19-Months!

It's hard to say specifically what has changed in the last month, since Dresden turned a year  and a half old, and yet, I can say, he changes every day, as in does or says something new, so it's hard to keep track of it all. Physically, he's still the same. Still in size 3 diapers, and still weighing in at a lithe 23 pounds. His tininess still worries me; though I'm hoping he will start to grow because he is eating a LOT better than he used to. Maybe it's just a mom worry thing and he's totally normal, who knows!? He is at least wearing his age's size of clothing, which I suppose is a good sign. He could probably get away with 12-month-old clothes around the waist, but they'd make him look like he was "waitin' for the flood", as they say, for sure.  Okay, here's a good example of me needing to let go! So, he's small, let it go!

I think the biggest change I have noticed, just within the last two weeks, is that instead of waiting to be asked if he can say a word we want him to say, while we are talking to him he will hear a word we say and just say it by himself. Today, it was "ant"; Daddy killed one in the bathroom, which I explained by saying, "Ant go bye-bye, sleeping, shhh, night night"...overkill maybe, but it is SO difficult to explain abstract concepts to a toddler. It's so weird when you have to think about how to explain why something was here and now is not anymore, where Daddy is when he is not here, why none of the other book covers laugh and giggle like his "Tickle Me Santa" book that has a button on the cover to make it do that. He's still asking where that poor "AHT? (ant)" is though. He said "cake" and "toe-ht" (toast) a few days ago, so those are in his repertoire now, as well as "cack-ooh" (cracker), "joos" (juice), and several others I cannot recall at the moment. He also signs and says "more" when he wants more food, and signs and says "eat" when he wants to eat. Today he also signed "all done" when he was done eating lunch and dinner. It's pretty cool to see the sign language correlate to the words he says.

His other new thing is his scowling face. I don't know if he's just experimenting with some facial muscles, or WHAT, but man can that kid scowl. And he's started doing it to strangers who smile at him, which, can I just say: Awk-ward. He's taking on a much more serious, pensive disposition lately. I guess I'll be calling around for a pediatric psychiatrist in the next few months at this rate. I kid, I kid...mostly. And speaking of a serious disposition, he throws some SERIOUS tantrums now. If you tell him no or make him do anything he doesn't want to do, or stop doing something he does want to do, WATCH OUT! And make sure he's near plenty of padded surfaces. He especially hates diaper changes; they are a battle of wills every single time. It is awful.

He still loves stacking blocks, and now he plays a lot more with his other toys, too, and he's been playing more independently little by little, too. He loves Thomas the Tank trains and his BIG Thomas train that his Grandma and Grandpa LaFasto got him for Christmas - it is AWESOME! (Pics below). I also recently exposed him to the wonderful world of stickers! So that has been fun too. He's still not a huge fan of story time during the day or at night, but he will sit still for a few, so I'm hoping they will just keep growing on him. My boy will be an intellectual if it's the last thing I do!!! His interests are still in anything car, truck, train, bus, and kingdom Animalia.

His other love is chicken noodle soup, and pasta of almost any kind, and "toe-ht" (toast) for breakfast with his oatmeal. He also likes salsa and queso, a boy after my own heart.

My favorite time is after his bath when I get him out, I wrap him up in a towel and he just snuggles into me and we cuddle for sometimes a good minute before I get too worried about him peeing on me and rush to get his diaper on. He makes sweet little "aww" sounds as we cuddle that melt my heart. When he's in a good mood, he also gives excellent big ol' kisses, which are awesome, too.

So that's a portrait of Dresden Grey at 19-months, minus about a million other detailed nuances!

Here are some pictures from him riding his Thomas the Tank power wheels. He threw the BIGGEST fit I've ever seen him throw and was SO mad at his daddy when it was time to go inside, poor baby. But man was it fun while it lasted!

 

Mr. Cool leanin' back

This could be Power Wheels' next advertisement for Thomas the Tank Engine, don't you think?

Locomotorin'

Pointing out his friend Thomas

Hot-doggin' for the camera.

Deep in concentration.

"I LOVE THIS!!!"

Waving hi

"Where's the nitro-boosters in this thing?!"

"Ah, found 'em!"

 "Maybe if I make an innocent face, you won't mind me standing up..."

"What do you mean, 'get off and go inside?'"

"Look at me stand up even though you are [repeatedly] telling me not to, Mama!"

"This is AWESOME!!!"

Pure joy.

I cannot believe we have already started talking about Dresden's 2nd birthday party. Insanity. I guess I will be asking "Where did my little tiny baby go?" for the next 40+ years, huh? But seriously. Tell me. Where did he go?!

Love,

Cassie, Alex and Dresden