Two Year Stats

Yesterday was Grant's two year check-up. Here's what's up:

• Weighing 25 1/2 pounds. I think this is wrong. He doesn't like their scale and was moving way too much to get an accurate weight. On more than one occasion he's weighed 26 pounds and he's been eating like a champ. Just sayin'.
• Height 34 3/4 inches (a.k.a. a couple inches shy of 3 feet tall)
• Under average in weight (30%) and average in height (50%). I asked if he was too skinny and the doc said no. She said there's nothing wrong with having a skinny kid (and that it's actually good) so I'm satisfied with that :)
• Advanced talker! I kind of knew that. She was very impressed with the sentences he speaks and how well he is doing with his talking.
• Apparently Time Out should only be two minutes. I was told my five minute Time Outs are a bit excessive (what would she think of the times that Husband says "Time out...uh...forever!")...she advised us to go down to two minutes next time it's needed and work with that. Humph!

• His regression in potty interest is not an issue. She said he'll get used to it again. To maybe let him sit on it with his clothes on and read if that's what he wants to do. So I'm not worried. He'll get there.
• In the next couple of months, she suggested the switch to a toddler bed. Grant loves his crib, which is great because it's safe, but lately has been using it like a trampoline while holding onto the side. When I told her that I was worried about him catapulting himself out of there she suggested transitioning soon.
• No shots this time! Not until he is four (which I have no doubt will come before I know it). Just a flu shot to be scheduled in a few weeks.

We were surprised at how well Grant did with this appointment. He's been such a grown up little guy lately. First no tears during his last hair cut, even walked back to the chair with the guy instead of with his Daddy. Then yesterday at the doctor the only time he got upset was with being weighed. He even giggled some with the doctor and high fived and hugged her when he left! Note, she did give him an awesome monster truck sticker. She gave us a checklist of sorts of what we should be expecting at this age and I can tell from the list that he's doing great. She did mention that he's got some molars coming in so I'm expecting an ear infection anytime (keep your fingers crossed that doesn't happen!). But overall we got a great report for our little man!

20 Months

Holy crap, what a week. Tuesday night Grant seemed sluggish and came home from day care the next day with a fever. The doctor said it was a virus. We went back to the doctor on Saturday because he seemed to go downhill right after we had seen a slight improvement. The virus had settled in his lungs AND his ear infection from the previous week had returned. New antibiotic and some breathing treatments. But I'm happy to report that after night after night of little to no sleep for all three of us, the little guy is on the road to recovery and we're seeing much improvement. So I finally got around to snapping a few current pictures for his 20 month post. Nothing spectacular...neither of us had the energy.


Watching Daddy clean the lawn mower

So here we are at 20 months old. It seems so weird that Grant will be two soon. The time really does seem to have flown by.

He doesn't look happy but, trust me, he is.

We started introducing the potty and his reaction to it has been very good, although we seem to sit him on it at the wrong times because he still hasn't gone in it. And the past week we haven't been into it because his fever has been so high that being without pants would have sent him into chills.

Grant is still talking up a storm, learning new words and doing even better with putting words together. I think I've heard him say "I don't know" and he's still pointing at things and asking "A's at?" (What's that). But the best thing he's said recently is...*drum roll please*...I love you! He said it! Hooray! He's also repeating things, so we're having to watch what we say. What I'm finding hysterical lately is how often he's telling Brodie "no" when he has food. Especially cheese or a graham cracker. He gets right in his face and says "no!" And Grant is still using some sign language. I'm not sure how much he uses at school but at home it's only "more" and "please" (mo' and pwease).


Brodie much more patient than we thought he'd be.

We're using time-out more often now because it does seem to be effective. Although, mean parent that I am, one minute seems to short so we've gone up to two. When I tell him that he's got time-out for two minutes he knows what to do (I'm still trying to figure out if that's good or bad) and tearfully sits through his punishment. It's pretty pitiful but it's working so I can take the tears.

That's really about it for now. We're working on the potty...and still trying to get rid of the pacifier. We're so weak. I'm thinking that my goal of having him off the paci by two years old may be a bit of a pipe dream at this point. But we'll see.

I leave you with a couple pictures of my cutie sitting in front of his favorite thing in Husband's "office". Some car posters that he's had for years that Grant absolutely loves.


Really with the camera? I just got over 4 day with a 102 fever
and you're getting out  the camera?

First Time Out

At Grant's 18 month check-up the doctor went over behavioral stuff with us. She asked if he was testing us yet - which of course he is. Hello, he has been for months! She told us that this is a good age to start "time out". So just how do you put a year-and-a-half old toddler in time out? Yes, doc, do tell. 

She said you put them on a stool or in a chair. Somewhere solitary and "not fun". If it seems like they will try to get up, then you sit there in front of them (emotionless, of course!) and make them stay there. Set a timer for 1 minute. When that's up, then the slate is wiped clean and you - apparently - are no longer mad. If he keeps it up, you keep doing "time out". Yes...uh huh...we'll see.

That was February 28th and I've been wondering at what point I'm going to implement the whole "time out" thing. I'll admit, I've never really believed in time out. Perhaps that's because I always got a firm hand on my backside and that pretty much did the trick. BUT, Grant really isn't old enough to get all the spankings he may deserve. So perhaps there would be "time out" in his future.

And there was. Last night was our first ever one minute "time out". Grant had a rough day. He was running in the house that morning, fell, and took a nose dive into the step from our living room to our hallway. Big nose bleed and fat lip. Lingering pitifulness all day long. He came home knowing he could milk it. It was a gorgeous afternoon, so I took his pitiful face for a good walk around the neighborhood and then we came home and ate dinner. Then he wanted to color. He wandered off with his crayons and in a few seconds time had managed to color a rather large area of my kitchen floor (thank goodness for washable crayons!). I took his crayons and popped his butt. I told him no, we only color on the paper (he does know what that means). And then we proceeded to a chair for time out. He was already crying and even more pitiful. But I set a timer for one minute and sat there stone-faced as he cried - and he was really trying to work it too.



The timer I set may have been on my phone. So I may
have snapped this picture. He looks sorry, doesn't he?

The minute was up and, per doctor's orders, the slate was wiped clean. After a whole 60 seconds of staring at the face in the above picture, I really wasn't mad anymore. Could you be? He was a little bit pissy for the rest of the night (until story time) but when he went back to his crayons later, he never strayed from the paper. Not really convinced it was the time out that did it but I guess I'll try it again. Probably tonight and for who knows what reason!