21 months old

Asher is struggling with the sudden limitations put on our nursing relationship. I decided to let him nurse at will as long as I've eaten enough recently. From what I've heard, nursing may make morning sickness easier to bear, although nursing him first thing in the morning hasn't gone well for me so far.

He is really funny and so into everything! He learned to climb his sister's loft bed.

He brings me a blanket and a book and then snuggles up to me to listen to the book. He will say, "Nuggle? Read?"

He really seems to understand certain situations that I thought were beyond his comprehension, like my throwing up or his needing to stay in bed a bit longer.

He's stringing words together to form sentences and he suddenly seems to know all the words! He also imitates everything we or the TV say.

He stuck his head under my skirt over and over and said "naked" each time. He often points out that people are "naked" even if just a little clothing has been removed.

He came up to me on the bed one morning and tapped me over and over saying "Mommy, Mommy!" Then when he had my attention he said, "Peshush!" (Precious)

After laughing and saying "Oh Toodles!" He said, "Tiss!" And have his Mickey a kiss.

His sister started weeping because of a chore I asked her to do and he came up to her and knelt beside her and hugged her and then asked, "K? K?" I've noticed he does that if he hears me throwing up too. He's so empathetic.

He walked up to his sister and offered her a piece of sandwich. She didn't notice so he started saying, "Hey, HEY!" to get her attention. When that didn't work he hollered, "Eat, EAT IT! EAT IT."
He meant well.

When I'm laying down sick, he will come up to me and smile and flirt or tell me something short like, "Mouse!" (Micky Mouse) or ask for a "Cookie?" Before walking away giggling.

He uses 2-3 word sentences. "I hurt! Head hurt!" For instance, when he gets a bump.

I lay down most of the time now and he notices. He came in and told me to wake up. Then said, "Nap?" Meaning he wanted to join me in the bed. He misses nursing on demand but mostly takes it well when I tell him I can't.

Me: Hey, Bud! Ready for your nap?
Baby Bear: Nope! No nap. No nap. Ssssshhhh! (Whispers) Quiet!

Baby Bear's awake and we aren't quite able to take him out of the crib yet. He's using all the words in his arsenal to get out: "Mommy! Daddy! Bible? Mickey Mouse? Poopy! Eggs? Eggs! Out! Outside! I love you! Mommy?"

Me: Okay, Bear, it's bedtime.
Bear: Kiss, kiss?
Me: Sure, Buddy, here's a kiss.
Bear: No, (his sister's name).

He likes bringing me food from his play kitchen. He'll go there and back to me over and over again if I keep asking him for things. He offers me cake and I ask for tea and he says, "Okay'" and runs down to get it.

My sick little man is happily singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" despite his feverish shivers. I love him so much!! (He had a virus for 3-4 days and thankfully Daddy was able to take care of him during most of that time).

Bunny: Bear, pass me the ball! Bear! Bear, the ball!
Bear: Um...no.

Baby Bear started playing his harmonica, then suddenly stopped and said, "No. Be quiet."

 We're watching Frozen, mostly because Baby Bear loves Olaf and I didn't realize how much he understands the story. He knows both of the girls names, he yelled, "Daddy!!!" when Elsa talks with her father, he said, "Cry," when they have the memorial for their parents, and when Anna's knocking on her sister's door he said, "Elsa..." I promise, we don't watch this often.

 Yesterday afternoon my hubby was at work and Baby Bear decided he wanted him.  "Daddy, Daddy?" He yelled. "Here? Daddy here?" After he had no answer and I told him a couple of times Daddy was working he ran around saying, "WAKE UP! Daddy, wake up!"

Baby Bear likes to bring me food and dishes from his fridge and warn me that it's "hot."

Sleepy, snuggly little Bear getting some well-needed time with Mommy.

The nausea is getting worse so their dinners are often scrambled eggs, heated leftovers, or frozen things.

I bought a bunch of AIO cloth diapers

The kids watch a lot of TV right now.  A LOT because I'm too nauseated to interact with them.  It's okay for now. 

Bear also gets himself into situations like this one--I don't approve of him being in here but I was too tired to fight him so I just let it happen.  His Daddy noticed him doing it, though, and laid down the law.  He is no longer allowed to climb in the ottoman. 

This is his absolutely favorite book.  It repeats a lot and he knows a lot of the words.

Reheated dinner in front of the TV.

One of the first warm days! It was so refreshing to be outside.

I let the kids dig in the garden bed.  They had such a great time.

At bedtime I put on What's in the Bible while they play and I try to sleep.  I upped their bedtime to 7pm since having awful morning sickness.

He gets into more things without my constant vigilance.  I don't know what I would do without his big sister to help me out like this.

A morning breakfast together where I was actually feeling sort of good!

He has discovered stickers and this is what he does with them.

His sister is so interactive with him. She likes to teach him stuff. 

He loves this gorilla.  He goes over and snuggles him a lot, often asking for or taking a blanket with him to do it.

A series of comparison shots of both kids at the Baby Bear's current age. I love doing this.

He and his sister play together so much more now that I'm so sick.  He is very interested in everything she does and she is so sweet and includes him most of the time.  Often she feels she can't do even her chores without his company.  She's a real social butterfly. 

One of his first times in hard-soled shoes.  He definitely felt awkward in them but he was also proud of them.

He loves this picture dictionary and brings it up to us so he can learn new words and proudly identify the ones he already knows. 

The kids love being outside and I love taking them.  It's so relaxing for all of us.  They get free-range, TV-free play, and I get the fresh air that makes my nausea all but disappear.

A snuggle during his virus. 

He was great when on Tylenol, but we didn't put him on Tylenol a lot because we wanted the fever to be able to do its job.

Sick snuggles with Daddy.

Goodbye to our old Subaru SUV...

And hello to the new, more child-friendly mini-van!

One of the ways we do bedtime--him on his pack-n-play mattress on the floor.

He climbed on top of his refrigerator.  His sister found him and joined him and I took a picture (of course) before scooting them off. 

 

Bunny did my makeup and Asher did my hair.  

 

More awesome fun outside.  These are some of the things they do together every single day we are out there.

Putting his little Donny doll on the potty.  He's very interested in the potty and if I weren't so sick right now I'd work with him on potty training more vigorously.  I just can't right now.  Occasionally I let him sit on the potty either clothed or not, but he has yet to actually do his business there.