Almost 21 months!

I'm not quite sure when you stop talking in months. I always find it kind of ridiculous when someone says something like, "she's 35 months old." I mean, really, I can't do that math. I've even heard people say 24 months, which seems especially ridiculous. Talk about a month you can just say in years!  So anyway, Nathan's 21 months old tomorrow. 

His language is going gang busters. He's been capable of saying a lot of words for awhile now, but he's becoming more and more inclined (cooperative) to be prompted to say a word and will surprise us by repeating words we're just using in conversation randomly. We don't have too many two word phrases (see it, what's that, see you, are you (where are you), etc.) but we can see a path to some true communication, which is a beautiful thing. Right now we're finding it especially funny that pretty much all 4 letter words starting with F sound a LOT like a certain 4 letter word that starts with F, especially Frog and Fork. 

Tantrums: He's pretty happy most of the time, a total goofball, though we're entering a stage where I feel like the fence in Jurassic Park being systematically tested by velociraptors. Why has he decided all of a sudden that he does't like getting out of pajamas and dressed in the morning? Did that not happen one morning so he thinks it's optional now? Same with bibs. Did we ever waver in our idea that bibs happen at mealtimes? The answer to those questions is, no. But the fence must be tested periodically anyway, it turns out. So we are trying to take it in stride, hold the line, and remember it's just a phase. Grant us patience. 

All that whining aside, he's about 80% happier once he has some food in his belly, and has been eating like a horse for the last week. I suspect a growth spurt of some direction and his thighs have actually added a little meat to them. 

I'm pretty sure I had decided to torture him this morning by offering oatmeal. You would have thought I was offering him arsenic.

Nathan loves my oven mitts and we like to call him a little lobster. He'd been waving to Brian in the other room (working on a few computers in the other room so blocking N off from coming in and messing with the cords). Unfortunately, by the time I got there he didn't want to show off for the camera.

It's one of my favorite things when Nathan gets on his tummy to do something like color. I don't know why, but it just strikes me as such "big kid" position. When I saw the boys sprawled out in identical form, I couldn't help but take a picture. 

Such a good faux big brother!

As a few of you may know, we have a new baby in our nanny share. We started last week with Baby E, and while I was prepared for some jealousy and general other "what do you mean I'm not always the center of your attention" behavior from Nathan at the start, we are now in week two and we hear allllll about Baby E when she's not around. He asked to see her all weekend, "baby, see."

 

 

 

 

He's pretty fascinated with her in general and has started to love rocking her in the swing and bouncing her bouncer. For her part, she finds him pretty fascinating and loves to watch him playing. He gets lots of smiles from her.

He also love kissing her, and Cathy documented a few photos and videos of their general interaction. Poor girl is pretty much getting mauled by an enamored toddler. I have to say it's more than I could have hoped for. I can only cross my fingers that he's as sweet with his own baby sister when the time comes.

Also, I finally figured out a work around to post videos to YouTube again! I haven't solved the video from my computer problem, but at least I can upload ones from my phone. Stay tuned.

 

Snow and Spatzle!

Ya'll are probably getting tired of pictures of Nathan in the snow, but with the current weather, you'll just have to bear with me. Mom and Dad watched Nathan Friday-Sunday to allow Brian and I to get away for a few days and enjoy ourselves before we do this newborn thing again. It was so great to have a few nights of no bedtime routine (though we were in bed by 10 both nights) or cutting things very small, and we came back refreshed to a very happy boy just in time for the great snow. we took it slowly on the roads and took Nathan sledding for the second time. Happy boy. 

We are still loving the Learning Tower. Last night Nathan even helped me make spatzle last night. The last photo is what happened when I asked him to smile for the camera. Don't mind the hair, he napped pretty hard and was rocking some pretty amazing bed head.