20 Months

Alec this has been a huge month for you, especially verbally. I hope I can capture it all and do you justice. Capture your innocence, your sweetness, your wonder - and just how cool it is to see you put your world into baby words from your child's eyes.

You amazed me today by placing the colored balls into your pounder into the matching colored circle. We'd never done that together even though we've been working on your colors, but somehow you just figured out that red goes on red, blue on blue, etc. It sounds so simple, but it is a huge thing and you made me smile with pride.

You have pretty much mastered your fork and spoon. Not to say that you aren't a messy eater - you are - but you are getting so coordinated at it! It's very impressive. You won't need me for anything anymore! *sniff*

Your friend Carolina is potty trained and you think it's cool she sits on the toilet. So you sit on the toilet now and pretend to go the bathroom. You still haven't made the correlation between bodily functions and toilet but at least you like to sit there!

You say "on" and love to turn the light switch on and off. You 're also getting pretty good at table lamps too.

Today at the park you said "more swing" for the first time. You really love to swing right now. For awhile you went through a period where you hated to be confined, you just wanted to run. B ut now you love to go "high in the sky" as we call it.

Driving on campus you said "there is crane." It sounds more like "there is din" but I know what you mean! And a crane is one of your favorite "bobs" (trucks).

I had to go to Michael's the craft store and I told you we were going to Michael's and you got all excited and yelled "Dada!" I laughed so hard, I thought it was so funny that you know your dad's real name. Then I felt so bad that you would be disappointed that we weren't really going to see dad.

I took you for your flu shot on Halloween (mean mom!) and I couldn't believe it, you didn't even cry. You flinched when the needle went in but that was it. I think you were too intrigued by the nurse dressed up like a tiger to be too upset!

Your second Halloween. You really didn't want anything to do with any real costumes, especially the Thomas the Tank costume I got you. Thought you'd love it because of how much you love trains but no dice. So I bought you a plaid shirt like Bob the Builder wears and put that on you with jean overalls, a tool belt and a construction hat. You loved it. When I ask you what you are for Halloween you run around yelling "BOB!" I am amazed you wear the tool belt and hat since you weren't too keen on them before, but I think it helps make it all real for you.

Your Grammy got you a book about Halloween and it is called Eeek-aBoo and in it it says that Ghosts say "Boo Boo Boo" and that is what you have decided to say for everything Halloween. If we are at the mall and see a Halloween display you say "there is boo boo."

We did two nights of trick-or-treating. First at the local grocery store with our friends Linnie, Charles, Clio and baby Dorothy. I was worried you'd be a bit overwhelmed and scared by it all as it was completely packed with parents and kids in all sorts of costumes, but you loved it. Especially the kids in animal costumes - you'd make the right animal noise each time you saw one. You were so good, walking around like a big boy, holding my hand and carrying your pumpkin bag in the other. You couldn't say "trick-or-treat" but you were very good at holding your bag up high to receive your candy. You caught on fast!

You discovered that you like lollipops. Love lollipops. You constantly walked around saying "more pop, more pop". Cute, in a desperate kind of way :)

Then we went to visit Mimi and Grandad and went trick-or-treating at their mall. Talk about crowded! We could not believe how many people were there was literally a line of trick-or-treaters that wrapped all through the mall. We cut in and out a bit, it was just too crazy. But again, you were unfazed and just had a great time in your costume, getting candy and seeing all of the other kids dressed up.

We had a Halloween party through our club at Dada's school and it was so fun. And you had a blast. We rented out a local daycare facility and you had so much fun just jumping around, rolling on the mats, riding the tricycles around. You even participate din the pumpkin craft a bit.

You now say bowl. "There is bowl mama."

When we hug I pat your back and you have started doing the same back to me. So now when I ask you for "pat pat" you come over, hug me and pat my back. There is nothing sweeter in the world. Or so I thought until you started doing it unsolicited. The best is when you come and stand next to me and put your arm on my back and give me some "pat pat". It's like you are coming over and saying "hey mom, how are you, I love you." Melts my heart every time.

You miss your dad while he is at school. When we are out and I say we are going home you say "home dada" and it breaks my heart to tell you that no dada is not at home, he is at school. Luckily you aren't too phased and will usually nod your head, say unh-huh and then "bus" because dada rides the bus to school.

When we make our animal sounds and if I make the wrong one for an animal you will very vehemently say "NO!" Silly mama.

You are really growing up. You love to mimic whatever we do - cooking, reading, even going to the bathroom (though you definitely have not mastered that yet!). And you get very excited if we are eating the same food.

Your new expression is "that is mmmmm" when you think something tastes good. Cracks me up every single time.

You try to count. You get the concept, but can't say your numbers. You will say something like "shay book, shay book, shay book" - there you just counted 3 books! Every number sounds like 6 right now.

We took you to a school hockey game and you were fascinated by it. Really into the hockey players and the "ball" (puck). Maybe we'll get you out on the ice this winter!

You are now developing attachments to toys. You had a brief attachment to your favorite Little People - Sonya Lee. You had to take her to sleep and everywhere we went. Eddie is your second favorite, but really it's all about Sonya Lee. However they have now been replaced first by a stuffed lion and then finally and seemingly permanently by a stuffed polar bear. So funny because you call both the lion and the polar bear "hoar" because they both of course "roar"!

The attachment phase seems to have come at exactly the same time as we have been weaning. Makes sense. So sad to have our special bond end, but it is time, especially with this new baby coming. But now we have our special snuggly buggly time and that's special too.

How does Santa go? "ho ho ho ho ho!" You LOVE Santa. We temporarily lost your Little People Santa and it was tragic. You walked around the apartment all morning so pathetically saying "don't know ho ho, don't know, uh oh ho." It was so sweet I couldn't help but laugh at your heartbreak. Luckily Santa did eventually turn up.

Your latest word is up. You say "up up up" whenever you want to be picked up or gotten out of your highchair. Very earnestly. Or you say it very slowly as we walk up the stairs. Also for the elevator.

You say Oval. So random! You have a shape book with an oval shaped mirror and whenever we turn to that page you try to look "in" that mirror. Of course you can't see your reflection and you think it is just so funny. I think you'll have your dad's sense of humor.

It took me a bit to realize what you were saying but when I did I was amazed. You say "shizzors" for scissors. Such a big word! You can't say moo (you say boo still) but you can say scissors? Go figure.

You used to hate to be under the covers and would kick them off. Now when you are in bed with us, you want them on you and they have to be pulled up so high. You are really becoming a snuggle bug. When you go to sleep in your crib you need your blanket that I made you around you as well. I always tell you that I made the blanket for you and you are wrapped in love.

When you are tired and we are out somewhere you now ask for "home". And when we pull out of our parking lot you say "bye home".

We rented Charlie's Angles and when you saw the cover you pointed to the Cameron Diaz picture and said "Mama" - I don't look anything like her but it was a nice ego boost.

You have this very adamant, very cute, very firm "no" - impossible to describe. I must get it on video.

If I ask you a question (Like do you want an apple) you will pause, think about it, and say "uh, um, no." Where you got it I have no idea.

You now say swan, or more accurately "shwan".

Well, I don't feel so bad about letting you watch TV anymore. You are learning Spanish from Dora the Explorer. If I ask you to say open, you say "ABRE" - the Spanish word for open. You look bashful when you say it, like you know you are doing something special. I am ridiculously proud of you.

It's not all peachy, you can be very whiny at times. Non-verbal whiny which is tough to take. I am looking forward to when you can better communicate your needs!

I love when I am sitting on the couch reading and you climb up with your book and sit right next to me reading exactly like me.

I say I love you to you every night and I started asking you if you could say it too. It comes out something like "ilurveyou." I'm not sure if you know what it means but I'll take it!

When we were out driving in the country here you saw a barn and said "nay barn home" "boo barn home" - you know that the animals live in the barn!

You said library. Just once, but I heard it. Usually you just say "books" when we go there. Now you ask for "choo books" - train books.

I love to watch you play with your toy farm. YOu have conversations with the animals. The horse says "hi boo" and the cow says "hi nay" Love this pretend play stuff!

Whenever I discipline you your latest tactic is to pull out the fake tear face and cry for "dada" - way to lay on the guilt!

One of your current favorite expressions is "Oh no!"

When you hurt yourself no you say "ouch" and come over and hold out your hand (or foot, etc) for me to kiss.

You are very interested in family right now - specifically the dada/mama/baby relationship. You break everything into mamas, dadas and babies. I love to hear you say "bay-bee". If we see fish, there is a mama, dada and baby fish. OH and you call Nemo, Nemee. Love it.

I got a birthday present in the mail that was wrapped in big bubble wrap. You thought it was the coolest thing ever and would crack up laughing every time we popped one. You love to dance on it and make them pop.

You find zippers fascinating and like to pull them up and down.

We were having a tough time with your naps so I bit the bullet and weaned you cold turkey and popped you in your crib for naps. The first few afternoons sucked - you just cried and cried. After that it got better and slowly you started napping longer too. I am so proud of you my big boy!

You love clementines You call them oranges, or as you say - "on-yay". I peel the skin, then you say "ball! onyay!" and I give you half and you take the segments apart yourself. Big boy.

Your new thing is to walk around and then up to me and say "Hi Mama" or "Hi Dada" - so sweet and you always seem genuinely happy to see us :)

We went to Friendly's the other night and you were yelling something at every waitress who walked by. At first I thought you might be trying to say waitress but then I realized you were just asking for your food. You were yelling "hot dog!" Once I realized what you were saying it was actually remarkably clear. Duh. And you love your hot dogs!

Your current bath towel has a bee on it. So now when you get out of the bath you say "there is bee!"

You are making more and more sentences and putting it all together. Like "There is mama's soap" You are really into naming if something is mama's or dada's. You still call yourself this, though I am convinced a few times you have said something like "all-ick". You'll say it soon, I know.

You love soup. Or as you call it "shoup". Especially tomato soup with noodles, just like your mama. You get so excited when I say we are having soup and you say "shoup mmmmmm". You love to pretend to cook your own soup too.

We signed up for a new music class at the Y and I think it is a little old for you yet but you love it. Especially because you got to "play" the flute. You refused to put it down! I think because Dora the Explorer gets a flute in the Christmas video. You love Dora!

You have the strangest new voice. You get this really deep growling macho voice and will say "there is bob" when you see some trucks.

You call dump trucks "umh umh" - like the sound they make when they are backing up.

Cars go vroom, and really fast ones go shooom! When you see a sports car you say Dada.

We have a book that has a picture of kids at nursery school. Whenever we look at it and I say it is school, you say Dada. I guess you think Dada spends al day finger painting and dressing up at his school :)

You stayed up late to watch Frosty the Snowman on TV so I just read you one book before putting you to sleep. You got very upset and looked at me very seriously and said "shay book mama shay book" which means three books - we always read three books every night and you know that, you weren't going to let me skimp out!

You are a very lucky boy Alec! You get to celebrate Christmas twice this year. We had a combo Thanksgiving-Christmas at Mimi and Granddads so they could see you open your presents. You loved their Christmas tree which rotated and the crazy dancing Santa - you would do your little shoulder shrug arm lift dance along with him.

Your Nan and Pop were there too and you had so much fun with them. Every time Pop would whistle you would say "there is a-pop!" No idea why you call him "a-pop" but it is so cute. You say Nan very well and you kept her busy reading and playing with your play food and kitchen. It would crack you up whenever Pop would pretend to be a cat too.

As a special treat for Mimi, you woke up Thanksgiving morning calling her name. It sounds like "mee,mee" when you say it. And then whenever you would see her you would say "hi mimi" - you made her so happy! Then when we drove away from the house to go to the mall you said "bye mimi home" - you are really getting this language thing! And Mimi had to work and when we would say where is Mimi? You would answer "mimi mall nay choo" (meaning Mimi is at the mall where there is a horse and a train). There is a carousel at the mall, which Grandad took you on and you absolutely loved.

When we were getting ready to leave you kept saying "vo Mimi vo" which means go and see Mimi. Poor guy, you miss your Mimi so!

Wow this is long. What a big month 20 months was for you Alec!