22 months-it's a big deal

My little chubby boy is 22 months old. Not necessarily a monumental age, but significant to us! He took his first steps yesterday. I was shocked, excited, and nearly teared up. I just couldn't believe it. Nana B was staying the night on her way home from Albuquerque. We were eating cutie oranges and Beckham wanted them so bad. He kept saying "apple!!" over and over and "bite, pwees, bite pwees, BITE!". I was on one couch, Traci the other, and he just walked over to get a slice of the orange. It was 2 or 3 steps, but so controlled and almost coordinated! We cheered and clapped and he giggled. We kept trying and he would go 2 or 3 steps, then he went at least 6 or 7. We were going crazy and he was beside himself. He loves to be praised and cheered for.

Today we tried again and he knew what we were up to and refused to cooperate. Little stinker. He was lifting his legs, swiveling his hips, and doing back-bends. That's just him though. He does his own thing in his own time. I have loved having him seem like a baby for so long and I know I will miss him crawling around, but I am excited for him to walk. He's made amazing progress in the past few months. He's getting stronger and hitting milestones faster than ever. It may still take a few months until he really gets going on his own, but I am so proud. He is so stinking adorable I can hardly stand it.

He is talking more and more everyday and says hilarious things. We always sing the abc's when brushing our teeth. If I forget to sing it, he starts. He tells Kaden to "be nice!" all of the time, even when he is the instigator, which is becoming more common. He counts, "1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 6, 9," so cute. He says "bessh you!" every time someone sneezes. If he sneezes, he says, "beeshh you (pause)... Tank you!". He loves to say "yay!" and clap his hands when we cheer for him or someone else. He loves reading stories. He brings me books and says, "weed stowies?!" over and over. He still throws a crazy tantrum, but gets over things quickly. He is snuggly and full of hugs and kisses and "I laluv you!". He is a great self entertainer and is loving his new mobility. He is all over the place. He and Kaden are getting to be buddies. They also are learning to get irritated with each other and fight sometimes...but right now those fights are pretty funny. His new favorite thing is the trampoline. He loves to be bounced and it's so good for his developing balance and core strength. He loves water. LOVES water.

I am always overwhelmed with his cuteness and my love for him. It's hard to believe he is already almost 2. He brings more joy to this family than I could ever express. We are so lucky to have his little spirit in our home.