math.  Yes, my 15 month old cannot speak but he knows math.   If I give him any less than 4 ounces during the night, he drinks it, stands up in his crib and throws the bottle across the room until I get him the remainder to equal 4 ounces.   I am fully prepared to tell the dr that he is welcome to take the little shit home with him and get him to sleep thru the night.  

2.  The Beast still takes a bottle.   Yes, he is 15 months old and still has at least 4 bottles a day (and more at night).  I am not prepared to make him stop until he is at least 2 years old.  That's what I did with my other two and that's what I'm going to do with Noah.  (for those of you who don't know, Noah is "the beast"...lol)  Most of it is purely selfish, I'm not afraid to admit it.   The Beast doesn't like to be held or cuddled.  The ONLY time he ever sits still is when he has a bottle so I am going to enjoy every second of it I can get.   Also, I am just not prepared to deal with the fight that it's going to be when I take it away.  

3. The Beast still eats babyfood.   He is perfectly capable of self feeding, that is not a problem.  The problem is he is messy.  It is SO much easier to just spoon feed him and save myself from having to clean up the mess that he makes.   Also, I know this way he is getting food that is healthy and well balanced (I am not a chef) and it's cheap.  I can feed him a whole meal for under $1.00.

When the Beast wakes up it is time to take his 15 month picture.  That itself is a fight.  Getting him to stay still with a sign that says 15 months above him for enough time to snap a picture is not fun.  There are normally tears, not his, mine.  I get so frustrated.  But, I have done it for the other two kids up to 30 months and I refuse to stop now because he's a BEAST.  

So, HAPPY 15 Months to my little BEAST.   As much as I don't like you at times, I still love you.