Coen, 19 months

Dear Coen,

With every month that passes, I continue to think... you can't possibly be this old, already.  But you are in fact 19 months and very soon you'll be 2 years old and we'll be celebrating your big day again.  I look back at pictures and find myself already forgetting how fast time is passing.  You're growing up so fast and becoming your own little person and it's really very fun to watch it all unfold.  You're testing us a lot, lately, as parents.  We haven't had any really big issues, but in the last few months, we've had to reevaluate how we address your behavior and what we make a big deal and what we don't.  We tell ourselves all the time that this is just a phase and it will pass and then we'll have a new phase to worry about.  We also find that we don't really stress about the way you act out because we know that drawing attention to your tantrums will only increase them.  We we just let them play out and only intervene when we can see that you're going to hurt yourself or when we need you to pay attention because we are leaving or going somewhere.  It's all part of your age and we know that, so we just deal with it.

Overall, you make being a parent to a little 19 month old very fun.  We constantly are laughing with you and at you for the silly things that you do all the time.  You are really starting to pick up on things very quickly and we can see where this is a really awesome thing, but makes us very aware of the things that we say around you.  You're very fast!  And so smart.

You're going through this separation phase and it's mainly happening at church.  We started going because we felt like we needed to have church in our lives and current relationship with God.  We have really enjoyed going, but have found that you don't feel the same way.  We take you to the nursery and before we even get down 3 steps - going to the nursery, you start crying and clinging to us.  We will sit with you in the nursery, but last week, I took you a ducked out right as you decided to see if I was still there.  Your cry I could hear at the top of the stairs, while church was going on, but the ladies worked with you and they never paged us which meant that you decided to calm down and have a good time.  They were a lot more patient than the normal group and were able to get you calm a lot quicker and easier than the other ladies.

The only other time that you'll act this way is if we have people over to our house that you don't know that well.  You automatically become really clingy and a little fussy.  I'm happy it doesn't happen with everyone that comes over, just the ones that you're not as familiar with and it usually only last a few minutes.  When you're in the comfort of our home, you're less likely to react this way, but it does happen.

 

 My sitter sent me this picture because she knows I LOVE target...

You're excelling at full speed and it's pretty prominent when you're around other kids your age.  Your vocabulary is really amazing and you're just so smart.  Watching you remember things and follow directions and mock certain things that we do around the house is just mind blowing.  Your little mind is building and growing right before our very eyes and it's absolutely amazing.  Amazing.  We have moments throughout EVERY week where we just can't believe you're doing certain things.

Yesterday, the thing that you did that was crazy... Was I asked you if you wanted to count with me.  Usually you respond with "NO!"  Not because you don't want to but because that is sort of your favorite word.  I usually ignore it and go on to count.  So yesterday, when I asked you to count, you started with "One" on your own.  You let me count for the most part and chimed in when you wanted to, but it was great that you started on your own!  Soon, you'll be counting to to ten on your own, but for now, I'm thrilled with this little step.  Oh and when I get to ten, you usually keep counting, which I think is because I count the steps when we go up them... and 10 and 14 are your favorite numbers.  You shout them. So smart.

As hard as some (parenting) moments might seem, the really awesome moments always sweep those away.  You are a great little boy and we really do love you so much.  We love watching you run around the house, play with the hair brush, throw your sister's diapers away, kick the ball around the house, yell bup-pies at your dad's t-shirts or the tv, give your sister kisses or just sit on the couch and play with my hair.  Your seriously the best little boy that any parent could ever ask for and we are so very thankful that you're in our lives.

Squeeze & kisses,

Mama & Dad

In the last month, these are the words that you are using more and more... on top of the ones that you already know.


Words:

Bup-pies (Buckeyes)
Steelwers (Steelers)
Bwall (Ball)
Bup-pweez (Up please)
More pweez (More please)
All done
All gone
Beau-bee (Toby)
But-bwall (football)
Mwilk (milk)
Shooooes (shoes)
Cooookeeee (cookie)
Ut Oh  (this one came back around... wasn't used for a while and now he says it all the time, again.)
Vroom-vroom (car or anything with wheels)
Ike (bike)
Lass-less (glasses)
Hat
Wool-whirl (world world)
Sid (for Sid the Science Kid)
Why (for Wyatt or Super Why)
Roarrrrr (Tiger, Bear, Polar Bear, Lion, etc)
He hehe heehhe (Hyena)
Ooo o oo o (gorilla)
Whooo Whooo (Owl)
Side note about the Owl: This is the first animal where he'll say, "owl, whoo whooo." Usually he doesn't say the animal name first.

You're still in a size 4 diaper, you're wearing mostly 12 month and some 18 month clothes.  My issue is that they fit your height but not your waist.  We're working on figuring out what works but for now, you wear a lot of the same pants over and over...

This month, you and your sister both had ear infections which resulted in 10 days of amoxicillin for both  you and your sister.  Not a lot of fun, but luckily you love taking medicine... It was a breeze.

I don't ever want to forget these moments.  Ever.

Play dough.... So, fun, but we're learning about NOT eating it!

Big helper!

Loves his kitchen!

Hanging out with Papa and cousin Wylie.

Ornery at church on Christmas Eve...