Twenty-One

My Dean is 21 months old today. (Oct. 5)  In the past month, it's like he's transitioned from baby to little boy.  The only time he looks like a baby anymore is when he's in just his diaper or when his hair is wet.  He moves differently and his motor control is insanely good.  Here are a few fun tidbits about him! (Readers of Frema's former Parents blog will recognize the format--thanks for letting all of us borrow (and by borrow I mean shamelessly steal) your format, Frema!)

My 21 month old:

• is experiencing the much-anticipated vocabulary explosion.  We're averaging about one new word a day.  We have been pacifier-free for a week and a half and that has made a huge difference. He talks constantly.
• loves making animal sounds.  A cow says "mmmmmmmmmmm" didn't you know?  Today we were reading Moo, Baa, La La La and he said "ruff ruff ruff" for the dog. (It sounded more like "fuff fuff fuff")
• still hates chicken.  KILLING ME.
• loves onions.  All onions.  We had pizza last night and he picked off all the red onions and ate them first.  He picked the onions out of his meatloaf at lunch today and out of his fritatta tonight. (Man, we eat a lot of onions...)
• scared his daddy and me half to death on Thursday of last week.  One of his Mother's Day Out teachers called to say he'd woken up from his nap with blotches on his face.  We hurried to pick him up and found him covered in hives.  We rushed him to the doctor, who gave him Benadryl and spent 40 minutes talking to us and the daycare via phone, trying to figure out what had caused this reaction.  We finally went home once we knew he was ok.  The next morning, Ms. Debbie, Dean's favorite teacher, called me at 8am and said "Jiiiiiiin (at least 4 syllables when she says it), I was saying my prayers last night and I prayed for little Dean and all of a sudden an alarm went off in my head--I used a Puffs Plus with Lotion tissue on him."  Aaaaand, we're allergic to aloe.  ALOE. Which is supposed to be soothing.  Ok, so we're not 100 percent sure it's aloe, it may be a perfume or scent they use, because he's also allergic to Pampers diapers and wipes.  Anyway, we're so thankful to Ms. Debbie and the other ladies for taking good care of him and especially thankful to God, who I'm sure reminded Ms. Debbie about the Puffs Plus tissue in His still, small voice.
• dances like a wild man.  He kind of looks like he's doing an Irish step dance or jogging in place.  Since we got DirecTV last week, we've been watching Jack's Big Music Show on Noggin every day and he looooves to dance along.
• thinks getting his fingernails trimmed is child abuse.
• STILL will not say "Mama."  I imagine I'll be "Nah Nah" forever.  And that?  Is just fine.
• picked out his own Halloween pumpkin. 
• gives the best hugs and kisses ever.

A perfect downward dog.

My little pumpkin. 
 

Comments

[AJU5's Mom]

AJU5 loves olives - and will do the same thing Dean did with onions to get them. Oh, and AJU5 wanted me to pass along to Dean that she likes the picture of him with the "balls" (pumpkins). She stared at it for a long time and kept saying "baby" and "balls."

[Hotch Potchery]

He sure is getting big...sorry about the hive scare, that stuff never gets less scary---kinda hate to tell you that.

[J]

Happy Birthday, my sweet Dean Bean! Grammy loves you and can't wait to see you this weekend.

[rkmama]

Keaton loves doing the downward dog thing- what is it with that?
I can't believe the onion thing- my kids eye anything that is not salami, bread or applesauce with suspicion before turning up their noses (or throwing it on the floor, in K's case).
Love the pumpkin picture- he looks like such a little man in his plaid button down shirt!

[Papa]

That's my good lookin' boy! Love you Deano. You too Jen.

[Frema]

Thanks for the shout-out! I love that picture of Dean at the pumpkin patch. Fall is my favorite season, and he looks so much like a little boy here, instead of a toddler-baby.

That's crazy about Dean being allergic to Pampers products and possibly aloe! And I'm sorry that the chicken strike continues.

Finally, Kara's talking up a storm, too. She's constantly shouting out random words and sounds like "bop!" "vroom!" "off!" "hee hee!" "whoa!" and "bah bah!" (bye bye). She also says hi, finally, and when she does, she drags it out so it's more like "hiiiii." Killing me with cuteness, she is.

[eva]

Aloe? You can be allergic to aloe? Good to know. One more thing to worry about! He really does look grown up in the pumpkin patch pic ...and I am yet again amazed that it is ever cold enough in Alabama for a plaid shirt (we call them "mac jackets" up here!).

Signed,
Your ignorant-of-America Canadian blogmumma friend.

[Elisa]

Wow, look at that awesome downward dog!

And don't despair on the aloe - once things are added to products containing synthetic fragrance and stuff, they are a pale imitation of what they used to be. I bet pure aloe gel he's ok with. But those scented or whatever diaper tissues are awful. I can't even use them to take my makeup off.

[Mandi]

If it makes you feel any better, Grayden called me "Mammie" for the longest time. :) It made me smile and now I kinda miss it...

[Heather]

Oh my gosh - Jen! That picture of Deano with the pumpkins is ADORABLE! When did he get so grownup?!? I need to schedule a trip to visit pronto!!