22 Months

We're here again...several more months pass since Graham's last update.

And once again, he's changed a ton. He's sort of a different child.

He's awesome. We are absolutely loving this stage.

We're constantly laughing at him.

In between time-outs of course. More on that one later.

Where to start.... maybe his talking. He definitely has a mind of his own in this department. Every department really...food too. Anyway, he had his list of words that he would say and refused to even attempt almost everything else. I mean, he grunts, gestures and points to get his point across. So he just quit saying new things for a little while. The the other day, we pulled into Dunkin' Donuts and he went crazy saying "donut" over and over. So maybe we go there too much, ya think? Actually, I usually do the drive through, but Matt has taken him there for some father/son breakfast dates and apparently it's made quite an impression. But then I realized that he would repeat after me if I asked him too. So we went through a bunch of words and he did great saying most. Some of his new regulars are: thank you (tane-tu), water (tikka-tikka), again ('gain), no (quite possibly the cutest "no" we've ever heard), daddy (he used to say dada and then just switched to daddy), and he'll say all of his little friend's names (Will, Parker, Kate, Blaise, Emma, and baby Ruby).

No new food updates...still crazy picky. We did realize that if he can hold it "like a big boy" it made things like granola bars, cereal bars, bananas way more appealing. We make it through church every sunday by opening a granola bar or cereal bar at the beginning of the sermon and letting him hold it by the bottom of the wrapper and eat it down. It keeps him occupied, takes way longer than if I fed him and bonus - he eats. It's a good system.

He has some new funny G-isms and games that we keep meaning to document.

- picnics - we have this little box of kitchen stuff that it's like he just discovered. He doesn't really want to play with me with it though, it's a "daddy" activity for after dinner. He has a specific place for Matt to sit and he sets his table (the glider stool) for their special dinner. Graham always gets the plastic cookie and piece of bacon on his plate and Matt always gets the spaghetti. And they always drink lemonade. It's super cute to watch Graham "hmm" and "ooo!" around as he sets up the picnic.

- forts - Matt built a fort and it was a huge hit. G always wants all of his stuffed animals in there and also all of us. Mable (which he calls "Mow"), Baxter, me...all in his teeny tiny fort. Ha!

- body parts - He knows all of them! I mean, who taught him where his elbows and shoulders are? His chin? And yet he knows them...super cute.

- his hair game - A while back he was in the tub and reached over and pretended to "eat" some of Matt's arm hair. He just "picked" it and then pretended to put it in his mouth. Sort of hard to describe. We definitely didn't show him that one... and he was so tickled at his little game. Now he does it all the time. Really only to Matt or Bryan - but they play it up with him saying that they "need their hair" and stuff like that. G thinks he's being so funny.

- peek a boo - Just the other day I was calling for Graham, couldn't find him, and then I heard him giggling from the kitchen. When I went in there though, I didn't see him. Thats when I heard him say "boo" from inside the pantry. He apparently went in there and pulled the door closed all on his own. It was just cute that he didn't know the right time to pull out his "boo." Now he does it all the time.

- mr. collecter - He is absolutely obsessed with hoarding and collecting. It's really funny. He gets on kicks with certain items and has to have them go everywhere with us. Most recently it was Buzz and Woody figures. Thankfully he's taken a little break. But one certainty are his keys always his attached to his shorts. He's been really into money (as in coins) and finds them everywhere and puts them in his pockets. I have over a dollar right now on the dryer in change that has ended up in the washer from his laundry. He had a little lavender plastic flipper from some kitchen set he came in contact with. Apparently he made off with the flipper and didn't let it go without tears for like 2 weeks straight. Sadly, the lavender flipper has disappeared...and if G sees one of our flippers or thinks about pancakes, he asks for his flipper for like the next hour.

- music - He continues to have major opinions about what music we listen to. He says "B" over and over and over in the car if we don't listen to his CD. I'm pulling for B's next CD to have like 50 songs or something because of how long G insists on listening to it. He has discovered this (super) annoying show on nickjr that is like a pre-teen band that is catchy and they play instruments. He goes crazy if it comes on and dances and sings along. Cute.

- galloping - We got this CD recently that we listen to alot when we're in the house. It has all of those little sing-a-long songs that we all know and mostly love. One of his favorites is the "this is the way the gentleman rides..." song. Matt and I obnoxiously danced all over the kitchen and house according to each verse and now G can't get enough. He goes crazy dancing whenever the song gets to the "this is the way the cowboy rides..." And actually, his little run/scurry has morphed into more of a gallop. It's awesome!

Ok, on to the time-outs. We've most definitely entered into the 2's. He has a little mind of his own and many many many preferences that he thinks are necessities. He says "no, no, no" to us all the time but not in a mean way...just sort of a "that's not the way I want it" sort of way. We introduced time-outs and they're working out quite nicely. He knows what we mean when we interrupt something he's not supposed to be doing and ask him if he'd like a time out if he doesn't stop. He says "no, no" and usually/sometimes stops. There are several things that we almost always have to have 2 or 3 consecutive time-outs for. Those are fun.

Most days are fun. Every day is an absolute joy. Even though we left the house and went to Toys R Us today just to make sure I didn't go mental - I wouldn't trade these days for anything.

I've been home for the last 2 weeks every day. I'm not going back to work after Jackson comes and it was easier for me to have a set end date for my job than to just work up until he came. It has been super fun not having to get up and get to work but also hard. Just one more reason I love that Matt works from home....we love our lunches together.

And even when I know that the days ahead with G and a newborn are going to be hard and I'm sure I'll cry (alot). I'm so incredibly excited to be home with my boys and pour myself into them.

If only Jackson would hurry up and get here....I'm 40 weeks on Wednesday.