26 months 11.12.12

Tillman watching Mickey!

The whole family went to Disney on Ice this past Sunday!  This was the first time we had ventured out to a show with Tillman (or Caroline). When the show started, Tillman didn't know what to think.  He didn't budge for the first 10 minutes of the show trying to figure out what he was watching.

T loving Cotton Candy!

Once the show was in full-swing he started to enjoy himself, sing along, and dance!  He also had his first taste of cotton candy!  He didn't know what to think of the texture at first, but once he got a taste of it, he was HOOKED!

Clapping along with the show

Tillman this month has really improved in his sentences.  Yesterday in the car we were on the phone with my mom, and she asked Tillman how he was doing and he said "I'm good!"  I had never heard him say that before!  He also says "I want ___.", "I did it.", I put it up." and "I love you!" He is starting to really listen to what he hears us say, and is starting to use them as his own words.  I know that is where he got "I'm good" from since he hears us talk on the phone all the time!
Tillman the chatter box is wonderful with sentences and objects (lawnmower went from "mow mow" to "mow mer"); however, his whole world is still YELLOW! We can't get him to learn his colors.  Sometimes I feel like he knows the color, but he is just saying yellow. Other times, I really think he might be color blind...don't laugh, I've Googled the signs!
Another area of improvement with Tillman over the last month is his appetite.  He is starting to eat more meat and is starting to clean his plate more.  We used to have a small section of food he would eat, but he will now eat what we have.  Last night he ate a ton of broccoli off Nick's plate after finishing his dinner.
Tillman is also requesting on occasion to go to the potty and is requesting to wear a "poo up" (Pull Up).  He will start to take his pants down.  We really try to make it a huge deal when he goes at home.  He does really well at school-going 3 times a day.

Tillman sharing with Caroline

Tillman is also enjoying being a big brother. He knows to be gentle with Caroline and really enjoys helping her.  He acknowledges her every move and sound-sneezes (wants to get a tissue for her), crying (he shhh's her), knows when he hears that her diaper needs to be changed, and runs to say "hi" ("Hey Caro yine") to hear when we are picking him up from daycare. He is genuinely excited to see her.

Big brother helping/playing Caroline

While Tillman is being wonderful and gentle with baby Caroline, he has had an incident at school.  Tillman bit a child in his class on Monday. The teacher assured me that it was normal and he had never done it before. She said it came out of nowhere when he was fighting over a toy with the child.  He went to time out.  I asked him about it and he admitted that he had bit. Nick talked to him and I did.  He still tells us when we ask him how his day was at school each day, "bit...no no!"  I think he got the message that there will be no biting.  He normally throws a fit when he goes to time out, but they took him to a strange room for time out, and he didn't say a word.  We think it made a huge impression on him, so the message seems received.

Tillman wanting his picture taken

While Tillman is growing up in a lot of ways, he still loves to be carried.  He was so independent before Caroline was born, but now with her being held all the time, he wants to be held.  I've had to grow some mussels because I carry him on one hip and the baby carries with the other arm.  He is really testing my strength.  We are trying to teach him about being a "big boy," but when he wants to be carried or has in his mind what he wants, there is no changing it!

I also find that he is starting to become more attached to items-particularly his blanket and moose that he sleeps with.  He is requesting all of these items before going to bed and likes to take them downstairs with him each morning.  Between all of these items and the sleep sac, it is a big production to go to bed.  Yes, we thought the sleep sac was going to see an exit, but that was a brief moment.  He still very much loves them!