Oh sweet AJ, how much fun has the last six months been. Since your birthady in January I feel like you have learned so much and are a lot more "grown". From an increase in your vocabulary to getting potty trained, it has all been a great experience.
Early in the year your bedtime routine started around 830pm but many times it went past that. It included a cup of milk, a bath, reading/singing, 10-15 minutes of rocking and then to your crib. Most days you would sleep through the night while others you'd wake up wanting to be put in bed with us. Over the months you became more comfortable in your own crib and spent less time in our bed. Today we still take you a bath before bed and get your pajamas on when not soon after that you request to be put in your crib. I find it the best when it gets late and you tell me that you want to go in your crib, that's key for you're extremely tired. Some days we take you a bath earlier than usual to not have to stop in the middle of a movie since you'll fall asleep midway through and just the other day you said to me as I am putting you on your pajamas "I no go in my crib". It was the funniest thing ever because you were very serious about it. To confirm what you said I asked you "you want to go night night?" and you replied " no, I no go in my crib, I no go night night, I play with Pollo iPad." Priceless. I smiled, a big smile from ear to ear, and asked you for a hug and kiss which you were pleasantly happy to give me. I live for moments like this buddy. That's when I realized that you are growing way to fast and even with the amounts of pictures and special attention to your mischiefs I still overlook the fact that you are growing way too fast. You continue to request not to be put in your crib on a daily basis unless you had a long day, then you don't really care whether or not we put you to sleep in your room.
When it comes to eating I have to admit that although you continue to be a picky eater you have added more varieties of food to your diet. The biggest one being eggs. You are in love with egg and cheese sandwiches. You also enjoy peanut butter by the spoonful. Yogurts of any kinds are a plus and cereal whether fruity or blend you still enjoy. Breakfast continue to be your favorite meal of the day. You have a sweet tooth just like daddy and are a carb-a-holic just like mommy. Pizza, spaghettis, breads you name it :)
You love your time at daycare, so far we continue to survive and we love to have you there. We feel that your being there the past several months has great correlation with all that you have learned. Your talking, shapes, numbers, letters, and animals recognition as well as many other things. If I'm not mistaken it was just back in May when they started working with you and potty training. You showed interest and they went for it, great decision from their part. Now you wear regular underwear at home (which by the way makes you look like a big boy) and you've had minimal accidents. You have surprised me multiple times with your desire to use the potty even when we are in public for peeing and have pooped twice on it at home. The only issue I find with potty training is that not everyone is on board when you spend time with them. Daddy and I have been doing well talking you to the potty every 1-2 hrs and there are days when you tell us that you need to go or simply just go.
When you're at one of the grandparents house however, things don't go as smoothly and you go on your diaper. I'm sure it is because you are not fully trained yet and still have to be reminded of it and the grandparents are just no so into it. Hopefully after "the talk" with them things will change.
You have mastered going up and down the stairs all on your own, and I don't want to jinx it but you have not had any falling accidents either. Yaayyy! I noticed it back in April when we went away to our cousin's house for the weekend and you became fearless of the stairs. Of course that it freaked me out since you were only 27 months but after coming home I'd let you go up under supervision and one day I can't even recall a time frame, you were a pro at going up and down. Now you go up and down as you please which helps with the potty training because those are the times when I tell you lets go potty and next thing I know you're telling me "mommy I did peepee in the potty". Music to my ears! And of course that we praise you for going. So far we haven't had to bribe you and I'm hoping we don't ever have to. Yet again, this is only the beginning of potty training.
You were obsessed with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Elmo for quite some time but not so much lately. You still love them but your love for the iPad is much bigger. If we'd let you you would spend all day playing on it. At one point we took out all non educational games you had on it and it didn't take long for you to realize that they were missing. That lead to lots of fighting with your brother because you always wanted to use his, and still do. I fear it is the beginning of a very long brotherly thing. You still enjoy playing with cars and super hero characters and are not so much into movies. Once or twice a movie has sucked you in but it rarely happens. You enjoy a lot Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Club House, Miles, Neverland Pirates, Handy Manny (to name a few) and lately you've been into Nina Needs to Go which is funny since it relates your current phase of toddlerhood but again you prefer to pass your time playing big boy games on the iPad, like Sonic.
Being that you were able to identify many animals and their sound I knew that rips to the zoo this summer were going to be so much fun and I was right! So far we've been two times (not enough) to the local zoo in our area but we plan to make it to the Philadelphia Zoo before the weather changes.
Back when you were a lot smaller we signed you up for swimming classes but it didn't last long because daddy thought it was a waste of 30 mins and expensive. He planned on teaching you himself at grandpa's pool and so far he has kept his word. You love being in the water. Some days you wake up and say "I go in the water today", it's the first thing out of your mouth. And in fact you have spent a lot of time in the pool and the water park. Your favorite thing to do lately has been to float on your back. You are learning so much! This video was the first time we let you swim in the pool without holding on to us. Here you were wearing this "floating gadget" given to us by your Godfather. It taught his son to swim and he thought he would pass it on. So far it has not disappointed us. I guess it helps that you are not afraid of the water. Although you are afraid of the waves, who can blame you? Even I'm afraid of the waves, especially the fierce ones.
Let me just note I love your hair! The curls, the length, its softness, and its manageability. I wash your hair 1-2 times per week with shampoo and conditioner and we detangle it, not your favorite part. I use natural hair products on your hair an on days that your hair does not get washed I simply shake it a bit or spray some cold water and voila all done. Your hair is seriously a dream. You turn heads when we're out in public and I honestly can't ever see myself giving you a hair cut. If we do in the far future it'll probably be when your hair is super long in which case we would donate it. Funny story, a few weeks ago I washed your hair and had the idea that maybe if I tied your hair up for bed it might take less time to work on it in the morning. Well I did so and you almost lost it. You kept shaking and touching your head and asked me "mommy where's my hair?" it really bothered you not to feel your hair hang from your head to the point where you cried and I had no choice but to let it loose. It was pretty funny at the moment and that's when I realized that your hair makes you You. I can't ever take that away from you, not anytime soon anyways. For now I guess you'll continue to rock the soccer player look, which by the way looks great on you! You've gotten into the habit of biting and screaming. A extremely high pitch scream that drives me, and everyone else I'm sure, nuts. No matter how many times we correct you in biting or screaming for that matter it does not work. You continue to do it. You've also learned some "bad words" and for the life of me I can't figure out were you learned them from. I know for sure it wasn't at home and no matter how many ways we tell you not to say it you just don't get it. Honestly I don't know how else to tell you not to say them. This has been the biggest challenged for us to deal with if I'm being honest. Licking people and dogs is another thing you love to do. I can't understand the joy you get from it but I sure hope it passes soon.
Your brother and you are currently having a love/hate relationship if I do say so. You spend a lot of time together, playing, and loving each other but you also spend a lot of time fighting. I say your fights consists of you wanting everything your brother has, you wanting to play with his toys/apps/video games, and you simply bothering him. He also gets jealous of the attention you get and that sometimes you get away with some things that he can't. I'm sure this is totally normal for both of your age since he's 9 going on 16 and you are 2.5 going 8.
I am sure I can go on forever taking about you, your likes, dislikes, and achievements but this will do for now. We love you sweet boy, you are a dream come true and I feel blessed to have you and your brother to call my own.God bless you both today and always!
Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Pollo, King
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