19 Months

We celebrated Tommy's 19 month birthday on Sunday the 10th with a mani/pedi...for Mommy and Tommy.  Mommy went to the salon, and I cut Tommy's nails that morning while he was awake.  He cooperated nicely while we were sitting on the floor playing after his nap.  I meant to cut them during his nap, but forgot and by the time I remembered he was awake.

Showing off his self-feeding skills to Grandma

His vocabulary is growing every day, and we're at that point where we have to be careful about what we say because he might repeat it.  You just don't realize the things that they hear and take in and then will repeat, when you aren't even trying.  He wanted something on the back seat in the car the other day that actually was "for mommy's work." And he kept saying "work."  The other night he burped when I picked him up, and I made a comment about it, and he repeated "burp."  It's just so funny to hear him say those things, when I wasn't trying to teach him either word.  He is stringing words together...his big thing lately is "No No Mama!"  He was actually yelling this while I was trying on some bras and shapers at the Hanes Outlet yesterday since I had him in the dressing room with me.  I'm not sure if he was trying to tell me that I didn't need the bodyshapers or if he was just appalled I had him in there with me to witness the trying on.  I'd like to say it was the former, but I'm pretty sure not...I made an impulse purchase today of the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD today in the hopes I won't need the bodyshapers...that's a separate topic for another day maybe.
Two of his molars are making their way through  Tommy's gums...scary looking when you can get a look.  They look like fangs in the back of his mouth.  So that makes for 9 teeth total.

He's also figured out he can climb up on the couch if he pushes his little chair over against it, so we've had to remove the chair again.  He just loves to jump on the couch, the little booger!

With the weather getting nicer, we have tried to spend more time outside, and got to the park both days this weekend as well as just a walk tonight when we got home since it was in the 80s today, with Tommy riding in his little car that I pushed..  Tommy was very upset we did not go to the park tonight however - essentially threw a mini-tantrum.  Had he not been strapped in the car, ay yi yi...Tommy also doesn't understand that I need to get changed first when we get home after work/daycare, and wants that instant gratification of getting in that car.  But I try to make a game of it, and being the helpful kid that he is, he'll put my shoes  away for me and get my sneakers out when I ask him to. 

Some days he eats great, other days not so great.  Typical toddler from what I've read.  He's still mostly in 18 month size clothes, some 24 month size.  On our scale he's about 25 pounds.  Definitely prefers to graze when it comes to food, just like Mommy and Daddy.  I've resorted to hiding the pureed veggies in spaghetti sauce or in applesauce or yogurt.  Loves pizza and his chicken nuggets though...and now he likes to dip the nuggets in ketchup.  Actually likes to dip a lot of things in ketchup...something that my dad (Pop-Pop) must have passed on to Tommy.  He puts ketchup on a lot of stuff that we think is weird.

Dipping VEGGIE STICKS in ketchup.  He may have thought they were french fries...

He's a smart kid, though as his mom, I know I'm biased.  We were invited to my friend Roe's house on Saturday night for a get together (with kids).  8pm was a little late, as that's usually bedtime, but we decided to give it a go and Tommy was great.  We made plans to meet my parents' for dinner before hand since Roe is in Bayonne, which worked out great because Tommy took a short nap in the car, which put him in a great mood and gave him a second wind to stay up a little later at Roe's.  He had so much fun with all the other kids, and loved running up and down the hallway Roe has in her house.  We planned to stay til 10ish, so I changed Tommy to his pj's around 9:30.  However, he was still in top form (John and I were probably fading more than he was!) so  we stayed a bit longer.  Around 10:20, Tommy comes walking down the hall WITH HIS JACKET and hands it to me as if to say, "I'm done.  It's time to go."  Everyone got the biggest kick out of   this!  So after many hugs and kisses and high fives and "pounds" (yes, he knows how to give a pound with his fist now - so funny!), we left shortly thereafter.

He really is a good helper, even helps me with the laundry sometimes, pushing the clothes into the dryer for me or pushing them into the basket if they are on the dryer door.  Not so good at folding yet...

The boy thought this was a hat I think...eek

I'm still in awe that this little boy has been in our lives for 19 months...and although we were "later in life" parents, I have never felt younger thanks to this little guy.  I mean, I 've been in better shape, (thus that impulse purchase mentioned earlier that I'm hoping to start tomorrow), but I don't feel my age right now.  I hear that it will proabably catch up when he's a teenager, if not make me feel older than my actual age.  So for now, I'm enjoying it.  Happy 19 months Tomster!