22 Months and Counting

It's crazy to think that in less than 2 short months our little guy will be 2-years-old!

Here are a few facts about Brody at 22 months:

He's beginning to expand his vocabulary (a little bit).  He still talks a lot, but much of it we can't decipher, however, these are a few of the words he is saying that we can understand:

"All gone" (ah duh)

"Ow!" (when he doesn't want to do something he uses this one. For example, I was in the grocery store parking lot a few weeks ago trying to buckle him in his car seat, and he was yelling, "Ow, ow, ow!"  I'm sure the people around us thought I was beating my child in the back seat- lovely!

"Me", or "Mine,"

"NO," --very clearly

"Hi,"

"Bye,"

"Thank you" (ah dee),

"Grandma/pa" (am ah),

"Right there" (ri der)- he points where he wants you to put his food on his high chair tray, or when he wants you to sit by him and play.

"Don't,"

"What's that?"

"Whoa," or "Whew,"

"Huh?" He says this often, and not because he's hard of hearing, I think he just likes us to repeat ourselves.

"Daddy" (Da- ee).  This is his favorite word.

He's also become a great tantrum thrower.  Thankfully the tantrums do not come often because they are brutal.  He lays on the floor, kicks, SCREAMS, and occasionally smacks himself in the head. I pray this stage doesn't linger, but we haven't even made it to two yet, so I know better.

Brody is a very loving boy, and loves to offer hugs, and kisses to Brent and I.  Most every time we ask, he's quick to give one, and often spontaneously.  I love it!

He's also concerned, and caring.  If he sees me leaned over doing something with my hair in my face, he will come over to me and brush my hair out of my face. Although, concerned and caring aren't always the words I would use to describe him.  He has woken me before by sitting on my throat, and pinching my nose!

He's obsessed with pictures we have around the house, and loves to point at the people in them while we repeat their names to him over, and over.

Another obsession that has continued since he was old enough to recognize them, is animals.  Cows more specifically, but animals generally.

Brody's still shy around strangers, and if they get too much in his space, it makes him cry.  Once he warms up, however, the shyness disappears, and he loves to be the center of attention.

As far as naps, he generally takes one 2 hour nap in the afternoons.

He mimics things he sees Brent and I do, or sees on TV.  One day I was trying to get him to wind down for a nap, and I turned on the movie "Marley and Me."  He saw the husband and wife smooch, so he took his binky out of his mouth, and smooched his hand a couple of times.  He makes me laugh.

As for his binky, he pretty much only uses it during nap time, bed time, and in the car.  We're trying to slowly wean him from that habit.  It's going to be hard to get rid of it completely- he's very attached to his binky, and his silky blankets. As for a bottle he's pretty much done with it.  Occasionally he asks for one, and so we give in (or we get desperate at nap time, and a bottle still helps him fall asleep).  I didn't see what the hurry was to yank it away at 1 yr. as recommended.  He eats well, can drink out of a normal cup, and when he wants a bottle, I figure he's getting more milk, and more calcium.  So what's the harm?  None in my opinion.

He's starting to develop those odd fears that kids do- totally irrational.

One of his fears is of this thing. . .

Kind of humorous, but sad at the same time.  He got this Santa ball in his Christmas stocking (which I thought he would dig because he loves balls), and it freaked him out when he reached in his stocking and felt this jelly ball with tentacles.  Since then, the fear hasn't subsided, and I mean, true fear.  He runs from it with a look of total panic on his face.

Brent was feeling mean (maybe desperate is a better word) and used it as a booby trap one night to prevent Brody from trying to escape bed-time by stationing it by the door.  I came in later, and tripped over it as I opened the door, and quietly had to chuckle. As for bed-time, he's become a stinker when it comes to this.

Speaking of, it's 10:00 pm, and I can still hear him chatting in the bedroom while Brent is trying to "sshhh" him, and reason him in to staying in bed. 

Yes, Brody is back in our bed full time.  He used to start out in his bed, and then would awaken, and end up in ours.  Now he refuses to lay down in his bed at all, or even go in his room at bedtime. This started after he was sick with croup mid-December, when Brent and I spent three nights in a row, up ALL night taking turns holding him in the rocking chair next to the humidifier, or walking the house, or standing in front of the screen door rocking him (supposedly the cool air is supposed to help).  It was awful, by the way.  I didn't know croup could be so terrible, and scary--it's sad to hear your 1 1/2 year old struggle to breath, see him panic when he can't catch his breath (I relate it to trying to breathe through a straw), and hear his horrible barky cough (it literally sounded like a seal barking).  One ER visit, steroids, antibiotics (there was worry it was developing into pneumonia),a visit to the dr.'s office, and a weeks worth of nebulizer breathing treatments, and Brody was finally back to his normal self.  Yuck, I hate it when he gets sick.

Back to the not sleeping in his own bed thing. . .

I know, we're bigger than he is, and some people say we should lay down the law, and make him sleep in his own bed, and we've actually tried to let him "cry it out", but that just ended up really sad, and a big mess.  He's the kid that when he cries for an extended period, he gets all "mucous-y," and then gags and throws up. Yep, and that's what happened. Sorry for the gross details. 

We've also accidentally let him "cry it out" when the batteries to the baby monitor went dead.  The next morning (early) when we realized we didn't hear him, and went to check on him, our persistent little boy was still standing in his crib, half asleep, swaying, legs buckling, his hands with a death grip on on the side of the crib, and his shirt soaked from tears.  SAD.  We don't have the heart to MAKE him stay in his own bed, and truthfully we don't totally mind it.  We sort of like having him snuggled next to us- we waited long enough for him, so we might as well spoil him a little. We just need a bigger bed.

Another ridiculous fear of Brody's is lint, or floaties in the bath tub.  You know, like sock lint from between his toes.  He FREAKS out about it, and screams, hugs my neck, and tries to climb out of the tub, away from the scary floaties.  I try to de-lint his toes prior to getting him in the tub, and scoop out any that may end up there anyway.  I've tried bubbles to camouflage any "floaties," but none of these work. If he spots even the tiniest thing in the tub, he's done.  I'm even going to have to get a new rubber bath mat for the tub (since he insists on standing up the majority of his bath) because it has tiny tears in a couple spots that resemble a floaty. Oh boy, I have no words. All I can say is kids are funny creatures.

He's full of mischief, and tests the limits.  All boy.  We love him, and it's hard to get mad at that face, but we realize that consistency is important at this stage so we try to "stick with it."

He's still a good eater, but is becoming a little more hesitant at trying new things.  We used to be able to put anything in front of him, and he would go for it.  Now, he gingerly tastes something new, and is starting to refuse a few things.  Some of his favorites are: cottage cheese, cheese, popsicles, pancakes, french toast, most fruits and vegetables, chicken nuggets, lasagna, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, but he's not much of a meat, or bread guy.

One day, I was eating a bowl of shredded wheat cereal, and he insisted on trying some.  I was pretty certain he wouldn't like it, but he was insistent so I gave him a bite.  He chewed it for a few seconds, then pulled a funny face, leaned back over my bowl, and spit it back in!- Delish!!

He's (usually) very good at picking up his toys when we ask him to. 

If Brent, or I get in the shower, and happen to leave our dirty clothes on the floor, by the time we get out Brody has picked them up, and disposed of them in the dirty clothes hamper.  Such a good helper!

We're getting ready to start thinking about potty training.  We have all the necessary paraphernalia, and I guess we're just waiting for a good time to give it a try.  A few nights ago after Brody's bath, we didn't have a diaper in the bathroom, so Brody and I ran across the hall to his bedroom to get one.  While I was getting his PJ's and diaper, I heard splashing on the carpet behind me.  Sure enough Brody was peeing on the floor, with a perplexed look on his face, just watching, wondering what was going on.

Brody loves to laugh, and is finding his sense of humor. 

Too bad Brent has taught him that farting is humorous.  Ok, it is a little when it's Brody, just not so much when the BIG boy does it. 

This weekend Brody woke up one morning, and ripped one in bed. . . and he thought it was hilarious.

 He often gets the giggles, and then we all get the giggles just listening to him.

The only thing I would change is to slow down time.  It's going by waaay to fast, and I wish I could push pause.  I love being a mom, Brody's mom.