Tate-isms

Let's catch up on all the funny things my Tate is doing these days (24 months):

• Today, you said "Daddy, I need a favor. I need up on the bed."
• Friday, I told you we would go to the airport tomorrow. You jumped down off the recliner and danced around the living room singing "We go to airport, we go to airport!"
• This weekend, you helped daddy mow the lawn with your bubble mower while daddy raked leaves. You also spent about 30 minutes jumping and climbing around in your empty swimming pool. We're already figuring out ways to keep you active this winter- turning the pool into a sandbox, ball pit, or maybe filling it with foam pieces!
• You LOVE sitting in airplanes ("airfanes"), sitting on daddy's motorcycle, sitting in daddy's truck, going to the park, playing outside, swimming, etc. Your enthusiasm is contagious!
• You get excited about everything! Sometimes, I put dinner down in front of you and you say "Wow!". Cracks me up because it's never anything impressive. 
• You are super curious/nosy and want to explore everything. But, you're still pretty cautious and are easily scared. We have to be really careful what you watch, see, and hear because you notice and remember everything! 
• You love talking on the phone. You start talking while the phone is still ringing! You also like to send text messages sometimes, but lose interest in that pretty quickly. 
• You can climb (easily) onto the kitchen chairs and you like to sit up there next to us and draw or just converse. "Mommy, I sit up dere next to you."
• You help with dressing by pushing your arms through your shirt, pulling up the front of your shorts (when prompted), and are learning to take off your socks. You love to walk around in daddy's shoes in the mornings. 
• You still like to play with "monies", but not as obsessively as you did a few months ago. Same with the vacuuming. 
• You love "fruities" (little chewy fruit things), ask for "yummies" (a snack), and love your "moke" (milk). You have a serious sweet tooth- cookies, brownies, cupcakes, poptarts, waffles, etc! You are definitely a picky eater the last couple months. One week you pretty much live on chicken nuggets and the next you won't touch them. Some days you eat 3 whole meals and other days you just pick all day. 
• You know the difference between big and little. You are working on counting (6, 7, 8 is your favorite). Everything is "green"- we're working on this. You love to write your name (T, A, T, never the E). 
• You are doing so good with drinking from a regular cup while I hold it. Still drinking milk from a sippy (just because you like to) and all other drinks from a straw sippy cup so you don't spill!
• You love to eat ice. Probably because mommy and daddy do too!
• We finally figured out your sleeping issues (at least for now). You are getting ONLY organic milk now at home and daycare and it's made a huge difference! You no longer need the sleeping pills to help you fall asleep. You are sleeping in your own twin bed in my room while I sleep in the recliner. Mommy or Daddy sits with you while you fall asleep. You usually wake up between 2:30 and 5 and come get me or daddy. I then come sleep in my bed and you go back to sleep in your bed for a little bit longer. Lately, you've been sleeping until 6 or 6:30 most mornings- so nice!!!
• You hate bath time unless you can play with shaving cream. You cry every night when daddy washes your hair. You also cry every night while getting dried off. 
• You're doing good with potty training when you're interested. We aren't pushing it. You sometimes ask to go and usually go pee pee when you sit on the potty. Your favorite part is still the toilet paper. You HATE having poopy diapers changed so maybe you'll be potty trained soon so you don't have to deal with it. Still in size 6 diapers. 
• You are speaking in 6-7 word sentences (it's incredible!) and can carry on a whole conversation. Recently, when I asked what you did at Krissy's, you said "I play outside. I throw a ball. It go high. I kick it." You will usually tell me about your day, but can never tell me what you ate that day. 
• We're still doing PT and OT, but we're not really working on much. Just tweaking some things here and there like oral motor sensitivity. 
• You love popsicles! You always ask for a green one, but you don't like the green ones. :)
• You have mastered climbing into your car seat, climbing on the recliner, and can even get onto daddy's bed sometimes. You are almost able to get into your highchair without help. You are going down slides like a pro and even tolerating the swing for a bit. Oh, and you can hop and get both feet off the ground at the same time. You can also walk up and down stairs without help when you want to. 
• I make you say goodnight to me every night and say "I love you". I say "I love you my Tatey" and you say "I love you mommy". If daddy puts you to bed, you also say "Goodnight mommy". Best part of my night!!! 
• Your favorite books are the Firetruck Song, The Hungry Caterpillar, Caillou Rides a Bike, Put Me in the Zoo, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
• Your favorite shows are Caillou, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Doc McStuffins. You also like Gaspard and Lisa, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Dino Dan, and Angelina Ballerina.
• You love to sing songs and dance around. You are so busy and love to jump, run, climb, run into mommy or daddy, jump on the bed, throw yourself on the floor, etc. You wear me out!!!
• You are such a sweet boy and give lots of hugs and sometimes kisses. You love to cuddle while watching TV. You always get super excited when I pick you up from daycare and again when daddy gets home.

You are so darn smart and funny. You continuously amaze us. Daddy and I talk almost everyday about something new you did or said that day. We can't figure out what we did before we had you! You are the absolute light of our lives and the BEST thing that ever happened to us. You continually challenge us to figure out how to be better parents and how to keep you learning and growing. You are teaching mommy lots of patience! I still get so overwhelmed with how such a little person can be so amazing and life changing. You are my whole world kiddo and don't you ever forget that!!!! I love you my Tatey!!!!!!!!!!!!!