twenty three months.
Conner is turning twenty three months today. How is it possible that we only have one month before he turns t-w-o? And please, can somebody tell me where the pause button is to stop him from growing up so fast? Joe and I were talking tonight about how it honestly feels like we were just planning his first birthday like it was last week.
When I think about how he acts and communicates now compared to even a few months ago, I am amazed. I never really notice change on a day to day basis, but when I stop and think about how life with him was even two months ago, I realize just how much he's developed.
Toddler Talk
Conner was late to the world of talking and compared to most kids his age, he's probably still a little behind. Certainly not quiet though! Over the course of the past 14 months, he really focused on his gross and fine motor skills, so compared to other one year olds, he can run circles around them... and then climb a rock wall and balance on balls. Is there an American Ninja Warrior for toddlers? If so, we need to sign him up! When most people who see how Conner moves around and interacts, they're always surprised to find out he's only 1 and not 3.
But even his speech has really grown this past month and listening to him form sentences and figure out new words has been both awesome to see first hand and humorous. And he comprehends so much more than I give him credit for.
We're still in that phase where we have to guess what exactly he's trying to tell us he wants. There are the times where I know exactly what he's saying, and I can give him what it is he's asking for. These scenarios end with smile all around. Then there are times where I have no clue what he's asking for and Joe and I will take a shot in the dark and hope and pray it's right. If it's not - we have a toddler meltdown on our hands. And then there are the times where we know what he's asking for, but we tell him "no" because, well, we can't just let him have everything he wants whenever he wants it. That also results in an epic tantrum.
Toddler Play
Conner's been at his new daycare for over a month now, and we can see a transition on how he plays and what he plays with since starting there. Joe and I have a hunch that he gets a lot of TV time there. Usually when he gets home, he goes straight for his toys and entertains himself for hours. Now, when he gets home, he's trying to tell me about cartoon characters like "Hotdog" (aka - Mickey Mouse) and other cartoons I'm just not familiar with. Most evenings, he likes to skip his toys and supper and try to drag Joe or I upstairs to turn on cartoons for him. I knew these days were bound to come, but Joe and I were trying to keep his interests away from TV and focused on toys and outdoor play for as long as possible.
His interest in books has really taken off the past month. Gives me a little relief since it helps pull him away from the cartoons. He's got a handful of Disney Cars books that are his go-to reading material. We can't even get through eating supper anymore without him grabbing a book and demanding that we read it through over and over while he sits and enjoys his dinner.
Other than his new found love for cartoons and books, he still loves anything with wheels. He loves to grab his Tonka truck and run all throughout the house with it. He'll load it up with smaller cars and then race those around the house and get really upset when he takes a corner a little too sharp and dumps the cars out. Unfortunately for that boy, he chased the dog one too many times with it, so it has been confiscated for a long period of time. This also resulted in a toddler protest. Have you seen a trend yet? Most things that don't go his way end in a tantrum. We arewelcoming dreading the new phase of "Terrible Twos".
This is what I'm talking about.
Toddler Eats
We have been making progress with meats. He's finally starting to eat some protein after months of trying and failing. Unfortunately, he limits his meat selections to hotdogs, chicken nuggets and sloppy joes. Not too thrilling for someone who prefers to make sure their family eats healthy, but I feel this is completely normal for most kids his age. And I know his acceptance for other foods will continue to grow with age. Still has zero love for eggs in any form.
Joe can get him to try new foods every now and then and not just bland foods either. He can get him to eat spaghetti with chipotles in it or spicy buffalo wings. I have a feeling this kid is going to be like all the other men in the family and go for the hot and spicy foods.
As far as produce and dairy go - well he's always done great with those. He still loves fruit and veggies and has had a serious love for cucumbers this past month from our garden. It's completely normal for Joe and Conner to sit down and eat an entire cucumber together like it was candy. String cheese, yogurt and chocolate milk are still frequently consumed in our house by that little bird. (especially the chocolate milk - it's become his nighttime dessert before bedtime)
Toddler Sleep
That little boy still rocks when it comes to sleep. We have always been fortunate that he has slept through the night since he was 6 weeks old. Honestly, I can probably count the number of times on my hands that he hasn't slept well. We can only hope that this next little baby will follow in Conner's footstep and sleep like a champ.
Naps are a different story. He does fine with naps at daycare, but on the weekends, that's hardly ever a success. We try to get out on the weekends during the morning to make sure that we're home in time for his naptime. But he is notorious for falling asleep in his carseat 5 minutes before we reach our house. Half the time we can get him up to his bed without him waking up, but the other half is a failed attempt. And if he wakes up, there is no chance he's going back to sleep.
Sometimes I sit here and try to get a game plan in my head of how to get him to take a nap on his own after the baby comes. But, like all things Conner has taught me, you have to be flexible, learn to go with the flow, and set your expectations a little lower.
I'm not ready for him to turn two, but I get excited just seeing this little boy grow and develop specific interests that I get excited to see what this next year will bring. For now, I'm just going to soak up every last day that he is still one.
Photo Dump:
Family photos are rare, but this face... Conner your face is priceless
Bubble baths are the new must-do at night
Riverside.
Toddler Talk
Conner was late to the world of talking and compared to most kids his age, he's probably still a little behind. Certainly not quiet though! Over the course of the past 14 months, he really focused on his gross and fine motor skills, so compared to other one year olds, he can run circles around them... and then climb a rock wall and balance on balls. Is there an American Ninja Warrior for toddlers? If so, we need to sign him up! When most people who see how Conner moves around and interacts, they're always surprised to find out he's only 1 and not 3.
But even his speech has really grown this past month and listening to him form sentences and figure out new words has been both awesome to see first hand and humorous. And he comprehends so much more than I give him credit for.
We're still in that phase where we have to guess what exactly he's trying to tell us he wants. There are the times where I know exactly what he's saying, and I can give him what it is he's asking for. These scenarios end with smile all around. Then there are times where I have no clue what he's asking for and Joe and I will take a shot in the dark and hope and pray it's right. If it's not - we have a toddler meltdown on our hands. And then there are the times where we know what he's asking for, but we tell him "no" because, well, we can't just let him have everything he wants whenever he wants it. That also results in an epic tantrum.
Toddler Play
Conner's been at his new daycare for over a month now, and we can see a transition on how he plays and what he plays with since starting there. Joe and I have a hunch that he gets a lot of TV time there. Usually when he gets home, he goes straight for his toys and entertains himself for hours. Now, when he gets home, he's trying to tell me about cartoon characters like "Hotdog" (aka - Mickey Mouse) and other cartoons I'm just not familiar with. Most evenings, he likes to skip his toys and supper and try to drag Joe or I upstairs to turn on cartoons for him. I knew these days were bound to come, but Joe and I were trying to keep his interests away from TV and focused on toys and outdoor play for as long as possible.
Other than his new found love for cartoons and books, he still loves anything with wheels. He loves to grab his Tonka truck and run all throughout the house with it. He'll load it up with smaller cars and then race those around the house and get really upset when he takes a corner a little too sharp and dumps the cars out. Unfortunately for that boy, he chased the dog one too many times with it, so it has been confiscated for a long period of time. This also resulted in a toddler protest. Have you seen a trend yet? Most things that don't go his way end in a tantrum. We are
This is what I'm talking about.
Toddler Eats
We have been making progress with meats. He's finally starting to eat some protein after months of trying and failing. Unfortunately, he limits his meat selections to hotdogs, chicken nuggets and sloppy joes. Not too thrilling for someone who prefers to make sure their family eats healthy, but I feel this is completely normal for most kids his age. And I know his acceptance for other foods will continue to grow with age. Still has zero love for eggs in any form.
Joe can get him to try new foods every now and then and not just bland foods either. He can get him to eat spaghetti with chipotles in it or spicy buffalo wings. I have a feeling this kid is going to be like all the other men in the family and go for the hot and spicy foods.
As far as produce and dairy go - well he's always done great with those. He still loves fruit and veggies and has had a serious love for cucumbers this past month from our garden. It's completely normal for Joe and Conner to sit down and eat an entire cucumber together like it was candy. String cheese, yogurt and chocolate milk are still frequently consumed in our house by that little bird. (especially the chocolate milk - it's become his nighttime dessert before bedtime)
Toddler Sleep
That little boy still rocks when it comes to sleep. We have always been fortunate that he has slept through the night since he was 6 weeks old. Honestly, I can probably count the number of times on my hands that he hasn't slept well. We can only hope that this next little baby will follow in Conner's footstep and sleep like a champ.
Naps are a different story. He does fine with naps at daycare, but on the weekends, that's hardly ever a success. We try to get out on the weekends during the morning to make sure that we're home in time for his naptime. But he is notorious for falling asleep in his carseat 5 minutes before we reach our house. Half the time we can get him up to his bed without him waking up, but the other half is a failed attempt. And if he wakes up, there is no chance he's going back to sleep.
Sometimes I sit here and try to get a game plan in my head of how to get him to take a nap on his own after the baby comes. But, like all things Conner has taught me, you have to be flexible, learn to go with the flow, and set your expectations a little lower.
I'm not ready for him to turn two, but I get excited just seeing this little boy grow and develop specific interests that I get excited to see what this next year will bring. For now, I'm just going to soak up every last day that he is still one.
Photo Dump:
He gets multitasking from his Dad
No comments:
Post a Comment