23 months!

Late again. This time I blame Easter.

This month we've been busy with classes. Andrew loves swimming to the extent that he always calls it "fun swimming." Creative playtime is fine, but it's a bit of a disappointment because the class description promised crafts and storytime, among other things, when actually it's just singing and free play with toys. Storytime at the library sucked, and after giving it a second chance I decided we will not be going back. I think Andrew would agree.

Andrew at 23 months: Looking back at what I wrote last month, I feel like he has changed quite a lot over the past month. He still clings to us a bit, but he's totally over the not wanting to walk in public thing. We've started taking semi-regular walks around the neighbourhood to see the many construction vehicles currently replacing the watermains or something, and we don't take the stroller. He'll walk holding our hands for several blocks. I'm so proud.

He has grown noticeably in terms of both motor and verbal skills. For example, not long ago he would just use his hands for solids and expect me to spoon-feed him cereal and yogurt, etc., but now he usually tries to use his cutlery, and he does surprisingly well. He can carry a bowl or plate of food across the room without spilling any. Verbally, he has many new words and phrases, and, adorably, he sings! He was babbling away during Easter dinner, and suddenly I realized he was singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" — I finally clued in to the "WASH the spider out" line. He was so happy when I started singing along. He also sings verses from "Wheels on the Bus" all the time.

Fun stuff: He's finally rediscovered his early love of books. He's increasingly interactive. He participates when he watches "Dora." He'll try to do the actions when we sing songs, and he will even try to sing along. He likes to pick out his clothes now (out of a couple of appropriate options I give him). He has a crazy cackling, screeching laugh when he's hyper/silly.

Challenges: We're having so much fun... but of course the dark side of toddlerhood is also becoming more prominent. His tantrums are getting more frequent and worse. This month he's been weird about taking his coat and shoes off when we get home. If we try to remove them before he's ready he FREAKS out, and often it's a couple of hours before he'll voluntarily give them up. He automatically says "no" to everything: "NO nap," "NO dinner," "NO bath," "NO car ride," "NO daycare," "NO diaper," "NO bed." He's also becoming very bossy, as in "Get it!" and "Right now!" and "Hey, don't do that!" And he tries to physically push us around.

Cute words and phrases:

• "I did it! Good job!" (He congratulations himself all the time; perhaps we praise him too much?)
• "I can't reach it!" (Yeah, you're not supposed to reach it, buddy.)
• "What happened?"
  
• "Oh hear that? Birds!" (or cars, airplane, peoples, dogs, etc.)
• "Yeah" and "okay" (It's just the way he says them.)
• "Thank you, you're welcome." (He says them both at the same time.)
• "Good morning!" (I'm a little less resentful about having to get up at 6:00 a.m. when he greets me with such sweetness.)
• "One, two, three, one, blastoff!"
• "Whayoodoin, Munny?" (Still love this one from last month.)