JoMommaLee: My growing Hunkaboo

I started writing a status update on Facebook about "little" Josiah, then realized it was turning into a blog post. So here you go!

The prince of the house is 20 months now, well closer to 21. What's new:

~ He's been walking up and down the stairs for a few weeks now. One day I just noticed him doing it and was like, whaaaa?! He usually says "ats" though if I'm close by because he wants to hold hands while going down. Doesn't really need it, but how could I object? It's so sweet.

~ Just started climbing out of his crib 2 days ago at naptime. So far, he stays in there to sleep then just gets out when he wakes up at the end of nap or in the morning. *I'm hoping it stays that way!*

~ Still pretty picky about veggies but everything else he devours... especially fruit and meat! If he's all done and I get him out of his chair (or he takes his own tray off and climbs out, haha) and Julia leaves the table and there's food left on her plate, he climbs up to her seat, sits on her stool and snatches it all up. Watch out girlfriend!

~ He used to give me kisses after every nursing session but then he got too old for that I guess. I was sad! But now he's giving them again, except now he actually makes the kissing sound! Happy momma =)

~ Loves to clean! This is refreshing because it takes some real skill to get Julia to pick up after herself. But this boy, oh my, he wants a napkin for his hands after he eats; if he spills something, he finds a towel and wipes it up; when I sweep/mop/vacuum, he grabs another from the pantry and joins me; when I'm doing laundry he helps put the clothes in. It's pretty awesome! I'm already thrilled for his wife ;)

~ I can tell he understands a lot because he follows instructions really well. But he doesn't say much yet, although I hear that's the norm for boys. Here's his vocabulary:

   ah-puh: diaper
   a-ee: daddy
   ap: cup or up
   at: outside or light
   ats: hands
   ah-mun: i don't really know, one time he actually was talking about almonds but he usually just says it when he wants something... maybe he means mommy? ;)
   beep: when the oven beeps
   ar: car
   baby/beebee: his stuffed monkey
   af: off
   no: oh no
   ba-ba: bye-bye
   ups: chips
   ith: outside or cheese

I think that's it.

~ He's really starting to get independent... doesn't want to stay in the sling as long, and hits the ground running anytime we go outside!

~ If you're wondering, NO signs of potty-training.

~ If you're wondering, still nursing (Julia stopped at 21 months but Josiah will probably go till 2 or later).

~ For close to 2 months now, he's been MUCH better about going to sleep on his own. I still nurse him at bedtime but it doesn't take near as long because once he's done I can put him in his crib whether he's asleep or not. This is huge!

~ He's grown a little attached to his stuffed monkey, which he started calling "baby" or "beebee" while we were on vacation in San Antonio last month.

~ Loves going outside. Like it's the first thing he wants to do in the morning, even before breakfast. I usually make him eat first but the whole time he's pointing at the glass door to the backyard.

~ He can take his cup (no lid) with one hand, and push the spigot on the filtered water container on the island, and stop before it spills.

~ Does pretty much everything Julia does, which gets them both in a lot of trouble! For example, pushing the chair into the kitchen, climbing up and pulling out whatever he thinks is cool and trying to cook.

~ Can take his own pants off for bathtime, and if he ever doesn't have pants on any other time of the day, the diaper comes off pretty quick! Ooh, maybe it IS time to potty-train! Maybe after his birthday.

~ Record time for going without me is 22 hours. Will be doing that or a little longer next month!

~ If he knows you have an ouchie, he kisses it. So precious.

~ I can't remember who got it for him for Christmas, but he loves his "scoot-n-zoom"... rides it all around the house, takes it outside, carries it up and down the stairs. Great gift!

~ When we sit down to eat dinner as a family, he holds his hand out to me before we pray (and I caught him closing his eyes last time!)

Okay I guess that's enough for now. Love that boy!