20 Months

Twenty months is fun.

Ever since I worked in child care in high school, I have been equally clear on my feelings about two ages of toddler - I adore two year olds, and I am not crazy about one year olds.

I feel like we're approaching two, and I love that.

One is nonverbal, frustrating, frustrated, mysterious.

Two is funny. Two is an explorer, a risk-taker, finding his own identity. Two is wound up with the tension of baby and preschooler, cuddly and sweet and plotting and obstinant, so small and so big. 

Ezra is almost two, and I love it. This has been a big change since 18 months.

At twenty months, Ezra has about 40 words in his vocabulary. "Yes" is not one of them. He either says "no" or he repeats what I asked ("Do you want more?" "More.") or he stares blankly.

He does say several animal sounds, though. His little "woof woof" is the cutest thing ever. And he knows "danger" and "gentle" - which typically he says as he does something dangerous or rough.

And he loves trucks, buses, garden tools, and construction equipment in addition to his long-standing infatuation with the kitchen.

He has begun to enjoy reading stories. Three specific stories, at least twenty times a day. 

1.) Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?

2.) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

3.) Everyone Poops

He also likes the alphabet song at the end of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the na-na-na part of "Hey Jude," which we have adapted to be "Hey Dude" because that's one of his nicknames.

Despite his interest in Everyone Poops, he is not interested in using the toilet at all.

Oh, and he plays tricks!

If I am changing pants, or wearing shorts, he'll come put his cold little hands on my leg. I exclaim "cold baby hands!" and he giggles and giggles.

He signs "all done" sometimes while he's still nursing, and then grins and shakes his head when I ask if he's really all done.

And he likes to offer food to Ross and then snatch it away and eat it.

Ezra also loves to be outside. First thing in the morning, he often finds his shoes and hands them to us - his ticket to outside. He enjoys playing with the big kids from Head Start, "helping" Daddy garden (a significant danger to our plants), and taking risks on the playground. It's been raining a lot this week, and he has loved the puddles too. 

And anything that gets him moving - swinging, climbing, being thrown, sliding, chasing - makes him shriek with joy.

Oh, and the tantrums. The tantrums are strong with this one. 

But along with tantrums come more sweet independence. Tonight, after reading 4 stories, Ezra matter-of-factly threw his book on the floor, hopped down from my lap, walked over to the bedroom, waved and said "bye" to Daddy, climbed up the stool to turn off the bedroom light, and climbed into bed. He nursed for a few minutes and was fast asleep.

What a neat little guy we have. This summer is going to be amazing.