Grayson | 22 Months

Oh, my sweet Grayson. How can you be 22 months old already?!

He is growing by leaps and bounds every single day. I am amazed at the person he is becoming. However, he is proving to be a - well, I'll just say it - a challenge. Based on the stories I have heard about Mike as a child, I should not be surprised that our son would follow in his daddy's footsteps. (Truthfully, I am thrilled that Grayson has some of Mike's personality traits!)

We have been dealing with a lot of acting out (compounded by the fact that he can't talk to us) and a lot of screaming when things don't go his way. It is hard. Really really hard.

Sometimes I close all the windows in the house because I feel like the entire town - or at least a good number of neighbors - can hear his screaming because I can't get his milk for him because I am tending to Easton. We are working on it, and being in the midst of it, I can't see a lot of great improvement. I don't think this is unusual - this feeling of frustration or sadness in seeing your little one struggle with something as simple to you and me as speaking.

And I fully expect things to get harder as we approach the terrible twos and beyond.

But this face? Makes it so worth it. I love this face.

Grayson continues to have home visits from an early intervention specialist. Just this week we met with the speech language pathologist who will be working with Grayson, and he got to check out the play group he will be in once he turns two. And Mike and I were relieved because he LOVED IT. A LOT. He loved the other little kids, the toys, running around the gym, everything.

On the advice of his specialists, we have started some basic signs with him. So far they haven't taken, and I am skeptical of it anyway, but we are willing to do what we can. (More on that later.)

This month brought visits with cousins which was just so fun! Grayson and his cousin Emery are hilarious together. They wrestle and get into fights, and we can't help but laugh about it while trying to get them to stop. They are so funny together. I have a feeling they will keep us laughing for years to come.

It is not unusual at all to find him dancing with his reflection in the dishwasher and the stove. He also has started to really enjoy scribbling on a piece of paper and watching Thomas the Train.

Believe it or not, Grayson has never had a set nap time. He usually passed out on the couch and slept for an hour or so and that was enough to get him through the rest of the day. That was pre-Easton though. Now when Easton cries, it wakes Grayson up and then I am dealing with a cranky two year old. Also some days he would nap late and then be an absolute bear for the rest of the evening.

I decided that needed to be nipped in the bud so I instituted nap time in his crib. People probably think I am crazy that I didn't do this sooner but honestly what we were doing worked for our family. Grayson hates it, but he has learned to accept it. I turn his sound machine on which he knows that means he needs to have some quiet time. Sometimes he plays quietly in his crib. Most often he falls asleep for an hour or more. We usually have a few tears but it is getting better.

The next big thing is that he is trying to get out of his crib. I have seen him hike his little leg up to the railing a few times. Just waiting for that to happen...

He is starting to walk UP the steps! With some assistance. About half way up he starts crawling again, but that is progress. He now comes down the steps on his butt instead of his stomach like before. This just in - tonight after bath time, he WALKED down the steps. Like the little man he is. What on earth!!! He held on to the wall to steady himself. I am so proud :)

We have taken the first tentative steps towards potty training but I am not pushing it. 

If I would let him, he would take every single thing out of his bedroom and throw it down the steps.

He is now in 24 month to 2T (a little big on him) and wearing a size 7 shoe (also a little big)! He is growing so much.

He is still such a picky eater. Oh my goodness. He still eats spaghetti, pizza and pancakes and a few other things, but it stresses us out. We continue to offer him what we are eating but it usually ends up on the floor. :(

Oh well. This too shall pass. Hopefully.<3