Another month has just flown by, and again I am baffled by how quickly time goes and how much we manage to do in a month!
In our never ending quest to get him to float, Little Buddy started the month with a week of survival swim lessons with our good friend, Ms. J. Although he was pretty vocal about NOT wanting to float on his back, by the end of the week he was definitely showing some progress. Daddy even got to get in with him at his last lesson to practice some of the techniques.
Thank you again for everything, Ms. J!
Another big part of the month was spent working on our handyman skills. There's a lot of projects going on around here between the bathroom and Baby Sister's room, and Little Buddy just wants to be Daddy's shadow.
Not sure why we buy him toys when some PVC pipe seems to suffice! Happy being a junior plumber and having his own pipes and valves just like Daddy.
Little Buddy was so excited to help paint Baby Sister's room!
There was even an opportunity to take him to a Kids' Project Day at Home Depot. Little Buddy was so excited to use tools to make his own truck! We were so proud of him.
Hammer time!
Using wood glue...
Painting on the finishing touches...
Ta-Da! The finished product!
So, so, so proud of our little guy and his first project!
Back in the bathroom, it was tile time! Little Buddy was very intrigued by the shower "puzzle" and loved helping Daddy fit some of the pieces in to place.
Monkey see, Monkey do. So glad that Little Buddy will grow up learning these skills!
Lots of other fun times this month! Right now, Little Buddy is very content to play at his train table. We can spend hours up there playing with his trains and cars. It's amazing to watch his imagination develop!
Playtime in the playroom
Of course, My Gym always remains a favorite activity. So glad he enjoys it so much! It's been great to watch his skills develop.
Balance beam!
Visits from Uncle C are always especially enjoyed. I love this picture of Daddy, Uncle C, and Little Buddy reading stories before naptime.
Such a sweet moment.
It's not all fun and giggles though. There were some difficult things this month. Our good friends, the C family, were moving back to Ohio. We got to go over to say goodbye with a bunch of our other friends and have one final playdate. We are going to miss them, but can't wait to see them each time we are back in Northeast Ohio!
Playing with friends
Little Buddy trying to steal N away. We are going to miss our friends!
We also had some other projects going on around the house, including having painters come in to paint several of the rooms upstairs. Because of the paint smell, Little Buddy had to sleep down in our room for a few days. The nights went much better than expected, but the naps...well, the naps didn't happen. It was a very tiring time for all of us!
Sleeping on his "moon bed" (aka toddler air mattress). He looks so grown-up!
To go along with his "growing up," we've really settled into a whiny, temper tantrum phase lately. This face says it all. He's all about testing boundaries, which is normal, but also very tiring for his Momma! Living with a toddler is so crazy; he goes from sweet and loving to crazy and demanding in an instant. We're working on using our words to discuss why we're upset and using our listening ears to listen to Momma and Daddy.
A bird is going to poop on that lip!
But we very quickly go back to this after a pouty phase!
Height and Weight
Still measuring in at 41 in. and about 47 lbs. At least he hasn't had another growth spurt (yet!). He can reach way too high on the countertops as it is!
Personality
Getting to be very sure of what he whats and when he wants it! My cool cucumber is getting a bit of a temper when things don't go how he thinks they should go. Definitely working more on self control and awareness of others, as well as listening. We may not have had a terrible two stage, but the three stage is starting off a bit more challenging.
Developmental Milestones
We are a full week into a nearly diaperless life. It's not as glamorous as one would hope; we still have accidents as we work on potty awareness and a diaper is necessary during nap and bedtimes, but we've definitely made a lot of progress. It's actually a little adorable when he apologizes to the floor or his underwear if he has an accident!
He is going to be a rock star in social studies class one day! He has nearly half of the "Fifty Nifty United States" song memorized, can name four presidents, and is enthralled by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Obviously he's going to be a history nerd like his parents!
Fun Tidbits
Creates lots of stories where his "kids" (wooden people from his playsets) interact and play with one another. So fun to watch!
Little Buddy has finally reached a stage during which he can actually pay attention long enough to watch a movie. Therefore, we have made the Sesame Street movie, Follow that Bird, a potty reward. We may have to rethink that, though, because he gets too emotionally involved with Big Bird needing to get back to Sesame Street! There are crocodile tears and lots of comforting from Momma and Daddy that Big Bird will make it home and be ok. I don't think he is going to be able to handle Bambi or the The Lion King any time soon!
He also sings songs constantly and is really interested in music. To that end, he loves playing on Daddy's guitar. His interest in the guitar was so strong, we bought him a ukelele as a potty reward this week. The excited, "Oh boy!" that escaped his lips the moment he saw the Little Buddy-sized guitar was so sweet.
Adorable! (Granted, not long after getting the ukelele, we did have an accident on the floor. Just too excited to stop playing!)
Even though it's absolutely crazy right now, I love my little guy so much!
Love you always, Little Buddy!
Momma
