23 months

23 months

I've been trying to write this post for days, but it's challenging to get on a computer with a newborn and a toddler! I'm actually writing this on my phone while Felicity is nursing. But I'm excited to talk about Wilder turning 23 months old. Our baby is now a little boy, and every day he amazes me with his perceptiveness and language skills. He gains new vocabulary all the time, and it's crazy to see him actually use the words in the right context. He's totally in love with all things transportation. He loves his Thomas the Train, Dusty the plane and yellow plane and all manner of cars. He flits around the house flying his plane and making sound effects. Meal times are full of exclamatory conversations. He's a precise and focused little dude, but he loves to laugh and laugh.

I've been on maternity leave this month, so prior to Felicity's arrival, we spent a lot of time soaking up moments with our little family of three. Felicity was born on October 16 (blog post to come) and everything changed in a big way. Wilder has been really kind about having a new sister. He checks on her often. Says this many times a day: "Tiny baby sister crying, better? Got it?" We've had a couple of car riders with her and she does cry in the car, a lot. He's so patient and just sits quietly or listens when I read a book over the noise (so hard with a newborn--there's not a lot you can do when they're crying in the car :-().

We have had challenges with baby sister here. Wilder gets frustrated easier, more testing of limits and we have more meltdowns. Both Zach and I are trying really hard to pour into him and Felicity and help him adjust to sharing us with her.  It's really challenging us, but I'm so glad our family has grown.

Wilder is still in 12 month pants and 18 mo tops. I just pulled out his pants from last year and we'll see if they get us through the winter!

Some of the many words Wilder started saying this month: 

Huge

Oh my goodness

Bunch

Amazing

Awesome

Blue Angels 

Partnips (parsnips)

Mamagranate (pomegranate)

He's been going to bed later, because I try to be the one to put him down and that means sometimes he has to wait to be read to/rocked until Felicity is done nursing. Sometimes he'll be in bed by 8 and won't go to sleep for an hour. He also often wakes up at least once a night for a diaper change. But God has smiled on us--Wilder has also been sleeping in till 7:30-8 am since she was born. Which is huge when Felicity's best sleep is early morning! He still takes one solid 2-3 hour nap right after lunch. We've gone through several versions of nap/bedtime routine this month. Ranging from our prayer and then me reading him books and Zach putting him down, to prayer, me putting him down or zach, depending on where Felicity is at. Wilder some nights wants to read lots of books with no rocking, other nights he really wants to be rocked for a long time. No matter what, he usually wants a hug at some point and it's the best few moments for Zach or I, getting to snuggle our sweet boy.

Here are some photos. His teeth have been bothering him, so that's why his hand is in his mouth for some.