Growth

Body

• My weight has tripled since I was born. I will not grow this quickly again.
• I am about 75 centimetres tall (30 inches).
• My stomach still sticks out.
• The small of my back is forming (the curve just above my hips) as my spine gets stronger.
• The soft spot on the top of my head is getting smaller and will probably close by the time I'm 18 months old.

Teeth

• I am still teething and will continue to get new teeth until I am 2 to 3 years old.
• Some of my back teeth might come in by the time I am 18 months old. These are my first primary molars. My second primary molars usually come in when I am around 2 years old, although they might not come in until I am closer to 3 years old.
• Clean my teeth with a child's soft toothbrush every day. Fluoride toothpaste will help prevent cavities. I will swallow most of the toothpaste so use only a small amount. Use a smear of toothpaste when I am a baby and a pea-size drop of toothpaste when I am a toddler. Teach me to spit out the toothpaste as soon as I can learn this skill.

Development

Movement

• I can scribble with a large crayon.
• I can put things into a container.
• I like to take things out of drawers and cupboards.
• I can help dress myself and can take off my shoes and socks.
• I can crawl quickly.
• I can crawl upstairs but might need you to show me how to get down by crawling backwards.
• I can get to my feet without any help and can easily stand alone.
• When I start walking, I will totter at first with my feet wide apart. By the time I am 18 months old, I should be able to walk alone across a large room without falling.
• I can bend over, squat and pick up tiny objects.
• I might climb on chairs and other furniture to reach things.

Language

• I understand more words than I can say.
• When you ask me to, I might point to objects that I know.
• I like when you tell me the names of things around me or in picture books.
• I recognize the names of different toys and might bring them to you if you ask me.
• I can understand simple questions and directions, such as, where is your nose?
• I like to listen to rhymes and songs and might even try to sing or dance to music.
• I like to make animal sounds and to make sounds (vroom) when I play with toy cars and trucks.
• I can make most vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) and many consonant sounds (p, m, h, n, w).
• I might use one word and a gesture to ask for a cookie or a toy or to tell you something. For example, I might wave and say bye-bye.
• You can help me develop my language by talking to me all day long about the things we are doing.
• By the time I am 18 months old, I might use 2 word sentences such as, What's that? or All gone.
• If I do not play with sounds or talk at all, take me to a Speech Language Pathologist.