22 month update - may

You are definitely a TODDLER now, no question!  You are trying to be so independent, which usually comes through as being stubborn.  It is both so fun and exhausting chasing you around all day as you try to figure out this world.

Favorite Color:  blue
Favorite Book:  Spiderman and Friends
Favorite Song:  Popcorn Popping
Favorite Word:  elbow

Some things about you at 22 months:

• You can now say "yes" and several variations (yeah, mm-hmm, yesh).  It makes it so much nicer to hear "yes" instead of just a grunt when I ask you a question!  It also makes conversing with you so much more fun because you can clearly answer yes or no.  You also string two ideas together regularly now, although it's still a little forced (bye-bye choo-choo, thank you dada, etc).  You are always very concerned with where everyone is.  Your most frequent question is "where ____", whether in the grocery store or even at home when one of us walks away for a moment.  When we're video chatting with Nana and Papa if one of them leaves the screen all you'll do is ask where they are until they come back.
• You've developed this funny little habit of saying "hmm. . ." when you're trying to puzzle something out.  When you first started saying it though I felt a little guilty, because you say it in such a distracted way, and I know you must have picked it up from me!  I know I probably say it that way when I'm trying to just keep you busy but my mind is really somewhere else.  It is very interesting as a parent to watch you pick up these habits and reactions - it really is like looking in a mirror sometimes and is very eye-opening.
• You have FINALLY had a little growth spurt and are starting to wear 9-12month clothes!  It's a good thing too because you've been wearing the same clothes for a year now and they are all worn out.  If you ever have a little brother they're not going to get any hand-me-downs because we really get our money's worth out of your clothes since you grow so slowly.  Right now you are still mostly wearing last summer's shirts and shorts but hopefully we'll find the need to buy you new ones if you can grow just a bit more.  We're also starting to go up a shoe size.
• You like to help me crate the puppies when we leave the house.  I'll ask you if you can crate the pups and you'll say "yeah!" and run toward their gate. Usually the pups go in automatically if they see that we're getting ready to leave, so you will bend down and push their doorstop out of the way then pull the gate closed.  I still have to latch it but it makes you feel like such a big helper.  Speaking of the pups, for the most part you are now leaving their food and water dishes alone.  We no longer have to hide them out of your reach.  At least once a week you get into their dishes and spill food and kibble everywhere but it's much more manageable than before where that's all you wanted to do.
• We bought you a little wagon to ride in for walks and you LOVE it.  You learned how to climb in and so you'll get in to play or just in hopes that we'll take you outside if you get in.
• You have figured out that your finger fits in your nose. . .enough said!  I'm having a hard time trying to break you of the habit because I think you might have my spring allergies because you are frequently a little stuffed up.
• We finally put you in a toddler carseat.  It is still rear-facing because you don't weigh enough, but you love it!  You can actually see out the windows now and will just turn your head from side to side to try to see everything while we drive.  We decided to make the purchase because car rides were becoming a miserable experience because you hated your baby seat so much.
• You have started saying prayers with us.  When you're in a good mood you'll even kneel down and clasp your hands, although most of the time you just lurk nearby while we kneel.  You'll repeat what we say in the prayer.  Right from the beginning, as soon as we say "Heavenly Father" you'll say "Sissy. . ." to bless Roshini because you know we'll name a few people.  But "Sissy" is always first.  It's so cute although we have no idea where it came from.
• You find laughter contagious.  If Daddy or I start laughing you'll laugh too and we can keep you laughing for several minutes if we just keep laughing too!
• You have become such a climber suddenly.  I blame this on Daddy because he's been teaching you how to climb the rope cargo net at the playground!  Now you can pull yourself onto chairs and toilets and sometimes the couch.  Worse, you figured out that if you want something on the table you can push the chair against the wall and climb up to it.