Raffi’s 21 month update
This month I kept it simple by writing myself little notes of things I didn’t want to forget. This is such a great time in our lives, but it goes by too quickly and the changes come too fast. I don’t even notice they are happening until I look back at the previous month and realize just how different things are.
The photos have been appearing less and less often because it’s hard to take photos when you’re wearing one kid and chasing another. I prefer to enjoy the moment and snap one or two quick photos only when it’s convenient. Unfortunately when it’s convenient is usually not the same time that the fun is happening. And of course Raffi hates that I get to hold the camera without him. He wants a turn too!
This is him freaking out over not getting a turn holding the camera:
Here are the biggest moments of 21 months:
1. First of all, time is in such a warp zone right now that I debated with myself for a solid 20 minutes on whether this is the 21 month or 22 month update. I finally decided on 21 because he’ll be 22 months on the 23rd and that is still weeks away. I was really confused.
2. Raffi is 100% potty trained in some respects, and about 75% there in others. Overnights are still hit or miss, and we still have pooping accidents here and there.
3. I love the way kids mispronounce things! To Raffi zebra is “bee-ra”, spoon is “puh-soon”, very very slippery is “bery bery ip-see”, pacifier is “pa-hair”, Alessandra is “aleh-andra” or “andra”, Super Why is “do why”, TV is tee, etc. I love that he is speaking so much even though so few of us understand him well.
4. Along with this continued vocabulary explosion I also noticed Raffi started speaking more complete sentences. He will say “mama sit here” “raffi watch tv” “where did it go” and sometimes even answers his questions himself – “Raffi watch TV? Suuuuure! OK, Raffi” In the same regard, he also reminds himself not to do things. He will throw his pig block and then tell himself “No, Raffi. No throw pig”
5. My son is trying to make a fashion statement. He insists on wearing his fedora everywhere and is quite obsessed with it. One day he insisted he take his alligator pull toy for a walk while wearing his fedora. He strung together a ton of words to say “Raffi go outside? Wear hat? Walk alligator?” It was so cute and funny that I conceded, and we took the alligator on a walk. His fedora has been worn on walks, while watching cartoons in his pajamas, on stroller rides, in the car, at the playground, etc.
6. Raffi finally likes snuggling with blankets. He will lay down on Alessandra’s blankets constantly and pretend to sleep. He even tells me that he is seeping.
7. I love this face Raffi makes where he looks ever so hopeful as he asks for something. He only makes this particular face when he thinks I will say no, like when he asks for TV or for baba to come home early.
8. In case you didn’t know, the sidewalk, pool, mama, and playground all belong to Raffi. If you try and join him there he will remind you it’s his by yelling “NO!”
9. The sticker obsession has begun, and I love it. Raffi made a bunch of cards for Father’s Day but refused to use crayons and insisted on just putting a thousand stickers on. He then ran around the house proudly with his card shouting “I did painting!”
10. Raffi knows his ABCs. I thought it might be young for the alphabet, but my blog friend’s son (who is a genius) knew the alphabet and more already by this age so I figured I’d give it a try. Well, he was so excited to learn something new that he wanted to do alphabet stuff every day. He now knows every letter by sight and knows that an “L” goes “lah”. I’m going to work on lowercase letters next before tackling numbers.
11. Raffi still skips poor number 5 when he counts. He still says 2,3,4,6,9!
12. I hate the dead leg more than any other habit he has. How do kids learn how to do that stiff leg so you have to physically fold them into the car seat or stroller? Raffi loves both once he’s in, but he often dead legs me when I try to stuff him in there. I guess the stiff leg is better than the squirmy wormy?
13. Separation anxiety is very serious right now. In fact I have no idea how to handle it. Raffi is clingy and wants me to hold him or snuggle him constantly. I don’t mind and in fact enjoy it most of the time, but sometimes it is unbearable. I dread bedtime because I know he is going to wail no matter what we do. I could read 1,000 books and he’d still cry. I could put him in wide awake and he’d cry. Put him in asleep he’d cry. Let him watch YouTube videos before bed and he’d cry. Put a nightlight on and he’d cry. Make the room pitch black and he’d cry. etc. etc. etc. Any thoughts on this? I want to help him through it but it isn’t getting any better. He even freaks out if I run down (2 flights of stairs) to take out the trash where before he wouldn’t know or care that I was gone.
14. Raffi is still obsessed with water. He loves the wading pool (Sister Cities Park), our pool, the homemade water table, the bath, and anything with water EXCEPT the ocean. Don’t even dare to bring him close to the waves or he’ll flip out. The sand is cool though.
15. Out of nowhere Raffi started copying me showing different things to Alessandra. He will bring her a toy or a book and say “Look andra!” I love seeing them interact with one another.
Click on the photos to enlarge:
Random facts:
Wears: size 5 shoes, 18-24 month clothing, some 2T clothing, size 2T-3T undies
Sleeps: 8 PM- 7 AM overnight and 1:00-2:30/3 PM nap
Eats: 3 meals, 1 afternoon snack and sometimes a morning snack (eats better when we skip snacks obviously)
Favorite foods: apples, blueberries, frozen waffles, “cake” (any muffin, cake, biscuit, or pancake), pizza, sugar snap peas, peas, milk, water, pretzels, ice cream
Lease favorite foods: not into cheese this month, won’t try mango, hasn’t asked for a banana in weeks
Favorite toys: Alex stringing toys, musical instruments, Minnie Mouse stuffed animal, Melissa & Doug mailbox, his magnetic alphabet easel, his tool box, puzzles
Loves: imitating his parents, being tickled, diving into pillows, pretending to sleep, watching tv, blowing bubbles, doing anything outside, playing in water, playing in the sand, pretending to fix stuff using his toolkit, stickers and bandaids, playing with his sister, taking his sister’s pacifier away and giving it back, pointing out people, saying “Hi, people!”
Hates: having his bumbum cleaned, taking a shower (bathtime is a fave but he’s scared of the showerhead), having foods he doesn’t like on his plate.
Oh my, he’s such a sweetie! The photo with Alessandra giving him the confused look as he’s having a little bit of a meltdown is just too much!
Great update! I love listening to Kay put together sentences too. Kaylin has become more clingy lately. Tough when you’re trying to cook!
Omg #8 made me laugh. THIS IS CULLEN! And it actually made me feel better, because none of his other buddies do it and I thought it was just him. We spend the ENTIRE time at the playground managing Cullen’s inability to understand that other people are allowed to be there. He loses it if he decides he is done swinging and then someone else gets in the swing. Same thing with the slide, see saw, etc. Major control issues.
Great blog post from Girls Gone Child about clingy toddlers – good perspective
http://www.girlsgonechild.net/2013/07/the-ballad-of-clingy-smalls-and-other.html
Ali in the second picture, “Raffi, relax.”
You already have me drilling the alphabet into R’s head.
Have you read Happiest Toddler on the Block? I don’t LOVE all of it, but there is a lot of good insight on how to talk/boarderline reason with a toddler. Some of the strategies I’ve modified and they’ve helped me with my toddler immensely
This actually made me laugh out loud! I love his little personality!
Try a sticker chart. Explain to him that if he goes to bed quietly et that he will get a sticker. Keep it positive!
Also, I work in a school. From the perspective of early reading, the L sound is taught in isolation instead of the “L-A” combo that Raffi currently knows. It’s hard to type the correct sound but it comes from the back of your throat.