20 Months

It's funny...you think that we're leased these kids from heaven to teach them all about life. But yet, THEY seem the ones to be teaching us every day. My baby teaches me something new every day, and even when I already know my lesson- he presents it in a new way, that it's almost like it's brand new to me.

Dom is 20 months...closer to 2 years old....that's crazy. He has learned and keeps learning so much. He's in the phase where he imitates our mannerisms....and he thinks he's so funny. He LOVES to fake laugh and fake cry. He likes to climb on mommy (as if she was a horse) and loves to pull her hair. He also loves to make kissy faces and blow kisses. When I'm having a bad day or I have just yelled at him, he comes up to me and gives me a hug....as if to reassure me that he understands and it really wasn't that big of a deal for me to get mad....I always end up apologizing, I'm not ashamed for saying it either. He has found new friends at the library's story time and loves playing with those toys. He loves to walk around and just touch the books. He still loves to organize my cupboards, and loves to run. He loves nursery- there's all boys now. He's always been used to girls, but our ward this time only has 4 boys. He learned how to jump from them and that's all he does on Sunday when he comes home....jump from the couch, our bed, his bed, anything really....he's actually very comparable in mobility  to the 3 yr olds in there...which is surprising to me. We're attending the Spanish ward here, thinking that he might be able to pick up more Spanish words this way.

This month, the baby (well...my baby) has realized that he can climb out of the crib....and made our nap time more complicated.

Practicing his kissy face

So, I decided to take out one of the crib sides- making it look kind of like a little bed. Dom loved it. He kept jumping on and off for like an hour nonstop. Then night came, and we had to go to bed. Dom wouldn't stay in, why would he right? when he's found new freedoms?

Library story time

So, I decided to sleep with him. I slept on the floor and he slept on the crib. Took him about 2 hours to fall asleep- truth be told I fell asleep first. I was not made to sleep on the floor- my bones hurt. I woke up around 2am and went to sleep in my own bed.  The next day, nap time was a little better. I had to close the door and let him cry a bit. He finally realized that when he's tired, he can lay down and go to sleep.

First time he cried for 30 minutes, and finally gave up at the door. I could barely open it to take a pic.

Once he falls asleep, I open the door a bit, in case he wakes up without me noticing, and he's free to move about the apartment. That night, it was MUCH better. I still slept with him, but fell asleep fast and I was in my own bed by midnight. Days after that, have been much better. This morning, he actually woke up early in the morning, and came to my room, but didn't climb on my bed. Instead, he fell asleep by my door. Broke my heart a bit, but he must have been so tired....

I woke up around 8am to find this. He was even snoring....poor guy.

 Dom has taught me- that everyone is capable of adjusting. Look at this guy- he hated sleeping alone with the crib open. With a small night light- it changed his world, and now goes to bed by himself by 9pm. How great it is to have such a little person teach me everything that life is really about....rolling with the punches. If Dom can adjust to moving to a new place, and a new crib situation.....then so can I. This is the same little guy who got me out of my depression....what a blessing my life has been since then....