Eli - Twenty Months

This boy has officially been in our lives for 20 months.



And what a fantastic 20 months it has been.



If I had to summarize where we are in toddlerhood I'd say Eli is a passionate, strong willed and inquisitive little boy. From sun up to sun down, he's either exploring something, imitating us, loving on his favorite toys/DVDs or throwing a temper tantrum. Rarely is there a chill moment around here and to be perfectly honest with you, I like it [minus the temper tantrums of course!]. As tiring as it can get, I just love watching Eli's brain go a mile a minute.... not a day goes by that he isn't learning something new, displaying a new skill, speaking a new word or making us laugh like crazy. The newborn stage is sacred and precious in its own way but I'm definitely a fan of the toddler years. It's so incredibly fun and my heart almost bursts when Eli expresses his love for us in his own little way. Am I crazy to admit that every night while I lay in bed I think of my babies and just smile? I love these munchkins so so much. They are my life!



You know how each kid has their "thing"? I think it's safe to say that for Eli it would be, hands down, music. If I had to put money on it, my boy is going to have the largest iTunes library in the world or be in a band. I suppose I should have seen it coming when he started busting a move months ago without anyone teaching him this. The stuff he picks up truly amazes me. At times we'll have the TV on in the background not even paying attention to it and Eli's head spins around the second he hears a quirky commercial or the opening song to a show. I don't even pick up on these things until he brings them to my attention. Do you guys remember the TJ Maxx/Marshall's Christmas commercial with all the singing and dancing? Yeah, I can't even tell you how many times I *had* to rewind and replay it. Like hundreds. Every night. Over and over and over again. It came to the point where I cringed and frantically tried to distract Eli the second it came on.



Along those same lines, Eli is crazy obsessed with his Praise Baby DVDs which is funny because I thought we retired those things a few months ago. However, several times a day now he turns the dvd player on and hands us the remote. Again, I'm pretty sure this has to do with the music since he gets a huge grin on his face the second it starts. I love that he loves *these* dvds but we really try to limit the amount of tv watching around here. But I will admit, this obsession is a lifesaver when I have to nurse Gabriella or if Eli is having a rough afternoon and we need to recharge.

Since we're heading down to Florida next month and freaking out about the 3 hour flight, Jim and I have tried to get Eli hooked on other videos from the library. We've tried everything - Sesame Street, Elmo, Cookie Monster, The Wiggles - and nothing capture his attention. Nothing. But last week Jim came home with a video on...you guessed it...music and Eli is absolutely mesmerized. He can just sit and stare at the television for the whole 30 minutes while some lady talks about rhythm, tempo and harmony. It's kind of cool to see his preference for things. And it's safe to say that his favorite Christmas gifts are the music set he got from my parents and a mini radio from Jim's parents. As a side note to parents, this is fabulous. The songs, while cheesy, aren't annoying and actually pretty enjoyable. We sing them all day long here in the Weiss household :) [Oh man, when I did I become that suburban mom?!]


[Jim had just assembled our new double stroller and Mr. Man decided to climb in it]

I've said it here before - Eli hasn't been in a rush to talk which has been a bit frustrating, especially when he gets mad and we ask him to tell us what's wrong. But in these past few months we're finally beginning to see some major dialog going on. He of course says all those common first words - mama, dada, papa, nana, doggie, hi, bye-bye etc. And now we're mastering a whole bunch of other words like banana [naner], dinner [ninner], bath [ba], 123, yes, up, help, Gabby and others that don't come to mind at the moment. His understanding is pretty spectacular and I'm certain he comprehends everything I say since he responds with the appropriate action almost all the time. He's also extremely well at taking our hands and guiding us to what he wants/needs which is both a blessing and a curse. For one, this has eliminated a lot of frustration on his part and he's able to calmly communicate his needs to us. On the other hand, I can only handle so many pulls and tugs to the refrigerator for milk. I think I begin to lose it around the 20th attempt.

We're definitely heading into temper tantrum city over here. I guess I shouldn't be shocked...don't most parents have to deal with this? And as strong willed as Eli is, it was only a matter of time before they arrived. Luckily, we haven't ventured into those really gnarly meltdowns that involve hitting or biting. Instead, Eli just lets out this horrid, ugly scream-slash-grunt followed by "dadadadadadadadadadadada" [which is odd since Jim disciplines Eli just as much as me]. If you can even imagine that... It's pretty embarrassing when it happens in public and just today I received one of my first rude stares. Clearly the woman didn't understand and I was in no mood to apologize. At home we're handling these tantrums with time outs and serious talks and when we are out, I just turn on my seething mom glare and pray for the best until we're alone. On the other hand, Jim and I are making a conscious effort to praise Eli for good behavior. When he behaves we tell him what a good, big boy he is and that mommy and daddy really appreciate how he handled himself. I actually think this works and is beneficial since Eli gets feedback on both bad AND good behavior. He's not actually two yet though so we'll see where these tantrums go.....



While I may have my struggles with a strong willed child, I have been BLESSED beyond measure in the sleep department. BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! [Now watch, I just jinxed myself.] We've rarely, if ever, have bed time battles. In fact, it's just the opposite. After bath, jammies and a few books Eli excitedly runs to his crib and attempts to climb in. As I snuggle him in with Teddy and a few blankets, Eli just looks up and smiles at me. I'm still waiting for the night when he freaks the heck out and gives me a doozy of a time but that's yet to happen. He sleeps the whole night without a single peep and wakes between 7 and 8 am. It's glorious, people. I'm not sure if this is due to his own natural tendencies or efforts on our part, but regardless we are so thankful and just *pray* that it lasts. So far we've weathered teething, colds, and a brand new baby and have come through unscathed in the sleep department. Is it premature to say the worst is over and we might just have an excellent sleeper on our hands?

Oh, we started swim lessons this month! This really wasn't Eli's first encounter with water since he's been in my parents' pool several times. But we thought it was great way to keep Eli busy and active during these cold winter months. His favorite part is, of course, all the cheesy singing. As soon as we finish a song, he frantically signs "more" and makes it known he is ticked when we move on to the next activity. I'm not gonna lie...sometimes I just want to dunk the kid to bring him back to his senses. But I don't and instead remove him from pool for a time out which is fabulous when you have a window full of doting spouses and grandparents watching. And I'm not going to even tell you about the time when Eli ran away from me on the wet, slippery pool deck while I frantically chased him in front of lifeguards and parents. Oh yes, I have *that* kid.



As always I have to end with how Eli is responding to Gabriella. Again, blessed is the only word that comes to mind because we are three months in and he still adores her. He constantly wants to kiss her, put a nuk in her mouth or cover her with a blanket. Since he's basically a bull in a china shop these days, we're always reminding him to be gentle and watch where he's stepping but I know he intends nothing but love for his little sister. I'm really looking forward to watching these two grow up together. I have visions of dance parties and movie nights and sleeping in forts. It's going to be awesome. I just know it :)



Happy 20 months little guy!



As always, mama loves.