Ryan 15 months

Our little monkey is already 15 months going on 2 1/2.  He's a cutie pie, but has definitely been a handful lately!   He's a sweet boy, happy and loving, very playful and busy, and not afraid to go in his own direction, but he has a quick fuse, and can easily get worked up if something sets him off.   It's been harder to entertain him as his attention span is short and he wants all me, all the time.  And sometimes I can only comfort him for a few minutes before he's upset at something again.  Hopefully this is a phase that will pass and he'll learn to deal with his emotions better.  Or maybe it's just that he's still tired from being so sick last week?  Who knows, he's a toddler!!!  When he does throw a tantrum the only thing that seems to work is to empathize, make sure he is in safe place and walk away to let him get his feelings out.   Usually after a few minutes he'll come up to us and raise his hands to be picked up, we do so and that is usually the end of it.   I've tried time out a few times but I can't really tell that he understands what is going on...so I think I'm going to wait a few more months and try again.


Last week he became very congested, stopped eating well, woke up at night and I thought I heard wheezing...dr's verdict was a double ear infection.  Before this, I had him down to nursing once a day in the morning and he was drinking milk from a cup a little better.  He wasn't making the milk sign or pulling on my shirt so I thought I'd completely wean him in another week or so.  But once he was sick, I nursed him a couple of times a day for a few days and now I've finally scaled back again to once a day.  With the cup... I didn't have any luck pumping much and he refused it in a sippy cup anyway.  After talking with the lactation consultant and later the pediatrician, I decided to abandon breast milk in a cup in any form and just dilute cow's milk in water - filling 90% ice water with 10% skim milk.  He's done well with that, but when I increase the milk much past 20% he pushes it away.  I have some luck giving him "cocoa" (chocolate milk) and have to be careful to time the milk cups when I know he's thirsty.  Talk about high maintenance!  At least he's a good eater, or that is what I keep telling myself anyway.
 
He's talking more and more everyday adding words like, "peas" (please), "bite", "nak" (snack),"hot", "tank you" (in a singsongy voice), "book", "cheese", "pup pup" (puppy), "puc" (cup), "dink" (drink) and "eat".  He signs "more", "milk" and "all done".  He's showing more of an interest in books and singing.  But mostly he just likes to explore and play.  

His new thing is climbing on the craft table and chairs.

Mad baby!

Loves electronics already!  His Dad is so proud that he plays with connectors.  Ha ha!

What a monkey standing on the train table.

Trying to contain him at his 15 month appointment.  Ugh!  Those appointments are brutal in those tiny exam rooms.

Park day with brother.

He's learned to sit on his car and scoot backwards.  Luke loves it!

I can't bring myself to cut his hair, but I did have fun putting it in a pony tail.

LOVE YOU BABY CHUBS!