Liam - 20 months

Date/Week: 20 months

Milestones: 

• He's the big 2-0... He'll be 2 before we know it
• Likes marching around the house as the drum major or drummer or playing some sort of horn (using his yellow hoe)
• 'Sings' the 3 beat roll to start the parade and the base drum beats at the end
• Likes visiting the Lizards who live in our blind every morning and evening
• Likes saying 'goodbye' to the little girl in his English/Spanish book at night
• An old pro now at catching the ferry - first time to St. Georges during Cup Match Friday
• Had ice cream for the first time (loved it)
• Tries to copy mummy doing yoga (usually results in him being wrapped up in the yoga mat
• More teeth!
• Giving kisses, usually with the sound 'mmmm-smack'

Developmental Progress:  

• Must feed himself and is working on spearing food on the fork
• Colouring with more strokes and less dots
• Sings and acts out 'head & shoulders, knees and toes'
• Can drink from his juice cup on his own without spilling anything
• Counts to 10 and recognises the numbers
• Forming more and more 3 word or more sentences.
• Makes decisions on what to eat with clear 'no' or 'yes' comments and a fair amount of finger waggling with no
• Tells the cat to get off of the counter
• Starting to ask 'why' almost as much as he says 'no'
• Tries to negotiate for more stories when it is bedtime
• Potty training is interesting.  He'll sit on the potty and then go after you put the diaper back on.  He will tell you that he needs to be changed. He will tell you (sometimes) what he's done. He will take off his diaper if it's wet in the morning and you do not come fast enough to change it. He will sit on the potty and sometimes go before he gets his bath (but then get him into the bath quickly because sometimes he will take having his diaper off as an invitation to keep going...). So basically, he was probably better potty trained at 6 months when we were doing elimination communication than he is now...

Thoughts and Feelings? 

I cannot believe that Liam is almost 2.... but then he reminds me with the word 'no', the laughter as he runs around the house, the conversations that he has with his stuffed animals and the dogs, the request for 'bread' at breakfast and when we get home from work. It is an amazing time to experience... both a joy and exhausting all at the same time. So many evenings we have put him to bed and I want to go and climb in mine because he has me worn out in just 90 minutes at home together. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Each night I absorb as much as I possibly can and I live in that moment because it is where I truly want to be. Yay for my 20 month old! And yay for the wonders that I have been privy to over the last year and 8 months!

Other than that, in a months time we'll be on vacation. Ireland and Boston are booked! I'm a bit nervous about the trip over. We're doing Jet Blue to Boston and then Aer Lingus to Dublin. I'm the most nervous about the baggage on Aer Lingus. I wonder if Liam's Stokke stroller will cost us extra since it isn't a lightweight collapsible stroller and should I therefore get another stroller that will be easier to travel with. Then there's the car seat. Since he'll be a lap baby, will they charge us for his car seat (the website isn't helping in this regard...). And finally there's Liam and hoping that we can get him through a day of travel with two flights and a few hours in an airport. We got an Elmo kiddie strap to allow him to walk with us but not go to far. It probably won't go over well in the US airport but I would prefer him to be safe if he wants to walk with us. 

In any case, I am looking forward to some time away.... so I now just need to finish off this dissertation before I go...

What I am looking forward to: 

Cycling from Dublin down to Dun Laogharie and Dalkey; taking Aidan to the Merry Ploughboy Pub for dinner and a show for his birthday; going to see Idina Menzel at the Wang Theatre in Boston to celebrate our anniversary (a few days late but worth the wait!)