Hayden at 21 Months

WARNING: This is going to be a long post full of things I don’t want to forget about Hayden at this age.  Don’t feel bad if you get bored reading it and want to go unload the dishwasher, make the bed, or fold some laundry.  HA! 

Hayden is such a fun, yet serious little boy.  He is very inquisitive and likes to figure things out.  He is also a people watcher.  He is very cautious with some and not cautious at all with others.  He loves to be around other kids. 

He has so much love to give, yet he is very stingy with hugs when you ask for them.   Jeff does tell him, “Hayden, go love your Momma.”  Most times he is very quick to come hug my leg or neck.  So sweet!  A few nights ago, Jeff and I were playing with him in his bedroom floor and he randomly came up to both of us and gave us a kiss.  First time ever.  Melts my heart! 

Hayden is a very busy boy that drags out a lot of toys, yet he is very particular about where his toys belong.  He is very good about putting his toys/books away in their exact spot.  Wonder where he gets that from?  Ha!  We do try very hard to put toys away before we get out another one.  Same with books.  He is always shutting drawers, closet doors, etc. if they are left open.  I guess time will tell if it will stay this way!  :-)

He loves to knock on doors and open and close them.  He really likes to play hide and seek while doing this.    A few nights ago I was cooking dinner and Jeff was doing something in the living room.  It was really quiet for about 5 minutes.  So, I went on a hunt for Hayden.  I found him in his closet playing with the door shut.  I guess I had left the light on.  If not, we would have been hearing from him.  He isn’t the biggest fan of the pitch dark.  Guess he gets that from his Momma too! 

Loves for you to sing “Itsy, Bitsy Spider.”  Most of the time he won’t join in singing with you.  However, most of the time he will do some hand motions and “sing” after you are finished singing it.  He particularly likes the “washed the spider out” hand motions. 

LOVES.TO.READ.  Seriously, I think he would read all day.  Or be read to, I should say.  However, most of the time if he is quiet in his room, he has found a book and is reading.   The two books he frequently asks for by name are “La, La” {Moo, Baa, La, La, La by Sandra Boynton} and “Bu-bul” {Bubbles, Bubbles-A book he got from Aunt Mary Helen for Christmas}.

When we read Goodnight Moon now, we can hardly get past the third page “And a picture of a cow jumping over the moon.”  He always points to that house and says “Nan-Nee, Nan-Nee, Nan-Nee” and won’t turn the page.  Not sure if it is the long driveway, the cow, or the house.  Either way, I guess he associates it with Nanny and Granddaddy’s house.

Also, every time we drive by their house, he gives this pitiful “Nanny, Nanny, Nanny” while pointing out the window. 

Hayden has really gotten into electronics.  He picks up the remote and points it right at the TV.  With any camera, cell phone, or anything that looks like a camera, he will pick it up and say a very dramatic and loud “CHEESE”.  He will pick up the home phone or cell phone and say “LO” {Hello}. 

Hayden probably gets the most entertainment each day from the dogs.  He LOVES to chase them, “get” them, pull their hair, play tug of war with their toys, share his snacks with them, drive his Momma and Daddy crazy feeding them his food he has thrown off his tray, give them treats, etc.  You can usually find Chloe following him around.  Skooter pretty much hides from him unless it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner time for Hayden.

Hayden is slightly obsessed with trucks.  Trucks of any kind.  He loves to play with them.  Especially his 18-wheelers.  EVERY truck  you see on the road has a name.  “Truck”.

Hayden no longer knows how to walk.  He now runs everywhere.   Ha!

He also is obsessed with belly buttons.  He loves to raise his shirt and say “Ba-bies or Bellies”  {Belly or Belly Button}.  He likes to raise our shirt and do the same thing.  His favorite thing is to raise his shirt and ours and touch our bellies together.  Not sure why, but he does.  Back to that infant need for “skin to skin”?  When the Christmas tree was up, he would raise his shirt and rub his belly on the tree.  Weird kid!  Ha! 

He loves to chase or be chased.  He often waves at random people or random things.  He is really into throwing things.

He likes to point out “Ba-boo’s” {boo-boo} on himself or others.  This is one of his words that he says that makes me laugh every time.

Every time we go across a body of water (a lake) or he sees a lake, pond, or ocean in a book, he says “boat”.  Whether there is a boat out there or not, I guess he knows that is where they belong.

He has started trying to jump.   He will squat down and try to jump, but he isn’t quite there.  Pretty funny to watch though!  He also loves to spin in circles and walk backwards.  He has also started climbing recently.

I still think that Hayden would eat, sleep, and breathe every moment outside if he could! 

Sleep: Typically goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 PM and usually gets up between 6:45 and 7:15 AM.  Most times it doesn’t matter if he goes to bed later, he will still get up about the same time.   Most days, he takes two naps.  One in the morning around 9:30 or 10 AM.  And one in the afternoon around 2 or 3 PM.  It depends on how long his morning nap as to whether he takes an afternoon nap or not.  He will usually sleep 2-3 hours in the morning and about an hour in the afternoon.

Potty Training: We aren’t there yet.  I thought we were, but we aren’t.  He woke up a couple of times dry before I had a potty seat and I took him outside to pee and he did!  So, I thought we might be getting close.  He has gone one time in his potty seat and won’t have much to do with it now.  He will say “tee-tee”and point to his seat (that I had put in the cabinet).  So, I will get it down and he will run off.  I have tried sitting him down or letting him stand.  He doesn’t want anything to do with it.  But, it does tell me he knows what is for! 

Wears 24 months/2T clothes.  Wears size 6 diapers.  Weighs about 28 pounds. 

Has 14 teeth.  Two more will be in soon!

Eats: any fruit, sloppy joes, spaghetti (any kind), really just about any kind of pasta and sauce, chicken strips/nuggets, fries, grilled cheese, peanut butter anything, cereal bars, waffles, honey nut cheerios, quesadillas, green peas, chips.  I am sure there are more things, but that is about all I can think of.  He is still a picky eater.  He has recently discovered ranch.  He loves to dip his food in ranch or barbeque sauce but wants you to wipe his hands off from the mess it creates.  Ha!  He still doesn’t use a fork/spoon much.  He just isn’t interested.  I do offer it to him but it is usually accidently placed on the floor. 

He has started saying “Nee, Nee”.  Maybe we say “What do you need?” when he is climbing up our leg a little too much.  I have tried to change my vocabulary since he has started saying that.  I am afraid it might be a little late.  Ha!  Now, he points and says “Nee, Nee” for anything he wants or “needs”.  He also says “Moy” {more} when he needs more of something. 

Other things he says: Mama, Dada, Nanny or Nan-dee {he calls his Nanny and Granddaddy the same thing or something similar-it is hard to distinguish which one is talking about sometimes}, Nana, Ma {Mia-Cindy-Jen’s Momma}, Truck, Car, Ball{he says this with the most southern accent you have ever heard-it has about three syllables}, Lillo {Pillow}, Lello {Yellow}, No {Snow}, Na-No {No, No}, Ice, Bus, Boots, Teeth, Bye-Bye,  Dog, Star, Bellyies {Belly}, Moon, Non {Of, off, or down…you have to use context clues for this one}, Daer {Deer}, Der {tractor}, Te {eat}, Te {key}, Me-No {I have yet to figure out what he means when he says this}, block, me, hot, sli {slide}, bu {bug}, trees, Moan {Come on}, Mo {Milk}, Bi {bite}, dark, light.

I feel like he says parts of a lot of words.  I am sure many more than I have listed.  He really hasn’t started putting a lot words together to make a “sentence”.  Seems like he should be doing that now.  It is hard not to compare your kid to others, but maybe he will start that soon!  I am ready for him to say “Love you!”  He hears that a few times a day.  :-)

Hayden Luke, You keep us on our toes, but keep us in stitches too.  You are the light of our life.  WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!   Only three more months until your BIRTHDAY!