21 Months Old

Samuel Jacob,
 You are 21 months old! We are creeping closer and closer to two! You continue to grow up right before our eyes and are still the sweetest thing around!

You are talking up a storm, and I'm loving it! It's so fun to hear you say new words and phrases, and it makes life a lot easier when you can communicate better. You are putting three word phrases together now. Your first three word phrase was "more pees, choc" (More please, chocolate). I think you get your sweet tooth from your mommy :). It's interesting that you've been talking for so long, but never had a word for Nathan. You would just point or grunt, but this month you started saying his name, "nay-ta," and it's adorable. We hear "Frosty" "Santa Claus" and "Christmas Tree" come out of your mouth multiple times per day. It's that time of year I guess. You are captivated by the lights and wonder of the season, and it's a joy to watch.

You still love to read books. We've been reading some new favorites, and you get so sad when we get to the end of a book. One time you cried and tried so hard to turn the last page of the book (and then got frustrated when you couldn't). You demand three to four books in your crib at nap time and bedtime, but it keeps you from screaming when we put you to bed, so I let you have them.

One of your favorite books right now is "Peek a Who." You can practically read it yourself. It's cute to hear you say, "Peek a Who." You point to the tree in your room and say "Owl" every morning. Your Daddy is pleased that you appreciate his hard work.

You're interested in trains still, and I'm sure your obsession will continue to grow. You play train table often and almost always break the train track and come find me to fix it for you. You are learning the names of all the Thomas trains and fight with your brother over the Thomas train track too.

I get some alone time with you  on Wednesdays while Nathan is at school and at Cubbies in the evening. We try and make it to Storytime after we drop him off at school, and you love it. You're just full of joy and get excited about every little song, finger play and book and bubbles of course. I'm savoring that sweet time with you.

On Wednesday evenings when Nathan is gone, your Daddy and I try and carve out some time to both play with you upstairs, and you eat up the attention and throw a fit if one of us has to leave and stop playing with you. Lately we've been playing "hot chocolate." You'll take a cup and put it in the play oven and then run over to one of us and tell us to drink it. We make a face and jump and tell you it's hot, and you laugh and laugh and repeat it over and over again.

You cut your last canine tooth (bottom left) on November 16, and since then have been sleeping much better. I still wouldn't call you a good sleeper, but the number of nights we have to get up with you is drastically less, thankfully. You are great at putting your pacifiers in your bed after you wake up. In fact you get upset if I forgot and try to change your diaper before you put your pacifier away. However, when we're upstairs playing, you usually go straight to your crib to grab one. I guess you just like knowing where they are.

You're wearing mostly 24 month and 2T clothes. You'd wear your "Frosty shirt" everyday if I'd let you. You ask for it when I get you dressed, and you love your Cars shoes and don't like to take them off. You say "shoe on" when I try and take them off.

You know and say most of your colors. Yellow is still your favorite, and you also know blue, green, orange, red, purple, pink, and black. We're working on counting, and you'll usually count to three for us, and you are even starting to recognize some letters. I attribute that to your big brother and the work we're doing with him on learning his letters. You catch on quickly and learn new things all the time.

You like to draw and color. I need to give you more opportunities to color, but Nathan isn't really into coloring, and you still require close supervision when we have the crayons out, so it doesn't happen as often as it should. We have two little magnetic writing boards that you scribble on and erase all the time. You'll wander upstairs by yourself and be so quiet. I'll come up to check on you, and I usually find you drawing on one of them. You have a big Magna Doodle wrapped under our Christmas tree, and I know you're going to love it! I can't wait to watch you open it.

It's been special celebrating the Christmas season with you. Your joy and excitement is contagious, and makes this Christmas season even more memorable. We love you Sweet Boy!