21 Months Later

OK, y'all. Who's with me on thinking it is completely unacceptable that Ethan will be two years old in just three short months?!

Whew. I knew I wasn't the only one.

However deep in denial I may be, it's true. Ethan is 21 months old today! Although there are days I long to have that small, snugly baby back, I am absolutely thrilled that we have made it this far. And, I'm not just talking in a life or death sense, here. We are making it as husband and wife, as me being a stay-at-home mama, and as parents to a full-fledged toddler.

Some days I feel a great sense of accomplishment if I'm able to get breakfast and medicine into Ethan's belly before 9:00. Some days (OK, a lot of days) I throw away the to-do list and spend time doing whatever Ethan needs or wants to do. I often times feel like I excel at my "Mama duties", but don't really feel like the greatest housewife. I'm still finding balance in those areas, for sure ...but this isn't about me now, is it?

Onto the almost-two-year-old. Sniff, sniff.

There has been a huge jump in Ethan's development between 18 and 21 months. His previous occupational therapist told us it would happen, and all of my language charts from school told me it would happen, but it still came as a surprise! I feel like I'm always saying to Jeramie when he gets home from work, "Guess what Ethan did today?!" You've already seen his counting skills in action, and he's close to doing the same with his ABCs. It really blows my mind!

He knows the eight basic colors and can identify about the same number of shapes. He is a lover of animals, in books and in person, and enjoys imitating their sounds. He understands the concept of various opposites (on/off, up/down, open/close); he would play with the light switch or the wipes container all. day. long. if we let him.

Ethan is also doing well in all of his therapies! We'll be creating new goals for him next week, as he has met most (if not all) of his current ones. I am most excited about how much he has learned to use his left hand. Y'all, I'm not even kidding. This boy does things that I often wondered if he would ever be able to do, and he does it with such concentration and determination!

Physically, we still continue to play the weight gain game. Just yesterday, I took Ethan to the pediatrician for his monthly Synagis shot and he was 24 pounds, 1 ounce (15th percentile). That's down 8 ounces from what he weighed last week at Duke. I'm sure there's some discrepancy between the different scales, and the pediatrician wasn't overly concerned, but it just gets old. I'm really trying to let that go, and not get so worked up over a few ounces. If he feels good, and looks good, then it's all good ...at least, that's what I'll keep trying to tell myself!

With every developmental stage I think, "this is my favorite!" and, other than the budding temper tantrums, it is. I love that we can interact and have sweet little conversations. I love seeing him play with other kids (and be able to keep up!). I love the way he yells "MAMA!" or "DADDY!" when one of us walks through the door. I love that he thinks out loud, which lets me catch a small glimpse into what's going on in his mind. I love his sense of curiosity and the way he likes to explore.

Ethan, I love everything about you and I am so proud to be your Mama.

Happy 21 months!