22 Months!

Happy 22 months, little man!

As each month continues to fly by, I can hardly believe he is almost two. How I want to savor every minute with him, but I just love seeing all of the new things he does each day.

What's new with Cruz:

Development - up to 27lbs, has 4 new teeth (16 total), wearing size 18-24 / 2T clothes and size 6 shoes, diapers are size 4, and his hair has gotten even blonder. Loving his thick, wavy blonde hair - definitely got that from his daddy. He had his sixth haircut this month - his hair grows like a weed.

Sleep - started going to bed earlier this month to work better with daycare schedule - in bed between 8-8:30pm with the goal of waking by 7:30am. While I'm bummed that I get even less time with him after work, it's good not having to wake him up every morning before daycare, so I get some time with him in the mornings.  He's still on one nap a day - noon - 2pm approximately. I'm also glad to hear that he has accommodated so well to napping at daycare - although he was asking for a "blankie" to bring, which it sounds like he was asking his teachers because they other kiddos use them.

Daycare - officially comfortable - doesn't cry when I leave (may say "noooo") but easy to tell him daddy or I will be there to pick him up. As I was picking him up the other night and he was the last one there, his afternoon teacher told me he is by far the smartest kid in the class, knows colors, numbers, ABCs - all of the teachers that go in his room rave that he already knows them by name. (Totally not bragging about it, but I do love hearing people talk about how much he knows. Makes this mama proud.)

Although, we did have a couple issues in daycare with a little biter. Cruz was bitten three times by the same little girl - when I asked him who did it (because daycare can't - understandable), he told me "mama I told Vivy no bite. Bite naughty!" While I was a protective mama initially, I get that these things happen. Let's just hope it stops - I can't imagine how Vivy's mama feels getting talked to about her little one biting all the kiddos.

First day of his new daycare...just not too sure

Loves to sing - ABCs (all the way through!) - although LMNOP sounds like one letter - and Take Me Out To The Ballgame is a new one (my favorite part - he says "root root root for the Cubbies" but it sounds like tubbies). He also came home from daycare singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes" while pointing to every body part but those he's singing about. He still requests "Sunshine" and "Rock Bye" at bedtime.

Play time - loves going "weeeee" down big slides at the park and on the swing. The no fear thing is kicking into high gear and he want to climb up the slide and the fake rock climbing wall which is just too scary for me. His train table has been the toy of the millennium - he goes to bed asking to play trains and wakes up the same way. We are sooo appreciative of the Lynch's for giving it to our little guy.  He also still loves his tractors, coloring, airplanes, painting and playing in his big boy kitchen. And the iPhone, he is a huge fan. Our fave app - My Furry Friend. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

He looks like one of the big boys on his iPhone

TV - yes this is a topic - he still loves him some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but these days when Mickey asks a question and waits for kiddos at home to answer - Cruz answers back! And he's generally correct. It just blows my mind. Plus when they call trusty old Toodles in for a Mouseketool, Cruz usually knows which one they should use and shouts it out. It's too sweet. He's also incorporated a little Chuggington into his TV time and loves watching the trains with dada.

Doesn't everyone lay around watching TV like this?

Eating - he loves to eat next to mama or dada in regular chairs at restaurants these days, although his high chair is still the best place to keep him - and your food - contained! While I was traveling he and daddy feasted on filet - Cruz is down to eat 4 oz himself! - and grilled chicken breast. Dipped in applesauce, of course. He's also a big fan of peanut butter & jelly, egg salad, peas, green beans and mixing everything on his plate in his glass of milk and then digging it out and eating it. He loves snacks - grapes, bananas, dried fruit, fruit snacks and if he had his way, cookies every.single.day. He also loves helping me cook...or let's be honest, throw together sandwiches, because there isn't a lot of cooking that goes on in our kitchen.

His regular perch when we are in the kitchen

Favorites - TV, books, toys, activities, snacks, hiding from dada & surprising him, cookies, pulling all of the dishes out of the cupboards & playing with them (still, he's done this for the past six months and still loves it!), reading books to us (he knows every word in the 100 words book), watching Mickey Mouse. He also loved soaking up some last of the season swim time with us over Labor Day weekend.

Not so favorites - getting his diaper changed, pulling him away from his trains to go nigh nigh, taking pics (definitely needs to get over this...).

Potty training - is tough! We had such great momentum, but lately he's not loving it. Daycare has been helping by taking him to the toilet every hour and he's doing well, but at home he wants to fight it and not go. I just need to be more stern and need help from his daddy.

Talking - speaking in full sentences these days and while I would like to pretend we know exactly what he is saying, I find myself having to ask him a couple times or guess and then he furrows his brow and I can sense his frustration with his mama, like "come on lady, why can't you figure out what I'm trying to say?" He is talking soooo well these days. I love that he can communicate with us and tell us what he wants/needs. And his voice? It's just the cutest, sweetest sound in the world.


Here's to another great month with the best little guy around!!

My boys