Matthew 21 & 22 months

Matthew Jay 21 & 22 months

What have you been up to these past couple of months?

You are still my skinny little guy...with a good size noggin!

You are still in size 4 diapers

You wear anywhere from size 18 months to 2T

I know I say it a lot but you are a busy, BUSY kid...but boy oh boy you are so much fun! I wish that I could just freeze you in time. You are growing up into a little boy way too fast!

You can count to 20. You usually like us to say the number after you say it, before you will say the next number. You like to count as we walk down the stairs together.

You have started be become more of a picky eater....especially with vegetables. I'll admit that I was getting a little lazy in what I was making you eat and the type of snacks that I was giving you. (Convenience foods = super easy, but not so great for you.) So we changed things around here! You still have waffles (one of your favorite foods) some mornings for breakfast, but you also have fruit smoothies, oatmeal, and cheesy eggs (you would never touch eggs so I'm thrilled you are loving them these days!). For snacks I have made and froze loafs of pumpkin, zucchini carrot and banana bread, all made with whole wheat, applesauce, yogurt and egg whites. You love it!

You were one adorable Mickey Mouse for Halloween. For a couple of weeks after Halloween, you wore your costume around the house often.

Gabby and Bumpa bought you a magnetic fish puzzle and you have learned how to use the fishing pole to get the fish in and out of the puzzle. Your fine motor skills are really starting to develop.

You had your first bubble bath. I don't know what took us so long to buy bubble bath but I guess it was just something we never did. You loved it! But seriously, what kid wouldn't?

When we wash your hair we dump the water over your head, in your face and over your eyes. Having water in your face doesn't bother you at all! You like to take a shower with us.

You do not like to get your diaper or your clothes changed.

When you see Sissy getting her diaper changed, you always tell me either "Sissy pee-pee" or "Sissy poo-poo"

You went through a couple week phase where you absolutely loved your stuffed animal Mickey Mouse. You were taking Mickey nigh-nigh, putting Mickey in the jumper and bouncing him, carrying him all around the house and even grabbing a diaper and trying to put it on Mickey!

You like to play follow the leader. Lately, you want to be the leader. You do things like touch your nose, put your hands on your head, put your arms straight out behind you, stick your tongue out, move your hands back and forth in front of you, etc.

You love to drive through tunnels while we are in the car. You think that bridges and even big signs are tunnels and say "tunnel" every time we drive under or through one. After we drive under a tunnel, you always say "peese", begging for another one.

Your favorite songs lately have been "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Rise and Shine"

Gabby taught you how to play "Giddy Up". We do this all the time while we are driving. I tell you to get on your horse, and you start moving your arms up and down like you are holding reigns. I sing "Giddy up, Giddy up, Giddy up up up, giddy up, giddy up, giddy up up up, giddy up, giddy up, giddy up up up!" Before I get to the last giddy up, I stop and wait for you to belch our "AAAHHH!" and I sing "Giddy UUUUPPPP! Giddy up up up."

You love to be outside. Sissy naps for about an hour each morning, so on dry or mostly dry days we bundle up and go outside during that time. It gets us out, gives you some fresh air, and wears you out! I try my hardest to make this happen almost every day. We ride bikes, get the mail, play at the mailbox, look at the sewer, play in the garage and explore our yard.

You like to play with the Ipad. Your favorite apps are "Words" (flashcards), "Bus" (wheels on the bus), "Panya" (piano), and "mickey". You also like to Facetime with Gabby & Bumpa and Banna (Bami).

After night church on Sundays, we have been going to McDonald's and getting you a cheeseburger and fries. You have come to anticipate it, and ask for "fries" even before we mention it!

Your favorite activities lately have been playing with dried beans, stickers, coloring and playing with the water in the kitchen sink. You ask to do these activities multiple times a day.

You are very into sensory activities, so thanks to Pintrest, we have been putting food color into shaving cream, and you have been "painting" with it in the bath tub. Big mess and easy clean up!

When we tell you it's time to go nigh-nigh, you always call for "Yexi you-you" (Lexi lu lu) because you want her to come upstairs with us too. You adore that dog. You get so excited when she runs up the stairs and jumps up onto the bed in your room. We play with Lexi every night on your bed. You pretend to sleep and snore, waiting for us to tickle you. I love these precious moments with you before Daddy prays with you and we put you to sleep in your crib.

When we say "I love you," you say "Luv yoo too."

You adore your Sissy. You give her the sweetest kisses and are always willing to play and love on her. You are so gentle and sweet with her. I couldn't have imaged you as a better big brother. When Sissy wakes up from her naps, I tell you that I am going to go upstairs to get her. You always say "me too," and trot upstairs in complete delight. I open the door to her room and you run in with delight yelling "Sissy! Sissy!"

When you burp or toot, we have taught you to say "Excuse me." When someone else burps or toots, you will say "Mommy burp" or "Daddy toot" (because Mommy never toots, right?!?). Trying to teach this boy some manners!

A couple of weeks ago we were driving in the car. Lexi was with us and was sitting in the backseat between Matthew and Mollie. Lexi yelped. I turned around and Matthew says "Mommy, I hit Yexi." I told him that we don't hit our puppy, but we give her nice pat pats. Then Matthew goes on to say over and over again, "Sissy, I hit Yexi." Candid and cute!

I love the way that you say some peoples names. Kee (Caleb-you LOVE your cousin), Banna (Bami-you always ask for her keys). One of my favorites is how you say your own name, "Mashew". You have been referring to yourself in 1st person.

We have gone swimming a few times lately and you have absolutely loved it. You talk about it for the entire next day! You have no fear of the water. You splash, kick, and jump into the water. We have started to dunk you under the water too. You come up with quite a surprised look on your face, and you aren't sure if you really like it, but you tolerate it and I really want you used to going under water!

As you get older, it makes me so much more excited to celebrate the holidays with you! You still don't have much of a clue what this Christmas gig is all about, but I love the little bits and pieces that you are putting together. My prayer for my kids is that they will know the Christmas joy and experience all the fun and traditions that comes with Christmas, but that ultimately they will know that Christmas is a time when we celebrate our Savior's birth!

We went the ba-hum-bug route this year and did a fake tree. At the beginning of December, we went with all of Matt's family and extended family to the Christmas tree farm to help pick out trees. Matthew loved tagging along with his cousins and romping through the puddles. His favorite part was spending time with his cousin "Kee" (Caleb). The entire time he wanted to be with "Kee." So through the Christmas tree farm they walked, hand in hand. Caleb is a very special boy to me and to see the love that he has for Matthew completely fills my heart!

Matthew loved putting up the Christmas tree. He was so very gentle and looked at all the ornaments we put on the tree. Every night I have to put about 10 different ornaments back onto the tree that have made their way to the floor throughout the day after being explored by little toddler hands. He loves our Christmas tree lights and is quick to tell me to turn the lights on if he wakes up and comes downstairs and they are off. We have gone on a lot of walks through our neighborhood to look at the lights and decorations on houses. He likes to tell us that Bumpa has lights on his house every time we pull into their driveway, and he stares intently when we drive past a beautifully lit house. What an amazing gift it is to be able to experience Christmas through your child's eyes!

Brother, we love you so so so much!