Aldon is 22 months!

...which means he's only two super short months away from being 2 years old!

...which also means I really, really, really need to get into gear and finish up the details for his birthday party, but more on that later.


One year ago today (on his 10 month birthday) he took his very first steps!
Twelve months later and Keegan and I are still trying to keep up.

It's funny how in some ways he's everything like he used to be a year ago, and in others it's like he's a different child. 
For example- to this day he still hates peaches. He always forgets he doesn't like them, asks for one, bites into it and instantly spits it out {this happens frequently}. He could say "dada" a year ago, and "mama" if he was feeling in a very generous mood. Today? His vocabulary and grasp of language is out of this world. The latest word he stunned me with by learning was "tyrannosaurus" {thanks to his favorite dino pajama pants}, he speaks in three word sentences, and can understand & follow simple 3-part commands {such as, "put your cup on the table, your plate in the sink, and then come sit here"}. 

His favorite foods this past month have been:
- spaghetti {sga-ghetti}
- pb & j
- cheese {no surprise there. as soon as the fridge opens he instantly lunges for the cheese drawer. oh, you don't have an entire drawer dedicated only to cheese in your refrigerator? weird.}
- broccoli
- granola
- pancakes {cake-cakes}
- yogurt
- and of course milk. it wasn't until recently that he even discovered juice, and even now he's only partial to it.
~ he's been in such a "food rut" this whole month. it's been driving me crazy. Basically, if it wasn't spaghetti for lunch or dinner, he wouldn't eat it. and only granola and pancakes for breakfast, please. I've tried every trick {cutting his food into silly shapes/characters, giving something plain like carrots a fun name to entice him, etc etc} and he still doesn't want to eat anything different. He really not a "picky" eater, because he will try a bunch of different things, he's just stubborn and decides he only wants his faves. So it's been a balancing act of "how much should we give in and let him eat what he wants, and where to draw the line so he's not 25 and still only eating spaghetti for dinner." {of course, there was much unsolicited advice on this topic}. Keegan & I are assuming it's just a phase, and he'll find new favorites eventually. 

His dislikes this past month have been:
- clothing {it varies between whether or not he wants to wear just pants, just a shirt, or just a diaper. or just nothing at all...}
- diaper changes {I bribe with cookies, good mom stuff}
- my biggest pet peeve: holding hands when we are walking somewhere. He thinks he's a big boy in all areas now and idk it's not cool or something to be seen holding hands with your parents. I've totally contemplated a backpack leash.
- the second before he's about to be laid down for bed. He doesn't have a problem with bed/nap time routines- in fact, he jumps at the chance to take part in them {bath, pajamas, read a book or twelve hundred, pick up toys, brush teeth}, but it's the second he's done brushing his teeth and the kisses goodnight start, that he freaks. He still sleeps in his crib, because if he were able to get out of bed and fight sleep all night he totally would. 

His favorite toys/games/activities/etc:
- ELMO. he's familiar with Sesame Street thanks to a set of books he has, and by far Elmo is his favorite character {Abby is a close second}. I scored some mega Best Mom Ever points by turning on Sesame Street on TV one day for him. He was through the roof excited and amazed because "Melmo" was on TV!!! 
- dinosaurs. His dino pj's get worn just about every other night, and all night long he says hi to the tyrannosaurus on them. And if any dino resembles a tyrannosaurus, it's a tyrannosaurus.
- he loves playing with his play food sets {we have these,  these, these, these, and this}. again, you'll score more cool points in his eyes if you let him use real kitchen utensils, bakeware, mixing bowls, etc with his food sets. However, each night you then have to wash about every dish you own in the house... 
- he absolutely loves to be a "helper" Which of course we may or may not exploit a time or two. He loves to do the laundry, clean the floors, and start the dishwasher every night. Hey, if he enjoys doing it, it would be rude of me to not let him... ;)
- he still really, really loves reading. This month, his favorite book has been his Baby Einstein 101 First Words book {and let me just say, we've read that thing so many times that there's not 101 different words in there. there's repeats.}
- boy loves to move. He'll bust out in a dance over just about anything, music or not. And he has his own "Smarty Pants Dance" he does when we tell him he's so smart {cutest/funniest thing ever}
- he loves to look at photo books, albums and pictures on our phones, especially of himself {he refers to himself as "cutie" whenever he sees his picture. because he's modest}. I think we spent about two hours today watching all of his videos and the whole time he was amazed at the "cutie baby" on mommom's phone. {oh, did I mention that? Keegan is daddy/dada, and I'm "mommom", never mama/mommy/mom, etc. Not sure where he got it from...}

Big/New Developments this month have been:
- he has said buhbye to the high chair, and won't even use a booster seat. He has to sit at the table just like mommy & daddy do.
- he recently starting picking out his own outfits every morning, and with the exception of a little help, gets himself dressed. So far we haven't had any "going to the grocery store in your Halloween costume" moments, but he's picked out some real doozies. Yesterday it was shark pajama pants, one puppy dog slipper, one monster slipper, and a t shirt worn like a scarf, until he abandoned a shirt all together. And he rocked it.


Life with Aldon these days is anything but ordinary. There's always at least a dozen things he does daily that crack me up, and equal amounts that drive me crazy. 
We've been planning his birthday party for a few weeks now, and it's so crazy to think that he will be two soon! And then after that he will have to start looking at preschool options for him... and then kindergarten... oy.     

But, for now, we're just going to enjoy the good {& the bad} moments we have with him, because he's only 22 months for so long ;)