Up & Down

Kim

Up & Down

As I think I have mentioned, Henry is in full-on toddler-mode.  Instead of "terrible twos"  (because let's be honest, there is absolutely nothing terrible about our munchkin), I am lovingly calling it "opinionated twos."  And no, he isn't actually two yet.  He's 21 months.  But you get my point. 

Sitting in Grammie's rocking chair from when she was a little girl.

This is such a fun age.  He's definitely a little boy now, no longer a baby, and he is hilarious, entertaining, interesting, sweet, polite, and frustrating all at once.  His communication skills are quite good and I love hearing him talk and tell me what's going on in that little mind of his.  He still talks non-stop.  During the drive to school/church/work in the mornings we point out every school bus, truck, bird, car, etc.  that we see.  Also, because Halloween is next week, there is this one house that we pass every day that is decked out in Halloween decor.  I've labeled it the "crazy house" and we make sure to look for it too.  Henry loves saying, "Crazy house coming?" and "I see crazy house!"  It's pretty funny.  One of my favorite things to hear him say right now is "Thank you, mama."  It's the best when it is unprompted.  His little voice is so sweet.  He's also very into "The Wheels on the Bus" right now.  I have a video of the song on my phone and he will watch it over and over and over again.  He loves to sing and will sing the entire ABC song (although large parts of it aren't terribly discernible) and Ba Ba Black Sheep is another favorite, along with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 

I am so cute.

He loves climbing up on things (stools, boxes, the couch, whatever - but hasn't tried to climb out of his crib yet, thank goodness!) and he loves to "race" Matt around the house.  He has also started sitting on his riding toys and pushing himself around the house with his feet.  Before, he just pushed them.  He'll be ready for a tricycle before we know it. 

Just as quickly as he is laughing and smiling and singing the ABCs though, the wheels fall off and he can go into full on toddler-mode, tantrums included.  They are not terrible, but he has definitely done the "throw himself on the ground face-first and cry" thing a few times.  And once he decides he doesn't want to do something...heaven help you.  For whatever reason, right now he is anti-bath.  I have no idea why.  One day he loved baths, the next day, you'd think I was trying to torture him just to get him in the tub.  Our last few baths have consisted of him standing up in the tub, screaming and clutching onto me for dear life, while I try to get some soap and water on him as quickly as possible.  I mean, the kid has to take a bath every now and then.  It's not just something we can skip.  Admittedly, I don't give him one every day, but I am hoping this phase passes soon.  He usually LOVES baths.  I have no idea what's going on.   His eating is a little like that too...something he loves one day, he won't touch the next.  For the most part I just keep going...offering him the foods that I know he likes despite his reaction on a certain day.  Whether or not he eats it has much more to do with his mood than with his actual favorability toward the food. 

Ready for school.  He insists on carrying his lunch box every morning.

Luckily, we have several friends with babes right around his age and I know that all of this is completely normal.  It's so nice to have people who understand exactly where you are and what you deal with on a daily basis.  Parenting and motherhood is something that you definitely shouldn't tackle in isolation. 

Henry's such a delight and brings smiles to people's faces all day long.  It is hard not to love him (I know I am biased, but he really is super cute).  I am learning to just take each day and his attitude as it comes.  If he flips out and we have to go home or change our plans, so be it.  If he's in a great mood and the life of the party, we enjoy that as well.  I think that just comes with the territory.