Henry has changed and learned more in the last month than any other time span before. When I read back on his
16 month update I can't believe it was only a month ago. He seems so much more developed, and I can see him turning into a big boy right before my eyes. I know I keep saying it, but this is the most fun stage so far. I expect he will just get more and more amazing as he grows older and we discover even more of his personality! He understands everything we say, and if we ask him to do/fetch something, he will. There are times when we discover he understands a word and wonder how he possibly came to learn it - he must pick up so much more than we realise. It is so incredible to actually be able to communicate with him and do fun things together!
The Lovely Stuff: Henry is a delight. He is just the
happiest little boy and really demonstrates to Matt and I how much he loves us. I adore the moments when he runs to us, an excited little grin on his face, throws his chubby arms around us and squeezes our necks so tight (stroking our hair too, if he's feeling extra loving!) It makes me so happy to see him happy, it really is the best feeling.
He is as loving as ever, giving us cuddles and kisses, looking after his beloved bunny by tucking him up, brushing his hair and pretending to feed him. I love our family morning times, when we bring him to our bed after he's woken and enjoy snuggles and lots of giggles as he rolls around the bed with glee as we tickle him. It is the sweetest thing when he says mama and reaches his arms up for a cuddle. Sometimes I hear him call for me in the morning when Matt collects him from his cot, and it melts my heart. He waves and says bye bye to both people and places when we leave somewhere.
Then there's Henry's wild side. He is a rambunctious little boy, craving rough and tumble time with his daddy. I love to watch Henry and Matt together, and their blossoming relationship. Henry loves to be chased, which always results in fits of laughter, and he loves to initiate a tickle fight/wrestling match - which usually ends with Matt sporting some injuries!
Henry was also an absolute dream on the flight to the USA. He enjoyed the toys I'd packed for him, and spent the entire time happily playing, watching some CBeebies and even managed an hour's nap. There were no tantrums and no tears - it could not have gone better and we were so proud of him.
The Difficult Stuff: The toddler discipline has begun! It's strange when they start to test boundaries and you know they're being deliberately defiant. Henry often used to do things out of curiosity and that was alright, but now we can see it in his eyes when he knows he's doing wrong. Discipline is difficult. It's not something we like doing but we know it needs to be done. We're not even too sure how to discipline a 17 month old, so it's all a bit of a guessing game. It can pull on your heart strings too, when you tell off your child. Sometimes after a stern word, Henry's little bottom lip trembles, and he runs off to stand in a corner or another room, which instantly makes you want to scoop him up and cover him with kisses. But we realise how important boundaries and consequences are for a child.
Classes: We've already scouted out some toddler classes so I can draw up some kind of plan for our weeks. Now that Henry is a fully fledged toddler he is so full of energy and wants to be on-the-go constantly. Luckily, there are plenty of parks around us, plus rhyme time at the library, and there's a lovely place especially for little ones, which incorporates music and art with play in the soft gym. I'll also be signing Henry up to a toddler swim class, as we'd like him to be confident in water so he can enjoy the pool and beach once summer rolls around.
Sleep: Henry's dropped down to one nap now, so it took a little while to find a new rhythm to our day as it always does when something in his routine changes. After arriving in America, we had a few early starts and nap time refusals, which was understandable after all the big changes he'd been through, but thankfully he's now settled down.
Milestones: Henry has always been a chatterbox, but his vocabulary is growing by the day. His most recent words are 'balloon' (they're just about the best thing he's ever encountered), 'please' (oh so cute!) and 'bath time,' but at a guess, I think he can say around 30 words now. He's had plenty of molars come through, so I think we're now only a few teeth short of a full set. He can run, climb, use a fork and communicate his wants and desires with us.
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We love this little boy so much. We tell him about 500 times a day (always hoping that he'll say it back!) but really we could never say it enough. My little ray of sunshine.
