21-month update

I don't think I did an Iver update last month, but thought that "three quarters to two" warranted a post, especially since I've been less than prolific in the writing department lately, getting ready for our upcoming vacation. 

Iver continues to be an exhausting bundle of energy and extremely strong-willed and persistent, but also has a very sweet disposition, doling out many hugs and kisses to family, schoolmates, and more while throwing whopper tantrums mere minutes later. He loves reading, playing with bubbles, opening locks/bottles, running, climbing, and playing outside or with water and dirt.

He weighs approximately 21.5 lbs (on our home scale), and is eating (in terms of quantities; he seems to have an appetite every other day or so) is much improved, and I've stopped panicking about him "failing to thrive."  He still particularly loves fruit ("gi-gi" [raisins] are his favorite), yogurt, and some strange preferences include spicy sausage, hot cheetos, and pickles. He still nurses frequently when I'm home, but doesn't drink much milk from a cup when I send it to "school," so I plan to stop pumping (finally!) soon, probably after we make it back (alive) from our trip next month (where I definitely fully intend to use nursing on the plane as a crutch and time-killer). 

He is sleeping through the night between half to three quarters of the time (the nights he wakes, we hear him and he may cry for a few minutes, but we don't intervene), which is, on average, 9.5 hours between 7:30 or 8 and 5:15 or 5:30.  We occasionally get a morning to "sleep in" until 6, but if we set the stoplight alarm clock to turn "green" at later than about 5:40, we just hear a bunch more crying with out any going back to sleep ("Mama! Papa!!"). I am an early bird, but I never thought I'd consider 6 a.m. "sleeping in." 

He usually takes one, post-lunch nap for 1-2 hours starting around 12:30 or 1, but usually at least one day per week, he's become overtired, and has a late morning nap because he can't make it until after noon.

His vocabulary is just exploding now. He says strange things like "pinch," "dirty," and "sweep." He is putting many two-word sentences together ("gogo [dog] poop" was his first actual sentence), imitates us a lot, and refers to himself as "Iya" or "Yaya" (i.e. "Iya dirty", "Iya -wah" [Iver walk]).  He can identify and say many colors (purple, "yallow", "gleen!!!!", "boo," "grey," "rah" [red]). He points our many family members in pictures and via FaceTime ("Co!", "Theresa!", "King-King").  He understands a lot of Vietnamese. He has learned the word "No" (which is far less cute than the previous "Nah") and says it very emphatically. 

He can tell us when he has to go (or went) poop, and does poop/pee on the potty regularly, but is by no means potty trained. He still fights diaper-donning with a passion, and I'd love to have him trained ASAP, but I'm not sure they can be attentive/consistent enough at daycare, and potty-training a strong-willed child before he's absolutely committed just sounds daunting (suggestions are welcome). 

We have been working on implementing loving "discipline." I just read 1-2-3 Magic and am planning to read The Soul of Discipline next.  We are hoping we can extinguish (or lessen) the everyday tantrums associated with basic functions like putting a shirt or diaper on, getting in the carseat or stroller, etc. 

Here is our goofy challenging-but-loving almost-two-year-old!

Haircut time!

Iver is loving having grandparents here this week (Kelvin's out of town at a conference)!

Colors with Bà nội