21 months

Logan has been learning & growing so much this last month. He's a full fledged toddler & the last bits of his babyhood are transitioning away. He's independent, on the go & always moving to the next step. I'm so fortunate that I've been able to stay home with him & be a part of his fleeting life moments.

Since he's been transitioned into his toddler bed, he's been waking up a couple hours earlier than usual. He once woke up at 9am & now it's closer to 6 or 7. This probably has a lot to do with Bill's new work schedule & us waking up to take him there. The cute part about him waking up is that he doesn't cry, but gets out of bed & knocks on his door to let us know he's awake. I would much rather wake up to this than screaming. It's awesome. His nap times are gradually getting better, but it's still a 2 hour fiasco to get him down.

After we wake up & take Bill to work in our pajamas,we come back home & cuddle on the couch to watch morning cartoons. His favorite show by far is Yo Gabba Gabba. He shrieks in delight, dancing away. He jumps to all of the jumping songs & has learned to repeat all of the dance moves. He's got the Funky Penguin down pat.

Speaking of dancing, he loves, loves, loves to dance. The For Kids Only music has transitioned away much like the rest of his babyhood & he rocks out to ska, reggae & whatever is rockin' the car stereo. The minute I start the engine & the CD plays, he's bopping back & forth to the rhythm of the music. A couple of weeks ago, we were at a stop light. I was dancing & singing & Logan was getttin' down with his funky self back in his car seat. I turn to look at him & notice the lady in the car next to us laughing hysterically at us (or with us? Because we were all having fun).

He is still the pickiest of picky eaters & his egg allergy isn't making it any easier. He still throws 90% of his food on the floor & it still drives me nuts. This last week, we transitioned his high chair to the booster seat & he's now eating at his place at the table. It's so cute to have us all sitting together at dinner & Logan often tries to join in on the conversation. I love it!

He's showing me his teeth even though he has food in his mouth. I promise he's not screaming here

His speech development grew by leaps & bounds this month. He's now saying most of his words rather than signing them. While he says a few standard words, he gains new ones everyday. Like tonight he said "otter" (it's Bill's workplace mascot) while pointing to a picture of an otter. I was shocked. Tonight he also said his first word combination "eat meat" while waiting for dinner. He did not eat his meat, however. It's great to see this growth & my worries about having to consult with early intervention are gone. He's just as stubborn as I am (if not more) & just wants to do things on his own time.
This month he's also been increasingly kind & loving. He loves "the hug game" where he'll give Bill a hug, then turn around & gives me one & goes back & forth like this 20 or so times. He loves to give kisses (hugs & kisses to his friends too) & is great at sharing his toys, even his most beloved cars. I can see the pain in his eyes when he shares his cars & it impresses me even more that he actually lets anyone else touch them because of it.

I've noticed more recently how active Logan really is & how he never stops moving. Not even for more than a few seconds. It's impossible to get a good picture of him because of it. He learned how to do crunches (without my personal training instruction!) & we have a fun time counting his reps. He'll do a handful (5 or 7) stop his set & start clapping - holding onto cars, of course. Besides counting fingers & toes, this is his favorite way to count. Plus, this kid has some abs on him already (well, honestly he was practically born with a six pack).

He is very friendly & very social, charming everyone where ever we go. He has so much fun at playgroup, running amok with the rest of them. When we go shopping where there are other kids around (like a clothing store) without hesitation, he goes right up to them to make friends. He's quick to give high-fives & we're working on giving knuckles. We did teach him to raise his sippy cup to say "cheers" & he loves to do this when we all have cups to clink together.

When we're not mesmerized by cartoons or out with friends, Logan is racing his cars, pulling Buddha's tail & chasing Kitty around the house. The boy is All Boy. He likes getting dirty, picking up bugs (while exclaiming "UG! YUCK!") & wrestling. He hasn't grown all up & tough yet though, because he still comes to me when he's hurt so I can kiss his owie better (& keeps coming back for more, because one kiss is never enough).

After dinner, he takes his bath & demands that he brush his teeth in the tub. He is obsessed with brushing his teeth (there could be worse obsessions). We still have yet to see all of his cuspids come in - only the top two have erupted, the bottom two are on their way. Part of his after dinner routine is beginning to use the potty right before he jumps in the bath. He's peed three days in a row! We're taking it really slow & relaxed, making it more fun rather than giving him performance anxiety. I think we'll keep on keepin' on with this method all month & we'll see where we'll go from there. Considering how independent & hygiene-focused he is, I'm sure he'll be potty trained in no time.

Fortunately, the temper tantrums have started to decrease a bit & the two of us aren't nearly as frustrated as we once we're. For this, I am extremely thankful. I really can't remember the last time he had to go on time out. I'm not going to say anything more on this for fear of jinxing myself.

It's been a great month & I'm sure what lies ahead will be just as fun & exciting. I'm so proud of all of the new accomplishments Logan has achieved. I love watching him grow stronger & smarted by the minute. I haven't told him in a while, but: He is cute, he is sweet. He is smart, he is strong, he is silly! He is loved & he is special...