Lessons at 20 months

Lessons My 20 month old is Teaching Me:



1. Always Be Willing to Work Really Hard.

example - abram is so diligent and works so hard. If he's learning a new word or a new sign, or even copying what we're teaching him, he's focused! Maybe he's stacking lego's perfectly until they are taller than him (which can take over ten tries), or learning to sign "bedtime" and "store", or stacking and restacking bowls to stand on and open the fridge (which he tries twelve times over and still doesn't get them to stay! also he's not allowed to do this but does!), he is always ON and working hard!

2. When you want something Really Bad, Be Persistent!

example - every morning i'm home with him, when we come down the stairs, he is saying "big bird, big bird, big bird, big bird, big bird". i flip on sesame street. if big bird doesn't happen to appear immediately, he carries me the remote repeating 'big bird', 'big bird', 'big bird' as if i have it on the wrong channel. Well, Now on our 'list of things to buy for Abram' is a video featuring BIG Bird! (hopefully such a video exists!) Also, when he gets home from daycare and walks in the door, he signs "eat" immediately. he wants dinner. He will sign and say eat over and over and over until dinner is served! Slightly exhausting to me, especially if i'm trying to prepare something with the kid clinging to my leg saying "eat eat eat" lol...

3. Don't be Afraid to express your Emotions.

example - abram wears his emotions on his sleeve to say the least. I'm never wondering what he's feeling - he shows it and isn't afraid to do so. When he's sad about going to bed, he cries his eyes out. When he's happy to see us, he runs to us, grinning and calling our names. When he doesn't want to do something, he says "nnnooo...." and resists anything other than what he wants. And when he's happy and cheerful, he is laughing and playing with us and running circles around the house.



4. When you know you're Wrong, be Quick to say You're Sorry.

example - abram knows his time out spot on the bottom step when he's in trouble. he gets a warning and then if theres a repeat offense, he's in timeout. After about one second in time out, he looks over and signs and says to me "sorry" and sits back down... after the minute and a half, i go over to let him out and he tells me again "sorry".

5. When You Hear Music, Dance!

example - it doesn't matter if its music in the car while he's strapped in his car seat, music from a commercial on tv, a cd we're playing or music playing over a store intercom, abram stops everything to dance!! its too cute and so fun:)

6. If you don't like it, Don't Eat It. and get it Far Far away!

example - if abram doesn't want a certain food at the time its offered, he won't even entertain me by trying a bite. He doesn't want it and that moment or day, doesn't even like it. He hands me the plate politely and says "done". I put it back. He hands it back repeating "done!" and sometimes he'll resort to carrying the plate to the kitchen or even throwing the food completely out of his site.

7. Sometimes, you just need your Mom.

example - he rarely wakes at night anymore these days (thankfully!) but when he does, he's calling for me right away. When i go in, he takes my hands and puts them around him for a hug. Its like he just needed his mom. During the week mornings I'm gone and working by the time he wakes up, so when husband goes in, he says each morning abram says "Mama?!?" all hopeful... makes me sad i'm not there to hug him every single morning...

Mr. Potato Head

The kid received a Mr. Potato Head from his cousin for Christmas and boy oh boy does he love him! He likes putting the arms and ears and other pieces into the potato - BUT what he REALLY loves doing is - all kinds of other stuff w/ the pieces... like, hanging Mr. Potato Head's arms out of his own nose (meaning abrams!) or trying to put Mr. Potato Head's ear in his own ear, and well ... just see for yourself.







and even mom is expected to wear the hat and KEEP it on for an extended period of time... lol...


didn't catch any pictures of abram shoving items in his own ears and nose because i'm way too busy snatching the stuff away and telling him "no we don't shove pieces of anything up our noses or in our ears!" ... I think he's now taken it on as a challenge. He sneezed while eating lunch yesterday and a piece of green bean flew out. sigh...

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone ... I seem to not be able to catch up on my posts! The holidays were finally over but getting back into the usual routine proves to be tough! but we're getting there! The kid had a great christmas! We traveled to Pittsburgh PA for a few days with husbands family and then onto East TN for a few days with mine. Lots of highway time but very well worth it! So after much travel, we decided NY Eve would be just us 3 relaxing at home ...

we ran some errands during the day...



and spent our evening relaxing, watching a couple new movies:)



Happy New Year to you all!! I'm sure 2010 will bring some wonderful things and i can't wait to see what they are!

Merry Christmas from Us!

Merry Christmas to everyone! We hope you have a very Merry one and enjoy a special holiday with family and friends. We are spending the holidays with both husbands family and my own, hitting up southwestern PA and northeastern TN! Here's our Christmas family pic for this year! It's so amazing to me to compare last year's with this year's - the kid was a baby last year. This year - He's a little boy!

19 months old

Just before christmas, the kid hit the 19 month old mark ... wow... not only has christmas approached faster than ever, but the kid seems to be growing even faster. its so fun as he hits each new stage and begins doing new things, saying new things, and is just - fun! but a bit bittersweet to me too... as my cuddly little boy is growing up! he is no baby anymore...


We had a snow storm and the day after, got some 19 month pics as he ran around through the walls of snow...


He liked the snow the day after! Not the day of when it was pouring down and up to his waist!


Yea, our baby is now a boy - a toddler:) he talks in sentences and tries explaining things to us - most of which we don't understand but we are still fascinated;)

Santa

Last Year we took the kid to visit santa and he was just - well - nothing. no smiles, no tears, no laughter, no screaming. he just went to santa, sat with him, had his picture made. I, being a mom who wants a grin for every photo of her kid, made faces behind the camera girl, jumped up and down, did funny voices - and he looked at me like he was thinking "whats the big deal mom? its just some ole guy with a white beard sitting in a really big chair." and thats exactly how the photo came out.



This year, we expected something a little more. We had two santa visits - the first being with a santa at our township childrens christmas party. we waited in line, finally got our turn, and i handed the kid over by peeling him off of me for his turn on santas lap. he was LESS than thrilled. there were no tears. just a LOT of Shrieking. and Screaming.



There was not even a chance to grin, make silly faces and jump up and down - no, i was just trying to keep him in santas lap!



i finally took ahold of him and held him by santa. he was then allowed to hold santas jingle bells which sort of soothed him!



So for our official visit to the REAL santa at the exton mall, we were needless to say slightly concerned about how this good photo op was going to go down. we waited in line for about 20 minutes with another little neighbor girl and her dad. when it was the kids turn, it was like a live flash back of last year. see below.



the same reaction. nothing. like so what. Apparently, sitting with the real santa is blah. who cares. but sitting with a fake santa, Scary!!

More upcoming pictures of Christmas and Abram's unwrapping and traveling adventures. Until then, on a mom note, he's walking around here talking to me in sentences these days. Which i must say, i'm very impressed. But the bad part - i can't understand a darn thing he says!

18 months old!

We can't believe he's 18 months old. I had to get my usual round of pictures at landmark 'birthdays' so to speak, even though its really not a birthday. When he was wee little it was the usual monthly picture, then after he turned one, its been every 3 months. As he's gotten older, its become increasingly difficult to get him to STAY STILL for a picture, or smile, or stop talking haha... for these, we went to the nearby golf course, looked at the pine trees, saw the ducks, and played in the leaves. We came back and finished up in our own backyard. Here are some of our favorites.





At this age, the kid is on the go! So on the go, he really has no time or patient for sitting down to eat. He gets all excited to get in his chair and eat, but then is quickly done and ready to play again! He's jabbering more and more - and using so many signs as well. We understand most of what he says, especially if its paired with a sign. He loves to dance to "Go Diego Go" theme song and any type of music really. He loves to let the dogs in and out for their trips into the yard. He protests brushing his teeth as if it were painful. He likes to read his books with me sitting beside him reading another one of his books too. He's not as cuddly at this age, he's just too busy. but when he gets ready for bed, we cuddle and watch his show before bed. I cherish this time even more now than ever!