Sebastien at EIGHTEEN months

Sebastien passed the eighteen month milestone in March - around the same time as Alex turned four. Alex was eighteen months in September 2006. Here is Alex at eighteen months first with Aunty Chelle going down the curly slide at Scotts Head caravan park/beach and then on her own in the best t-shirt I ever bought her - I don't do pink! She has enough hair to have little pigtails on each side of her head.Sebastien on the other hand is still pretty bald. He has a smattering of curls at the back of his head which really spring up in high humidity and a tuft that refuses to lie flat on top. Here he is (briefly) with his Council of friends (which Thomas the Tank Engine is a member of).Sebastien is much more steady on his feet - he's even running now though usually it's in conjunction with a chasing game. He loves wearing necklaces, especially Mardi Gras beads. He has had four back molars come in and now canines are starting to make their appearance. He seemed to be much more affected by teething than Alex was.

He has very many more words and perhaps because we are in China, "car" has become his most spoken word - be it in ka-che (truck), ni car (kan=look) or just plain car - which he will follow up sometimes with qiche (tchee-tchur) in case you didn't understand.

He has taken to hitting if he doesn't get his way - something that Alex had started doing when she first started at chinese preschool - but we are hoping that will stop soon. He has twelve teeth (four front top and bottom plus four rear molars) with a few canines starting their way through the gums on the top. He also has discovered the delight of biting - usually clothes but recently when in a tantrum this was the result.He also loves his "car" which is stored on our balcony when not being used in the courtyard.He really loves his belly which he calls "beyey", and gets upset if he is in a onesie and cannot lift his shirt to put his hand on his belly.He loves his big sister and comes running to the front door when she gets back from school each day. We will usually happily do whatever she is doing - which works out great for her.He is slowly working out how the world works. The chinese have these electric children's rides everywhere and Sebastien loves to get on them and spin the wheel. One day he saw someone else put some money in the slot and the ride actually moved so he asked Mummy for some money - all I had was half a kuai in a note and here is the result.Yes, trying to swap it for a coin!

It is hard to get him to sit still. He will bring his shoes to you to go outside and loves walking on different uneven surfaces - he has discovered the sound that metal covers make when you walk over them and makes a beeline for any that he sees. He is able to go down one step without holding on - a problem when that one step is at the top of a flight. He still holds your hand wo go up stairs and leads with the same foot for each step - sometimes he just gives up and drops to all fours to get up the steps. When he is a happy boy his laugh is infectious - but he has yet to really wake up happy and we usually wake to him crying in the mornings. He is still waking at 5.30am so Daddy has taken to running several mornings a week at that time as he is up anyway. He still naps twice a day though is trying to convert to once a day. He is happiest when he is driving his cars, trucks or trains around the coffee table or floor and has just worked out the magnetic hook-up between Thomas and Percy.