23 month update - June

The days to 2 are flying by!  Some things about you at 23 months:

• You are understanding a little more about pretend games, although so far you can only do it with games that relate to bedtime.  For example, you like to lie down on the floor or couch and say "night night!"  Or you'll put your cars to bed too.
• Although you might like to play "night-night," you have started to resist going to bed yourself.  For the last 6 months or so it's been really easy to put you down to sleep and you've always been pretty agreeable.  We even were at a point where I rarely needed to give you your binky to go to sleep.  But all of a sudden you have been crying and whining again when I put you down.  You must be at that stage where you just want to stay awake and play instead of sleep.  So the binky has because a necessity again, along with just letting you cry it out.  I'm hoping this stage passes quickly because it has been so stressful for me! 
• You've started to accept kisses as fixes for boo-boos (although you hate real bandaids).  If you get a minor bump or scrape you'll let me kiss it and that usually calms you down considerably.
• Ever since the binky has made a reappearance at bedtime, we've been using it to bribe you to do other things as well, such as sitting down in your carseat to let us buckle you.  You just adore your binky and will do anything to get it.
• You are learning more about how to interact with the pups, both in terms of loving them and in teasing them.  When we need to run errands you will crate the pups then go in and lovingly pet them goodbye.  Other times you want nothing more than to tease Pocket by doing fake-out throws with her ball and then giggling uncontrollably at your own antics!
• You've started to sing again when you get sleepy.  You used to do this when you were a baby and I'm really glad that you're doing this again!  It's so cute!
• You've developed more of a sense of self.  You know that you are called Bennett.  The other day we were playing ball with Pocket and I was trying to teach you about taking turns.  I would throw the ball and say "mama's turn!" and then the next one I would give to you and say "Bennett's turn!"  You caught on fast and would happily say "mama!" when it was my turn, but as soon as the ball left my hands you'd eagerly use both hands to point to your chest and say "nennett! nennett!" So that I would remember that it was your turn next.  You also know which shoes/toys/clothes are yours and which belong to us.