October 21, 2013 (20 Months)

Andrew has been having great fall filled with seasonal fun. We visited the Orchard Creek Apple Orchard where we learned just how much he LOVES apples. Andrew had a great time picking apples, trying all the varieties, and just relaxing in nature. At one point he plopped down on the ground under an apple tree, laid back, and just relaxed looking up at the tree and sky.

 

We visited the Monona Fall Festival where Andrew attempted the toddler hay bale maze. He didn't really get the point and kept trying to climb on the hay but he still had fun!

We also checked out Treinen Farm in Lodi which was awesome. We took a horse drawn hayride to the pumpkin patch where Andrew helped pick out a pumpkin. He also got to play on tractor riding toys and pet some farm animals.

 

Andrew got his first substantial hair cut and he looks so grown up!

Andrew loves drinking out of his Dad's big water jug.

Halfway thought eating Andrew feels the need to dump out his plate or bowl and finish his meal straight off his tray. He still has the habit of throwing food on the ground when he's finished.

Andrew got a new froggy potty and has been practicing sitting on it. So far he has successfully peed in the potty 3 times. One morning after a few minutes of trying, he declared that he was all done and got up to play with his rubber duckies from the bathtub. I walked across the hall to his bedroom, grabbed a diaper, and came right back. In that time he had taken a whole pee in the potty and was splashing around in it with his duckies!

Andrew now has 16 teeth.

Andrew is starting to put 2 words together: Daddy work, Hi Turtle, Mama no.

Andrew has developed a love of Legos. He is getting really good at stacking the blocks to make towers. He also loves shaking the container and  dumping the blocks everywhere so he can push his corn popper toy or ride his riding toys through the rubble.

 

 

September 20, 2013 (19 Months)

We just returned from a weeklong family vacation to Gulf Shores, AL. Andrew had a blast splashing in the ocean, playing in the sand, floating in the pool, and feeding animals at the zoo. He is definitely not afraid of water, he would run full force into the ocean and kept trying to jump into the pool. Needless to say Mommy and Daddy got their exercise chasing him around!

Andrew is a Daddy's boy! He insists on being held by Daddy and only Daddy whenever possible. He wakes up from nap and asks for Daddy. He walks around the house looking for Daddy when Daddy is not home.

Andrew is getting good at pointing out his body parts; he can show you his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hair, belly, butt, hands, and feet.

Andrew is learning animal sounds; he knows moo for cow, baa for sheep, hoo hoo for owl, and mow for kitty.

Andrew does a really cute wave where he straightens his arm out and then opens and closes his hand like a claw while saying buh bye in the sweetest little voice.

Andrew is Mommy's little helper. He puts clothes in the dryer as I hand them to him, he can throw something in the garbage when asked, and he loves to push the vacuum canister around behind me while I vacuum. He also enjoys sweeping and washing the table with a wash cloth.

Andrew is saying a lot of words these days; a couple newer ones are shovel, birdy, and kiwi, paper, water, pickle, and picture.

August 22, 2013 (18 Months)

 

Andrew is on the go! He doesn’t slow down for anyone.

Andrew thinks that all animals say “Moo” or “Baa”

Andrew got to wear his first bandaid this month when he smashed his thumb in the toilet seat lid. I think he was equally upset from the pain and the Band-Aid.

Andrew got to visit his Minnesota cousins this month and meet his new baby cousin Jacob. Aside from his difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep in a new environment, he was a great traveler.

Andrew is a mosquito magnet, just like his daddy. At one point he had no less than 8 bites just on his face when no one else that was outside at the same time had even a single bite.

A few of Andrew’s favorite things are puppies, airplanes, dump trucks, his blankey, and bananas.

Andrew has the word “no” down pat. Some days everything is “no”.

We visited the Wisconsin Deer Park in the Dells and Andrew had a blast! Several times his excited running and shrieking scared most of the deer away but when he was able to contain his excitement he was able to pet the deer and give them hugs. We bought some crackers to feed the deer and at first Andrew thought they were for him to eat and he didn’t want to share with the deer. Once we convinced him to share he realized how fun it was to feed the deer and had them eating out of his hands.

Andrew is up to 12 teeth and is working on his top canines.

Andrew thinks it’s funny to put his blankey over his head and walk around bumping into things.

Andrew loves to eat fresh tomatoes, carrots, and green beans straight from the garden. He will walk around and eat an entire heirloom tomato. We are trying to teach him to only pick the red, ripe tomatoes but so far he sees nothing wrong with eating unripe, green tomatoes.

Andrew loves animals. He especially loves to give them hugs.

July 21, 2013 (17 months)

Andrew is a very busy boy! Always getting in to something.

Andrew now insists on holding on to the railing and walking down the stairs by himself.

Andrew can climb up into his high chair  all by himself.

We usually have a difficult time keeping Andrew occupied when we are working at our garden plot. That was until we discovered how much he loves freshly picked carrots! He will happily munch on a carrot for a very long time.

Andrew tries really hard to jump, he squats down and springs back up, but he hasn’t quite figured out how to get off the ground yet.

Andrew ran in his first race at our neighborhood Fourth of July Kids Fun Run. He started off strong but got confused towards the middle once the other kids were all passed him and he didnt' know where to go so he just started playing in the sand. Daddy helped him get back on track and once he saw mommy at the finish line he ran the rest of the way.

Andrew continues to amaze me with how many words he tries to say and how much he tries to communicate. Some new words this month are up, down, out, airplane, TV, night, walk, bath, boat

Andrew doesn’t like getting sprayed with water or running through the sprinkler unless Daddy is running through with him. He does however love to hold the hose and watch the water spray out. He also enjoys a nice cold drink from the hose.

Andrew is fascinated by the buckles in his high chair, car seat, and stroller. He will stand and try and buckle them for pretty long stretches. Most times it ends with him getting frustrated and giving up, but he has buckled them successfully a couple times.

Andrew loves helping mommy vacuum.

 

 

 

 

June 24, 2013 (16 months)

Andrew helped us pick strawberries at the Berry Farm. He had fun running up and down the aisles and didn't trample kept going for the white, unripe berries. He must have ate over 20 berries before we left; his face, hands, and shirt were all stained red.

Andrew’s climbing skills are reaching new heights, literally! He tries to climb on and in everything possible.

Andrew says Peek-A-Boo and covers his ears to play.

Andrew loves to pretend he is talking on a phone. He is very resourceful too, anything can be a phone. Even a rock. Even a toothbrush. Even his own hand.

Andrew went on his first ride in the bike trailer. He didn’t care for the helmet but he loved the ride! He had a smile from ear to ear and did lots of giggling.

 

Andrew has switched to a one nap schedule most days.

Andrew is getting good at feeding himself with a fork or spoon. Speaking of eating, Andrew keeps surprising everyone with just how much he can put away. He is definitely his father’s son!

Andrew’s is very attached to his blankey, he asks for it when he is getting tired, he gets really excited when he sees it, and he gets really upset when it gets taken away. He was really mad when I wouldn’t let him take it in the bathtub with him.

Andrew had his first haircut. Actually it was more of a trim, just cutting the back and sides by his ears. He was distracted by a children’s youtube video about animal sounds so he actually stayed pretty still for dad.

 

Andrew is saying quite a few words now, it is getting harder to keep track. New words include bubbles, puppy, book, and bath.

Andrew loves to dance and has some really good moves.

Andrew is independent. When he sees the opportunity to go and explore, he takes it and doesn't look back. If I don’t want to be chasing him I have to be holding him, once I put him down he immediately takes off . At least I am getting my exercise!

Andrew had two sleepovers last month, one with his Grandma and Papa and the other with one of his Aunties. He had tons of fun and did great being away from mom and dad.

May 22, 2013 (15 Months)

Andrew says “hi” to everyone.

Andrew likes to drop things: food from his high chair, toys from his stroller, groceries from the cart.

Andrew is a daredevil! He climbs on everything including the coffee table, end tables, dining chairs, and even the dining table. Keeping him down is becoming a full time job.

Andrew loves to wear shoes, he often finds one in the drawer under his crib, brings it to me, and wants to put it on. He will then walk around the house happy can be with one bare foot.

Andrew knows that food and milk come from the fridge so he will pull on the handle and whine when he want something to eat or drink. Luckily he isn’t strong enough to pull the door open, yet.

Andrew loves to go down slides at the park and in the backyard. He is no longer a fan of the swings
.

 

Andrew went through another round of teething this month, he is currently working on his top front molars.

Andrew is a talker! Along with a lot of baby talk he is up to about 10 actual words. New words this month include blanket, milk, pretty, and again.

Andrew loves to read and is very persistent. He insists that you stop whatever you are doing so he can sit on your lap and read his chosen book, usually a minimum of three times.

Andrew has his mom’s tendency to bruise easily, which is unfortunate especially because when he gets mad or frustrated he likes to bang his head against the floor, wall, etc. If he is not in a position to bang his head, he sometimes smacks himself in the head.

Andrew thinks that every animal is a “kitty kitty.” His favorite animal at the zoo was by far the turtles.

 

April 22, 2013 (14 months)

Andrew has really enjoyed the warmer spring weather and just loves being outside. We play in the backyard a lot, his sandbox is already a favorite. We also go on runs and walks in the neighborhood and always stop at the park where he gets to swing and go down the slides.

 

Andrew gives big, open mouthed, slobbery kisses! He is also really good at giving hugs.

Andrew had his first professional photo shoot this month, we got a bunch of super cute pictures of him dressed as a lumber jack and playing with an old tricycle.

Andrew is really getting in to reading books. After he hands me a book he will turn around and slowly back up and plop into my lap, it has to be the cutest thing ever. He likes to turn the pages and point out things to me as we read along.

Andrew got to go to an Easter egg hunt at America’s Best Flowers. While he did find a couple eggs, he was more interested in walking up and down all the aisles, I’m not sure he has ever had so much room to roam before this. He also got his picture taken with Grandma Bunny and got to see a real chicken and bunny.

We got a new cat toy which is basically a plastic wand with fuzzy string tied to it. I am pretty sure Andrew has more fun with it than the cats. He loves carrying it around the house and waving it for the cats. Other times he will set the toy on the cats while they are laying on the ground and look at them confused as to why they aren’t chasing it.

Andrew has decided that bath time is fun after all. He now enjoys splishing and splashing and playing in the tub. Andrew also pooped in the bath for the first time so that was fun.

Andrew decided to push back his bedtime to 8pm. He still gets up at 5:30am.

Andrew is getting very vocal. His new favorite phrase is daa doo daa doo daa doo. He has also added hi and kitty to his vocabulary.

Andrew thinks everything is his and likes to yell MY or MINE as we walk down store aisles. We don’t go shopping much.