SEVENTEEN months

Sal turned 17 months in yet another country--Indonesia. By next month he'll be done with his worldwide jet setting, and will celebrate the next few monthly milestones in China. We have a trip planned to the USA again in the end of September, but as for summer 'round here, we're gonna cruise through and enjoy a break from jet lag and climbing the walls of airplanes for a few months.

Month seventeen has been both extremely rewarding, and challenging at the same time. Sal's vocabulary is growing little by little, and the looks on Nick and my faces when we showed him a duck one day and he said "duck" Clear as day was priceless. I didn't even know he knew what ducks are. Apparently he does. He is a good timin' kid, much like his dad. When he is having fun, he's doing it full throttle. He laughs, smiles and screeches to show his enjoyment for anything from going to the park to shaking a cup full of goldfish til it empties on the floor. He loves to empty containers and put the contents back in. I'm hoping this transfers to putting toys away soon. 

As for the challenging part of month 17? 

Temper tantrums.

In full force. Anywhere and everywhere. I know that this is the age when toddlers start to figure out how to manipulate their environment, so I try to keep in mind that the tantrums are just his way of learning how to be a little man. It's our job to guide him by providing choices, consequences and consistency...and really, just leading by example--which is easier said than done. I've got the mouth of a sailor at times, and the last thing I want is to hear is my son saying something wildly inappropriate at the most unfortunate time. 

His new words this month have been:

Up

Hot

Byyyye dad

Duck

Pretty

He went in a swimming pool for the first time while in Bali, and he also got to take a dip in both the Indian Ocean and the Bali sea during the same trip. He took to the water like a moth to a flame, and once he realized the garden outside our hotel room lead to the pool it was time for me to put my running shoes on to keep up with him as he would sprint toward the water every time we were out on our porch. We were really happy to see how comfortable he became in the pool, and hope to get him in swim lessons soon. 

Since we travelled so much this past month, I allowed Sal to use my iPad during flights. His favorite app? Talking Tom and Talking Ginger, the cats that you can speak to and then they repeat. There was a lot of high pitched screeching going on, but it was so cute to watch.

Sal continues to be a social little guy. He goes through periods of shyness, but he generally likes people and attention. He loves older children, and even showed some maturity from baby to toddler when he offered toys to my friend's younger son. Let's just hope this continues when he has a sibling to share with. 

Last month someone had emailed me about breaking the bottle habit, asking how it was going...

My answer in short.. They still exist.

This is a "mom" habit, not a Sal thing. His only "must have" is his blue blanket....but I keep on with routine and have not stopped the naptime and bedtime bottles yet. Why is change sometimes harder for the parents? I guess because he doesn't "need" it, I feel like its okay to continue on with the bottle, but then again, do I really want a two year old drinking bottles of milk at night? Plus, its easy. I know that after bottle time, he will go to sleep. Naptime and bedtime is precious. I'm sort of afraid of messing with something that has been working for us.

But i know...i have to change the routine. Didn't I say that last month? 

Here's to breaking the bottle by month eighteen!