23 Months

Just a few more weeks til I'm two! I've been a pretty happy kid lately, a bit stubborn and cranky when I don't get my way, but otherwise pretty predictable.

I spent most of the last month with a cold and runny nose that never seemed to stop. Darn day care! I also took my first visit to the ER for an unknown allergic reaction - I woke up from a nap with hives all over my body and my face swollen and red. Daddy rushed me to the ER where I was given Benadryl and then waited for a few hours while they monitored me. We still don't know what caused it but I'll be going to see the allergist soon.

Developments:
My vocabulary is expanding so quickly. I repeat everything I hear and usually only have to hear a word once and I'll remember what it refers to. Currently the most frequently-heard phrases include "Mommy carry you" (when I want Mommy to carry me, which is all the time); "my turn;" "me too;" and "funny!" (which I'll say whenever I find anything funny). I'm also pretty good at remembering to say "please" when I ask for something.

I've started to exert my independence a lot more and always insist on doing things myself, especially when it comes to getting in/out of the car, snapping the buckle on my seat belt, and climbing into my high chair. The tantrums have become a little less frequent, but when I do have one, it's usually over not getting to do something myself.

Interests:
Music class is still my favorite activity and I love singing and dancing along to songs and nursery rhymes. My favorite song is Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes - I'm always trying to sing it during dinnertime, during bathtime, and in the car.

And of course I'm always into whatever Kaitlyn is into. Lately there has been lots more grabbing and crying whenever we're together, especially during bathtime - even though there are multiple cups and toys to play with, I must always have the particular one that is in her hands. Somehow I always feel entitled to whatever she has. If we're both drinking milk, I always want to drink out of the exact cup that she has. Talk about difficult!

And since I can't get enough of climbing, here's another video of me climbing in and out of my crib - a favorite pastime!

Exploratorium!

After our Tahoe trip I still had a few days left with no school, so Mommy and Daddy took me to the Exploratorium for the first time. It's a big science museum with lots of interactive exhibits and cool things to play with. Mommy remembers visiting the Exploratorium when she was a kid. Since then it's moved to a much bigger location with lots more exhibits, but almost all of the old exhibits that she remembered still remain. Colin was in day care that day and even though I love my little brother, it was nice to have a special day with just Mommy and Daddy.

This was a water fountain!

There was so much to see and do to the point that it was almost overwhelming. Probably better that Colin didn't go with us (sorry bro!). It was fun to explore and we all enjoyed doing something a little different. Back at school I drew a picture of what we did during our break:

"I went to Lake Tahoe and I went to a science museum."

Tahoe Trip

Over winter break, we took our first family trip to Lake Tahoe. It was the first time seeing snow for Brady and Colin, and the first time in years for me (the last time I saw snow was in Colorado, which I barely remember). As soon as we got to our cabin, I couldn't wait to get outside.

We spent most of our time playing in the big backyard and also drove to a nearby sledding hill. It had been a really warm week, so although there was a lot of snow on the ground, most of it was hard packed and icy. I still had a blast sledding with Daddy and building my first snowman. Too bad Colin was a little sick and clingy so he didn't enjoy the snow as much as we had hoped. 

He played for about five minutes like this and then had enough.

Made with Mommy's help. Not exactly a round snowman, but the snow was so icy it was hard to shape!

We had rented a dog-friendly cabin, but didn't realize how dog-friendly it was until we arrived. Even as we drove into the street, the neighborhood dogs followed our car and waited at the house to greet us. Later two of the dogs came to our backyard to visit, and we ended up playing with them for hours. They just wouldn't leave! It probably helped that we gave them treats and threw tennis balls for them to fetch. We had such a blast with them, it was probably the highlight of our trip. We hope Brady had as much fun as we did!

Colin really enjoyed playing fetch with the doggies. Here he is throwing the ball to Ella while telling Brady to leave them alone.

We all fell in love with Kita the husky.

Even after we all went inside she still didn't want to leave!

The day after we left Tahoe got two feet of fresh snow! Too bad we missed it, but Mommy and Daddy have talked about becoming "Tahoe people" and taking trips there more regularly in the future.

Kindergarten Valentines

Here are the valentines that I made for my kindergarten classmates this year.

Mommy also found these cute Star Wars valentines for Colin's daycare buddies. Of course after I saw them I wanted them too, so I ended up making separate valentines for the boys and the girls. What boy doesn't like Star Wars?

I also made a special card for a certain boy in my class. I think he has a crush on me. When Mommy saw me write this I told her, "don't tell Daddy!"

Finally, in class we all made books about things we loved. I only got to the first page but this is what it looked like.

Awww....

100 Days

I have been in school for 100 days! This was a pretty big deal, and all the kindergarten classes had a big celebration. We all wore our vests decorated with one hundred items and marched in a parade around school. In class, we did lots of activities that involved counting to one hundred, including making a snack mix that consisted of one hundred pieces. What a milestone!

 

"I liked walking in the classrooms."

Brady Turns Three

That's twenty-one in dog years. He's an adult now! Happy birthday to everyone's best friend.

21 & 22 Month Update

These months have flown by! We learned at Little Wonders that toddlers go through stages of equilibrium (period of stability and smooth, calm behavior) and disequilibrium (period of quick growth and new development; unsettled, uneven behavior). Looking back it all makes sense now. At twenty months I was throwing daily tantrums, biting, hitting, and just being volatile. Clearly I was in a state of disequilibrium. But the past few weeks I have been back to my happy, silly self, and we can all sigh with relief that I have passed that stage and am now back in equilibrium (for now - disequilibrium supposedly returns at 2 1/2 years).

Developments:
I talk and understand so much now. I know more words than we can count and will answer simple questions with a "yes" or "no." I can put words together to say something, usually it's "no something" or "Mommy all done." I love recognizing and pointing out animals, parts of the body, Sesame Street characters, and letters.

Not surprisingly I continue to be an avid climber. I figured out how to climb into my crib from the glider and back out again. It used to freak Mommy out, but now I've done it so often that she just acts as my spotter while watching me. 

Interests:

I've taken a huge interest in reading and am always making Mommy sit and read books to me. At bedtime I always try to squeeze in an extra book and get mad when it's time to turn off the light. Favorite books include: Good Night Gorilla; Where is Baby's Belly Button; Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you see?; Potty; and Yummy Yucky.

I've started to enjoy building things, whether it's with Legos, Megablox, or Magnatiles. I'll usually stack them as high as I could, then knock them down, and start all over again.

I also like drawing, with markers, not crayons, and on the walls and floor, not on paper.

And of course, there's iPad and TV. I'm able to sit through entire shows now with my full attention. Favorites include Elmo's World, Blue's Clues, and Paw Patrol. It's always nice when Kaitlyn watches with me. A few times Mommy has found us both in the coat closet, quietly watching a show on iPad (Kaitlyn likes watching in there because it's dark like at the movies).

Sleep:

Sleep has been good. I have so much energy throughout the day that I need my daily naps, and will nap between two to three hours in my crib. I sleep well at night, but lately I've been waking up around 5:30 in the morning and am ready to play. We've tried adjusting my bedtimes but that hasn't affected my wake-up times. Hopefully it's just a phase and I'll start waking up at normal hours. Until then, we'll continue the early morning iPad viewings.

Eating:

I'm still picky with food and hate most fruits and vegetables. The only foods I eat consistently are scrambled eggs, noodles, hot dogs. I'm a completely messy eater and my favorite utensil is my hands. To add to the mess I've become obsessed with dips. I will use french fries as a vessel to eat ketchup and barbeque sauce, dipping them over and over.

We are also happy to report that I am 98% weaned! For awhile I was demanding the "booby" multiple times a day, including in public. Mommy decided she had enough and one day as I was nursing, she randomly cried out "Mommy owiee!" I was a bit confused but more concerned that I hurt her, and it worked! After that I would just ask "mommy owie?" and when she said yes, I just gave up. We're working on getting to 100%. She still carries me to her bed and nurses me in the mornings so she can buy some extra time in bed.

Family:
With the holidays and frequent visits to Poh-poh's house, I really enjoy spending time with Cao-cao. He is my favorite person ever and as soon as he walks through the door, I get so excited. I even let him put on my diaper and pajamas when I don't want Mommy to.

I grew a lot closer to Kaitlyn too, since we were spending every day together for two straight weeks. I totally adore her and am always following her around the house, watching her and trying to do the exact same thing she is doing. I get so excited when we pick her up from school. As soon as she comes out of the classroom I start laughing and we give each other big hugs, it's very sweet. I can't pronounce "Kaitlyn" yet so am always calling her "She-see." I made it up myself, but it sounds kinda like "sister." 

Likes: playing with anything water related, whether it's in the bath, the faucet, Brady's water dish, or puddles of dirty rain water

Dislikes: wearing shoes, socks, jackets, or sweaters, no matter how cold it is.