23 Months (11 days ago)

Things have returned to normal here, or what we know as normal.  That's a hard word to use with toddlers because Steven is changing all the time.  When he hit 18 months, we talked about how much he changes every month.  Now he changes by leaps and bounds every week and it's hard to keep up with (and we only have one kid so far!).  

The big boy bed is still going well for which we are extremely grateful.  And since things were relatively calm for a week we decided to stir things up a little and put Steven in a booster seat at the table- he actually asked to sit in a "big chair."  That might not seem like a big deal but everything new that we're doing now is a "big boy" activity.  

Charlton's new work schedule has been so wonderful!  Since he started his in-house job a month ago, he gets home at 5:30 every day during the week (compared to 6:30 or 7 beforehand) which means that we can eat together as a family.  I've always fed Steven his dinner around 5:30, and then we'd eat at 7 or later after Charlton was home and sometimes Steven would even be in bed before Charlton and I would sit down to eat together.  It's also been interesting trying to get Steven to eat whatever we're eating.  I hear most kids like that but Steven doesn't care if we're eating it or not, if he doesn't want it then he won't eat it...period.  It's been a little of a battle (though not as bad as the bed) since our rule is that I only cook one meal so if he doesn't eat it then he's out of luck.  

Our general feeling about milestones now that Steven's older is we'll know it's time for something when he's ready-- enter climbing out of his crib and asking to sit at the table.  But, the most frequently asked question I get these days is if we are potty training.  Let me say a loud, "N-O!"  I don't plan on potty training Steven anytime in the near future unless he tells me one day that he wants to.  We do have an Elmo seat that fits onto the toilet and he likes to sit on it, throw toilet paper into the bowl and flush.  We talk about going in the potty a lot but he hasn't made the connection that you actually do something in it, or maybe he does I don't know.  I've rushed him to the potty a few times when I know that he's about to go but he got upset that I did that.  So now he sits on it when he wants to and we talk about how big boys go on the potty and when he does that he won't have to wear a diaper (he's been trying to take them off a lot).  He's definitely not ready yet and I'm not going to force him...there's no need to rush.  And mom and dad can only take one major change at a time.