20 Months (5.12.12)

NICU reunion at MUSC Children's Hospital
(Tillman was invited because he was in level 2 nursery for a couple days)

Master Tillman turned 20 months on Saturday.  This monthly birthday actually snuck up on me.  I didn't realize it was last Saturday until today!  Tillman must have been very tired on his little monthly birthday because he took a 3 hour nap on Saturday!

Bounce house at NICU reunion

Tillman knows what he wants and if we don't interpret him correctly, boy does that put him in a tail-spin!  His language hasn't caught up with his mind/knowing of things, and that is frustrating for all.  Sometimes it turns into food being thrown, hitting, or a toddler laying out on the floor in a tizzy!  With all of that going on, we've had to implement time out.  Time out at first just got him more mad, but he was really respectful of it.  Nick created a corner in our dinning room for time out (between the wall and china cabinet).  When he is put there, he doesn't try to bolt (I totally thought he would do this); he stays there!  We only leave him there for a short time, but when he comes back out, he is a new child.  Time out has worked much better than popping him on the hand or verbally correcting him.  We give him lots of love when he come out of time out, and he seems receptive so far.

caution of the kitty (cute squat and hands close)

I must say, from my/parent's perspective time out is funny!  He is so cute over in the corner.  The china cabinet has hand-prints all over the glass and little nose prints too.  He presses his hands and face into the glass to look through to see what we are doing.  We generally stand at the door way of the dinning room with our back to him.  Once he sees us move, he peeks around the side of the cabinet at us.
In other news, it might have taken me 20 months to realize that bibs don't work, but we are over bibs.  The concern of making a mess of his high chair and clothes is gone.  We just let him feed himself and what happens...happens!  He is starting to want what we eat.  If we give him something new, we often have to show him us eating it before he will try it.  I won't say he is a picky eater...just cautious.

Pizza!

Grits! Followed by A BATH!

Tillman's class at "school" also has the potties out!  That means...potty training time.  He is more aware of his diaper and that something happens down there.  If we ask him if he has a "poopy" he holds his "hiney," so he is getting what we are saying.  I guess that is the first step to it.  It would be great to have him potty trained, but I'm not going to set any goals on this.  Someone suggested letting him walk around the house naked...we will not be doing that...he peed in my closet (on my suede boots none-the-less) when he was walking around after his bath (it was the grits bath above).  Really kid, you had to take a leak there?

This Messy Eaters's 20 month stats:

Weight: holding steady around 23 lbs (no doctor visits this month, so not sure on the weight) 

Diapers size: size 4 of Little Movers day and night. (potty training has begun at daycare!)

Clothing size: 12-18 months (some 24 mo shirts)

Shoe size: 4.5 or 5

Food tricks: drinking from a small cup (without a lid) & learning to feed himself

Naps: 1 nap during the day around 11:30 and sleep until 1:30

Play (new things): puzzles, stack-able cups, going forward on his little push car, dancing to music, bath time, helping with chores around the house (laundry) and giving hugs and kisses!