Vessel Update

Vessel is going to be 20 months this Saturday. This kid is not my baby anymore. He's my little man. He just seems so grown up. He's talking like crazy. He just learned the word "Jesus" so now whenever he sees a picture of Jesus he'll say it over and over. And if we say "It's time for prayer" he'll fold his little arms like a doll. It's so cute. He also knows how to say "thank you" and whenever he gives us something, he'll tell us "thank you" when it should be the other way around. But he is learning. He's very into bodily functions lately. He knows the words "poop," "diaper," and "potty" and lets us know when he needs changed by patting the front of his diaper or putting his hands down his pants. A few weeks ago he pulled some poop out of his diaper and had it on his hands and came up to Mike to show him. Mike was none too pleased with the whole thing, but at least Vessel understands there's something going on down there. We have wanted to start potty training for a few months now, but with all the chaos of moving we just haven't gotten around to it. We think he's totally ready though, so once we settle down a bit more in this apartment we are going to start potty training. He also knows the words "booger," "tissue," "sneeze," and "garbage." He'll ask for a tissue if his nose itches and he'll pretend to blow it and then say "garbage." When he sees me blowing my nose he'll ask "booger?" He's starting to put words together now like "more juice" or "bye-bye Daddy" or "poop yucky." He also knows some new animal words like elephant and lion. He knows some more food words like oranges, cereal, yogurt and he also knows the words "messy" and "sticky." He likes to ask me to open stuff for him all the time and he'll just sit there begging "omen, omen, omen?" which is his way of saying "open." He also knows the words "attack," "tickle," and "hug." I enjoy telling him to attack Mike because he'll try with all his might to push Mike over or jump on top of him. It's really funny.
He's adopted a new thing lately. Instead of saying "Mom" or "Dad" like he used to, he's been adding a long drawn out "EEEEEEEE!!!" to the end of these words. So when he wants one of us it's now "Mom-eeeeeee!" or "Dad-eeeeeeee!" And you all know the Spongebob pillow that he loves so much? Well, he's got 2 of them now that he can't be separated from. Wherever he goes, the "Bobs" go with him. He'll drag them around the house, to the store, and he'll insist on eating with them or even bathing with them (even though I tried to tell him that Bob can't swim.) Anyway, it seems like he's become more attached to them especially since the move. They are his loveys and I guess I can't deny him of something that is familiar to him or that is comforting. So most of the time I don't mind when he wants to take them everywhere. But the other day we left the house and at the bottom of the stairs he realized he didn't have his "Bobs" with him so he panicked and starting whining "Bob-eeeeee! Bob-eeeeee!" It was hard not to laugh. So now he calls them his "Bobbies." It's actually really sweet, even if I get tired of lugging a kid, 2 pillows, and 5 bags of groceries up the stairs. It's great. :)
He seems to be adjusting better to the move now. It must be hard on little kids when everything in their world totally changes. He's got a different apartment and a different room and different kids in the nursery to play with. And with Mike's new schedule he doesn't get to see his Daddy as often as before when Mike got to work from home most mornings. And I'm sure he senses the stress that I've been under the past week. The first week we were here he had a meltdown at least once a day. I have never seen him that way. I'm sure it was a combination of things. The move, the stress that Mike and I were under, another tooth coming in, and most likely the "terrible twos" that everyone mentions.
Vessel is even more defiant than before. He'll tell us "No" on a regular basis. No if I ask for a kiss, no if I want him to stop playing with Scotch tape, or no when I tell him we have to stop playing and go inside for bed. Plus, he wants to do everything himself. He's becoming quite the self-sufficient little guy. :) He can brush his own teeth now without our help. He can also wash his hands by himself by getting up on the toilet and leaning over the sink. He loves to make "bahboos" (bubbles.) Mr. Independent won't eat anything unless he gets to feed himself. He doesn't want any help at all. So I let him do it and then I usually end up with a huge mess, but how else is he supposed to learn, right? Before, I'd let him use a fork to eat cut up bananas or other fruit, bread, hot dogs and stuff like that. But now he wants to use the spoon for all the messy stuff like applesauce and oatmeal. Although, most days it seems like he hardly eats anything because he's going through a picky stage. A good way to get him to eat is letting him dip his food. He loves to dip, and that's a sure-fire way to get him to eat. Like if I just give him some cut up bagel he probably won't eat it, but if I give him a dish of yogurt to dip them in, he'll have a hay day. He's a dipper.
Vessel hates being pushed around in the cart at the store. He will fight to get the strap undone and beg for me to let him out so he can walk around. If I do let him out he thinks it's great to help me push the cart. He likes to walk around and do his own thing, which is his independent side coming out.
He loves to run and jump and explore. He loves to play on the big kid equipment at the park. He is a pro at climbing up and down the stairs. He can open doors now (if he can reach the door knobs.) He is fascinated with keys and tries to put my keys in every door knob in the apartment. He always wants to help me unlock the doors when we get home. I gave him some plastic keys to play with because when he plays with my keys he always manages to hit the alarm button for one of the cars and then it goes off for 20 minutes before I realize that the annoying car alarm is ours! So now he takes those plastic keys and tries to open up doors with them. His imagination is expanding bigger and faster. He is still interested in the same things he was a few months ago, like drawing and reading books, only now his imagination is developing more and he actually tells me what he sees and hears or what he's drawing. Like he'll scribble some incomprehensible thing and point to it and tell me its a bird or a fish. I am just amazed by that. If he thinks he drew a bird, who am I to say he didn't?
He's so smart and understands pretty much everything we say. He picks up on many things, and I find myself having to spell out certain words like C-A-N-D-Y, because if he hears that word he won't be quiet until he gets some. :)
He is becoming such a big helper lately. He wants to help me do everything. I usually have the patience to let him help me, like put dirty clothes into the hamper, or put books and toys away. I figure that even if it takes more time, it's still good for him to learn these things. He wants to help me make dinner too, so I'll set him up on a chair next to the counter where I'm working and he'll merrily jabber on while I cut up vegetables and what-not.
Not only is his mind growing, but physically he is getting taller and lankier. It's been about 4 months since his last hair cut so his hair is also getting long again and so I like to give him a cute fauxhawk similar to the one he had when he was younger. We consistently get comments on it like it's the most peculiar thing anyone's ever seen. I really don't know why. Is it really that uncommon for a little boy to have spiky hair?
That's about all I can think to update y'all on the boy at this time. He's just a cute kid. That's all there is to it. Even on his bad days. :)
Here are some recent pictures to prove it:

Kissing my cousin's cute little baby girl. He calls everyone his size or smaller a "beh-beee."
Swinging like a big boy!
With his best friend Daddy.
Helmet head.

This was Vessel's first time swimming since he was about 9 months old. He was pretty neutral about the whole idea, as he is with most things. Not afraid of it, but not all that excited about it either. Just, meh. I mean, I think he enjoyed it, it just doesn't show on his cute little face, ya know?
Here is Daddy helping him get used to the water.

I got these cute little swim trunks for him last week. Aren't they adorable?

Ready to venture out on his own!

Taking a breather.

What a heartbreaker!