life with max: 21 months.
I know I sound like such a broken record but I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS BABE IS 21 MONTHS.
I don’t. I just don’t.
Eeeep. Spoiler alert: I still want to eat him up.
So, I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve really loved every stage with Max. But more than once in the last few months, Eddie and I have both said how much we absolutely adore this age so much. It’s so much fun watching Max get excited about things he loves, learn new things, repeat every single thing we say, heck he even speak in full sentences most of the time. I had no idea what to expect at this age but he is just such a little person. I love it.
The sweetest thing is watching him with Eddie. He loves dada so much and it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. He gets SO excited when Eddie comes home from work. It’s seriously heart melting.
I always thought it was suuuuper annoying before I had a kid that everyone went by “months” for ages, but I now understand why. Just saying that Max is one year old is such a broad statement and he is incredibly different at this age than he was at 18 months!
One thing that just boggles my mind is how much he talks and how well he talks. He understands everything and he often says words that I haven’t said for days. I guess I am just really surprised at this because he doesn’t have tons of interaction with other kids at the moment (not daily interaction or anything) since he doesn’t have siblings. But maybe that’s because I’ve basically talked to him like an adult since he was born… ha? I actually find myself so annoying when we are out because I talk to him the.entire.time. Like at the grocery store, at the mall, running every errand imaginable – he knows exactly what we’re doing.
His favorite place is Target, so there’s that.
My favorite thing that he has been doing for the last month is pointing out people’s possessions. Or what he *thinks* are their possessions. For instance, he always points to my water bottle and says “that’s a mama’s!” and one day he dragged a protein pancake box out of the pantry and yelled “that’s a dada’s!” I just die. It is my absolute favorite thing and I never want him to stop. And I never want to forget it. He does it with EVERYTHING and his little voice is a dream.
Food
Max is still a pretty decent eater. Last time I wrote an update, I shared that I was afraid he had started to head into some toddler pickiness. I learned about a week later that the rest of his teeth were coming in and I think that pickiness was mostly due to teething because he went back to eating normally – or normally for us, anyway.
Now, I mean, don’t get me wrong, he is still picky over certain things (he’s been obsessed with meatballs since he was six months old and last night he threw every piece on the floor without tasting them), but in general he still eats pretty well! And he eats everything – but lately he’s been tossing the broccoli off the chair too. I am still giving him everything we eat, within reason of course.
He loves yogurt and eats yogurt every morning for breakfast, alone with some peanut butter toast and maybe banana. He ate eggs every morning for months but is over them for the moment. Lunch might be leftovers from dinner, some sort of sandwich (almond butter + jelly/grilled cheese + veg or pickles/etc), whatever fruit and veggies we have on hand, some crackers or cracker-like breadsticks, string cheese or a combo like that.
I make so many recipes that it really depends and varies every single day!
One snack he still absolutely loves are any kind of cereal bars. Right now we are loving the Happy Tot Fiber + Protein bars, and he still looooooves the Plum Organics Mighty 4 Bars. Like it’s not rare for him to ask for three or four a day, so it’s a constant battle to keep them out of his eyesight and find real food in that moment!
Sleep
Welp, Max fiiiinally slept through the night at 20 months old and it was on our first night of vacation. I think he was completely wiped from running around all day and being outside in the sun for such an extended period of time, plus a relaxed nap schedule. He slept from about 7:30 to 4:30 which was amazing and unreal.
Since then, he has done it a few more times but as I write this, last night he was awake from 2AM to 5AM. It was kind of hilarious because he kept screaming that he wanted “mama to put on her glasses.” Like, what? Ha!
I’m still nursing him and have moments of realizing that it’s almost over, and get so freaking sad. It’s been such a wonderful experience for us and I feel really lucky and thankful about that. I only nurse him maybe around twice a day – always in the morning and then either in the afternoon or in the evening before bed. Eddie does bedtime often, so sometimes I’ll nurse Max in the late afternoon and then not again until the morning. I can already tell that the morning will be really hard for him to give up.
Play
Max is still wild about any and every type of car, truck, tractor, bus or van. The amount of small cars I step on daily is horrifying. He loves books, all wooden blocks and anything he can push or pull. He climbs unlike any toddler I have ever seen. Seriously, it is to a point that is dangerous. We have a very high bar in the kitchen and he can climb UP the bar stools and on to the actual bar. He is a lunatic.
His favorite thing to do is be outside – it doesn’t matter what we are doing, he just loves to be OUT! It’s a nightmare to get him in the house and it’s when he throws the biggest fits. He absolutely loooooves to swim and splash in water. He loves to pick up rocks and he can point out every bug crawling on the driveway.
P.S. you can find our 18 month favorites here… we are still loving everything in that post. I considered doing one at 21 months but don’t have many new-to-us items, so the next one will probably be 2 years. WAH!
I already miss every other day that I’ve had with him. I miss every day as it passes. Does that sound insane? Much like I wrote about in the beginning, I am literally soaking up every single minute I have with him, as much as I can. I appreciate it and intentionally LIVE those moments yet they still go way too fast and I still feel like I’m missing something. I already miss every stage and day, even the hard ones! I find myself nostalgic over the most ridiculous things.
On the days where it feels like I just can’t tackle everything (even though every single day I swear that I can!) I need to do, I really just try to remind myself that this stage is still so short and it will pass. I mean, I think I can give up a few work commitments because in two (maybe even one?!) years he will be going to school and in five years he will be in school all day and not here with me – all day. When I think about that, it blows my mind – like I can’t actually fathom him not being here with me all day. I can’t even imagine it! That brings me back down to earth and makes me realize what I need to focus on daily.
Although, yes, of course sometimes I throw us both in the car just so I can sit… in a seat… by myself… and drink coffee.
AH. I just feel so freaking lucky to have him. He has saved me more than I can even express in the last 21 months. He is the best babe! xoxo
19 Comments on “life with max: 21 months.”
I wanted to freeze my baby at every stage but at the same time I couldn’t wait for the next one…
Aww, I say this every update you do, but his personality sounds a lot like my 22 month old girl’s! She’s an amazing climber/ little adventurer too and loves the outside, playing in water, books etc as well. We’re in Australia so starting Spring and I can’t wait to do lots of summery outdoor things with her! She’s in daycare 2x days a week (which she LOVES, she learns so much there & has a best friend there, super cute), but last night my husband suggested increasing that to 3 days a week, and I may have cried a little, so I completely understand you wanting to have him around you always! We’re expecting a boy in early January, so I’m excited but also scared/ nervous about how my girl is going to take it!
You should have another one!! Also, since you’re super woman, you could have him home schooled…. Just sayin’.
Just want to say that I think it is amazing you’re nursing at 21 months!! I am at 15 months and question if I should keep going. Your post has reassured me that I should! Max is adorable and you are one amazing mama!
Completely agree! You are a complete rockstar!! Do you have to pump as well to keep supply up? My daughter is only 8 mos, so we are still nursing a lot. As I think ahead, I’m just curious how it all works…
thank you both! i do have to admit though, the nursing has come somewhat easy so i’ve been really lucky that it hasn’t been a struggle to get milk.
bethany, max was also still nursing a LOT at 8 months. i stopped pumping around 7 or 8 months because my supply was established and since i was home with him and nursed him on demand, i felt comfortable with stopping. i had a lot of milk in the freezer and was at a point where it was physically comfortable to stop pumping.
i’ve been away one night before and am traveling in the next month, and i will probably quickly pump in the morning and evening just to maintain supply. he might naturally wean at that time, being away from me though! i’m just sort of playing it by ear. :)
That’s such a sweet statement – that you miss each day as it passes, how incredible to feel that way! I don’t have kids, but what definitely looks so fun about it is getting to experience being a kid again through them. Like, you get to be a kid again in some ways, and that would be really neat. He is basically the cutest one alive. Those eyes!!
thanks sarah! :)
I’m at the point of pre-missing my kids as college is almost here. How is it even possible to miss something that hasn’t even happened yet?!? Every stage is better than the last… Enjoy every minute you can.
i completely get this!! thanks chris, i absolutely am. :)
I just want to say I really appreciate these updates. I’m 36 weeks pregnant with our first, and so many people love to tell me the horror stories of parenting (“you’ll never sleep again!”). While I don’t think parenting will be easy by any means, your positive posts at every stage and reading about how much love you have for Max is like a breath of fresh air. I already get teary thinking about meeting the baby, (hello hormones!) and cried a little reading about how you already miss each day. It’s a good reminder to cherish every moment :)
I second this! I’m only 7 weeks pregnant and feel like I hear SO many horror stories about how tough it’s going to be, no sleep, etc. And while I’m sure most of that is totally true to some degree, it makes me so happy and excited to read these posts focusing on the amazing parts of this journey! And I definitely cried a little over it as well – gotta love these hormones :)
He is such a doll! My son is almost 15 months, and I love reading all about Max and what I can look forward to. I cry at all of your posts as well because the time does go by so fast! It seems like I was holding a newborn just yesterday, and now he is a busy little person. I also appreciate your positive attitude because we tend to hear and dwell on all the downsides of parenting.
Thank you and enjoy all the baby love! :)
Pingback: Currently Crushing On. | How Sweet It Is
Squeeeeee! What a cutie. My son is 26 months right now and we say the same thing. This is by far our favorite age! When he was Max’s age he still wasn’t talking much, so it was tantrums galore because he couldn’t communicate. Now he can tell us what he wants and he is a complete joy. Enjoy that sweet little boy. They are the best!
I wasnt around other kids till i was 5 1/2, learned to read, write, and count via cribbage, blackjack, and solitaire, I was good by 5, so I was ahead for kindergarten. I became the pariah, the outcast, because of it. Still don’t do well with kids, and I have a son. My great nephew, 4 months, I love to bits, but he’s an exception. Please get Max socialised as soon as possible with other kids, he’s so cute, and smart, I hate the thought of another having to suffer as I did. Ill be 61 the 19th December, we lived in a tiny railroad area, all kids were in school, till I came along.
Enjoy every second of it while you can! The older they get the quicker time goes by and before you know it , they are gone and a senior in college……just saying…. Love your blog
I love your updates! It’s so nice to hear some great reminders that each stage is so short even if it feels long in the moment. My daughter is just a few months older than max and I stopped nursing around 21 months. I was so sad to stop but was 3 months pregnant at the time and really felt like my body couldn’t sustain growing a baby, nursing a toddler, and being a fun, functioning mom. The Morning nursing was by far the hardest to give up. It was the first thing she did every morning and the first morning I said no, she was very sad. BUT! It was way easier than I expected. I explained to her why we weren’t nursing, told her I understood it was hard, came up with another snugly morning ritual and by day three she didn’t even ask. She still talks about mama milk and we’ll see if she gets jealous when the new little one arrives, but really it was so much easier than I expected. My reason for posting though: when we stopped nursing our girl, who never once in her life slept past 5 am and woke up repeatedly at night, started sleeping until 6 or 7 am! Not a reason to stop but might be an added bonus for you when you do :) thanks again for sharing both your life and food with us!
I stumbled upon your blog years ago and have followed you ever since. Then I felt like kindered spirits when you announced your pregnancy. I have a 20 month old and always look to your favs list at every stage. I’m so proud of you (is that weird to say to an Internet friend…eh… stranger?) for your upcoming cookbook, but can’t handle having to wait until spring 2018!!