I love when he discovers he enjoys a food, he says...mmmmm. It's SO sweet hearing him say it. Even if it's a food he's had many times, he'll still say "mmm" after every bite. I love it!
He's conquered going down the stairs, holding onto the railing, in the last 2 weeks. I'm still always right in front of him going sideways down, holding Sterling, but he still does it. He's so proud! He's been going up the stairs for about 2 months now, but since we've came back home, he thinks it's his playground. When we come home from somewhere, he just wants to sit and jump up off the first step. So, I go up to the house, put Sterling down and get him. I can't trust him to come up any time soon, and I don't have all day to wait on his decision to come inside. He used to come up so nicely before. Oh the regression...gotta love it.
About a month and half ago, he discovered ketchup. At first, he wasn't too sure of it, but then quickly started dipping his fingers in it and sucking it off. Nasty! It's a kid thing. He also enjoys chicken nuggets finally. During the last week, I've noticed he's picking for pickles. We had a burger king burger (the only thing he'll eat from BK) and he noticed it, tried it, and kept picking for them. Now, for a mom that loves pickles, I'm glad he does too..hehe!
Because he LOVES bread so much, I've been experimenting with making our own. It has been an extremely fun task. A lengthy one, but fun! My most recent, ciabatta, was delicious on the inside. However, our oven here in Germany has 5 different baking options. I used the wrong one. I guess after not using it for a month, you forget which setting to use. They are all so similar, but different at the same time. The top got a little over done (I used the grilling option, yikes), but the inside was still very yummy. This week I will be making Rye. I'm excited to try new recipes. How can you go wrong with bread?
He loves fruits, green beans, peas and carrots. He's a picky eater. Some days he eats everything off his plate, others (too much) he picks at it and would rather not eat. It's very frustrating. He would rather snack. So, when he's in a snacky mood lately, I give him an apple. ha! We've also discovered our German store, Globus, has some really yummy baby foods. Xander LOVES the yogurt, applesauce looking snack. He is absolutely nuts about these. I started giving them to Sterling one night, and he was fussing. He pulled out the chair from the table and wanted up. I put him up. Then he wanted some of these little things. I got out another container of them, gave him a bit, and "mmmm". His eyes lit up! He was in love...haha! So, every night for the past 4 nights around 7:30, he starts fussing, pulls out the table chair, and wants his snack. I tried giving him something else one not, and he was NOT having it. He didn't stop fussing until I gave him one of the yogurt things. Yesterday we went back to Globus, bought more, plus a few other things to try. Last night he tried a smoothie, LOVED it! This is a fun new way for me to give him his fruit servings. I haven't found any vegetable "fun" foods. They also have little baby fruit nutrition bars. He loved those as well.
He's such a great helper. In so many ways. He helps by bringing shoes when we are getting ready to leave...even if we all already have shoes on...lol. He is the sweetest helper to his sister. Last night as she was drinking a bottle, she kept dropping the bottle. Well, he went over, picked it up and had it in her mouth before I got there! How sweet is that!?! He's always trying to help her and soothe her. Still puts his finger in her mouth if he can't find her paci. She'd rather have his finger than the paci lately. And when she wakes up from naps, he's the first to run to "check" on her. I didn't here her one day, but he did and he ran to her door, stood there, didn't see me coming. As I was coming around the corner, I saw him run from her door, grab my leg, and run back to her door. Once we get inside her room, he likes to climb on the side of her crib and peak inside on her. Sweetness! He loves to help put garbage (and toys) in the trash. He picks up his toys and puts them inside their cubbies.
He still around 24 pounds. I've put him back in size 3 diapers. They fit him better, don't hang off him, and because he poops so much, it's cheaper to put 3s on him. During the nights, I do put a 4 on him, but that's it. I've been told a lot lately that he looks like a little boy now. I think it's from the cute little haircut he has. And his face looks "grown up". His conversations are priceless. When we talk to daddy on the phone, he goes on and on about something, laughs, and goes on and on some more. It's the cutest thing ever. I'm excited for the day when we can understand every need and want. For the most part, I can understand because I get him to take me to what he wants/needs. But I also tell him "no" when he's jibber jabbering and I'm not sure what he's saying. I don't want to say "yes" not knowing what he's saying/asking for...lol.
He wears size 18 months, although they are rather large still. 12 months were getting too short, but 18 months are too long. No win with our short little guy. So now, we wait for him to grow a bit. Oh, his feet grew 2 whole sizes this summer. At the beginning of May, we were in size 4. I noticed them starting to get small and snug around late June so we ordered him size 5. Well he wore those about a month and already a size 6! We had his feet measured on vacation and I was shocked...and upset since we just bought a size 5 puma shoe that he only wore twice before vacation, and we didn't take them with us. Good thing my sister has a little boy right behind Xander and hopefully can make some good use out of them.
Now, this boy sure knows how to whine! LOL. I do NOT love this stage of his age. I can not sit down when he's in sight. He gets mad, pulls on my legs and wants me up. Once I get up, his fussing stops. I think he fusses for 8 hours a day, I'm not joking. If I don't give him what he wants, he fusses. When he wants out of the stroller or shopping cart, he fusses. Lately, I've been leaving him in the shopping cart and letting him fuss. I can't give into every whim, what's that going to teach him. Fuss and you get what you want? I don't think so kid! Not with this mama! I get a lot of stares when we're in public and he's screaming. I've started not caring about what others think. A mama's gotta do what a mama's gotta do...lol. At home, well I just try to sidetrack him on another task to stop the fussing. That usually works, but only temporarily. When he gets bored with the new task, he starts in again. That's why I say he fusses for 8 hours a day. It may seem constant for me hearing it, but I might get a 5 minute break of silence.
He's also started not liking to get put in his car seat. I think he's finally hit the age where he realizes that he's being "tied" down. I have to sign him a song, one I usually make up for every event. We have a bath time song, an afternoon song, a get put in your car seat song, and some silly songs for random times. He loves to sing and dance. It's a great way to calm him down.
He's been ready for bed around 7:30 this week, an hour earlier than our normal. But I think it's because he's only been taking hour naps. The week prior, he was taking 2.5-3 hour naps, so he was ready for bed around 8:30-9. I think we're going to have a lazy next week, so maybe I can get him back to taking the long naps.
Have you started potty training your little one? I'm interested in starting with Xander, but not sure how to tell when the time is right, how to start, what to do, do I need a special potty chair? So many questions. I'm going to have to ask my sister on Tuesday how she did it so early with her girls. I think her oldest was potty trained at 15 months. That's awesome stuff right there!
Love my little man! Hopefully I'll get his18 month update done on time.
Have a great week!
He sounds so much like Kaylee! From the ketchup, pickles and bread to the whining! I bought a potty chair and she'll run and sit on it but only after she's already gone in her diaper. At least she's noticing when she goes and will tell me. I would love to get her potty trained soon but I'm not going to push her before she's ready.
ReplyDeleteOur kids sound like they could be twins! Must be the same age thing. I think I'm going to get a kid potty and see what he'll do. He seems interested when someone else is using the bathroom, but then maybe he's just nosy...lol.
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