19 months on THE day

Mateo is 19 months. I just told someone he was turning 17 months. I mixed up in my head that 6 months was half a year, so it made sense that 10 (months in a year?)+6+1=17.

I even snapped a photo of him today. Right now he loves getting his picture taken and then he wants to see it on the preview on my camera.

This has been a busy month. Mateo is busy. Poor guy gets bored being home alone with mommy. He wants to have visitors, go out or see friends (of any age).

He has learned to open doors, which spices life up. Now mommy can't shut him in the living room to run upstairs or let him play in his room while I throw in a load of laundry. It means I carry him up and down the stairs more, since I can't trust him anywhere alone. Thankfully he can't open the gate upstairs yet!

Mr. Mateo is an observant fellow. He watches everything to learn how to do it. It is so cute. One of my favorite things about him right now! BUT, challenging. Example: I cut a thread. No big deal. 1 minute later I heard *snip*snip* Little guffer saw where I put the scissors and had already snatched them out of the drawer and had cut into his pants (one of the VERY few that I actually bough myself!) It is one of our games; we make actions and see how he imitates them.

He is also imitating sounds. His new word is "Baby." He said "Amen" a few weeks ago. Today he kept saying "Ek-e" for "Lekker" (yummy).

Man can he make himself clear! I talk to him all day and ask lots of questions. He has mastered shaking and nodding his head. I thought at first it was coincidence, but he means what he does! If I ask "Do you want a yogurt?" it is always a nod. When I offer other things to him he viciously shakes his head and said "neeeee!." (No!)

Last Sunday he go this first haircut! Daddy did such a good job. I was sleeping, but heard that Mateo sat very nicely (shocking).

I am always surprised how well Mateo can play. He loves Little People. He always matches up the people in the cars or sticks them into their house. Any other toys that are around the same size he puts into the house as well. This morning he played a good half an hour with Polly Pockets. He thought it was fun to carry them around, open them all up, shut them, carry them to a different table and open them all up. His car and truck he can drive around are possibly his favorite toys. Or balls? Hard to say.

His arms seem to have grown (or the sleeves on everything shrunk). His legs and truck seem the same, but almost every t-shirt I put on looks too small. I just throw a sweatshirt over and no one else notices.

Posing for me (pre-haircut, see how fluffy it is in the back)

Showing off his trick (emptying the wet wipes)

19 months, showing off for the camera.

Mateo has been a little sick this week. He loves playing with his inhailers.

Until next month!

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Never Seen Before

I just scanned in all Mateo's portraits for his photobook. Here is one we had done in November.

18 Months

It was Mateo's half birthday yesterday. I thought of having a party (same story as his 6 month birthday), but just didn't get around to it. I was even thinking of making cupcakes or a cake, but this cold killed all movitation.

Here is his updated weight/height. I was sure last time we measured he was 87 cm, but I can never do it as precise as the doctor.

12.8 kilogram = 28.219 lb

85 centimeter = 33.464 in

He seems to have a longer upper body and shorter legs. In general he would be a size 86 (which matches his height), but pants that size are too long, so he is still mainly in 80 and even a few 74's. His tops are 86/92. So he is actually right now, seemingly, normal.

His feet grew finally, so he is wearing 21's/5, but I think Crocs must run small, because he is wearing a 6 and 7 from there.

Mateo gave me hugs this week! He is NOT a cuddly guy, but I am trying to 'train' him to give hugs. I put his arms around my neck and talk to him. He finally left his arms there and was hugging me. It was so sweet.

This morning I said "Where is your baba?" and he repeated "Baba," So that could be another word he can say.

The throwing issue is a *little* bit better.

He copies so many things that we do. I laugh all the time at what he notices and how he tries to repeat it. Yesterday, for example, his toy rolled uner the the couch, so I took the broom and stuck it under to push the toy out. Later in the evening, he was laying on the ground, sticking the broom under the couch.

A very good part of this imitating phase is that he likes to 'help.' So when we clean up, if he sees me putting things away, he starts putting things away. When I unload the dishwasher, he takes things and puts them in the cabinets or hands them to me and when we put the laundry on the heating to dry, he takes all the socks and puts them on the heater for me.

His hair is finally growing!

Baby's 2nd Christmas

It was fun to see Mateo experience Christmas this year. I put up some lights in the living room thinking he would enjoy them, but he paid them no attention. About 2 week ago he finally noticed and now when he walks in and they are off he screams and points until I turn them on and then he runs to the other ones and grunts until I turn them on also.

In his chair from Gma/gpa

Christmas morning, breakfast with Auntie, Uncle, Cousins

Gent Christmas Market with cousins

Christmas Eve at Auntie's, with Oma/Opa

Family Christmas-Dec 16-he got a cleaning set, so he can stop stealing mine!

Sweater from Auntie G-arrived 2 days ago.

Another sweater from her, Duplos from American realatives

17 months

Mateo turned 17 months right before Christmas, so his post is once again delayed.

He received this t-shirt from his Canadian relatives. I love it! He was singing and later I gave him daddy's microphone, but I didn't get a photo of that. This is a typical face of his. He loves to 'sing' when he hears music and when he knows we are watching him. We are his biggest fans of course.

Words
Mama, baba (papa), dag (day/bye in Dutch), kijk (look), uh-oh

He responds very well to "num-num" and "bye-bye." The first he will go to his high chair or come from whatever he is doing and the 2nd he will head to the door and try to find his shoes and jacket.

Eating
He is still a good eater. Not a fan of cheese, but he eats it sometimes. Mandarines are his favorite. I wonder how many he would eat if I let him have as many as he wants. Thankfully they are small and healthy. I think he eats about 4 a day. 

He is doing very well feeding himself. We are getting to the point where he prefers to do it alone, rather than me doing it.

Something we are having a little problem with is that he likes to throw his things and as soon as he is done or not getting enough attention he starts throwing his food/spoon/dish, whatever he can find.

Throwing
I figuring this should be a paragraph to itself, because it is something we deal with all day. Maybe he will be in the MLB some day and I will remember these times. Whenever he is frustrated, he picks up the first things his hand finds and he hurls it across the room. He broke a vase at our aunts this way and a few dishes at home.

He also likes to throw for fun. If he sees us toss something in the laundry basket, he wants to toss something also.

This means he is a fan of balls. Daddy likes to play with him inside with balls, but it is hard to teach him what is ok to throw and what not. Today Mateo was throwing his ball at my frames and cheering when he hit one. Of course, if I say more, the more he wants to do it...

Sleeping
That wonderful morning nap is almost over. I think 5/7 days he just has 1 nap,  which means evenings are more challenging. He normally sleeps 12 hours a night and normally sleeps through (besides the past 4 days of course).

Other
What I love to watch/hear is Mateo imitating what he sees or hears. It is so cute! I love watching him hang out with his cousins, because he learns so much and tries so hard to do what they do. I think he will be like his daddy and good with music/languages, because it seems that he is pretty good at mimicking sounds.

Today

Today it snowed! Mateo loved watching it from the window. I let him go play on our balcony. He seemed to like it, but eventually wanted to come him. I know I am biased, but I just think he is adorable!

He threw up yesterday for the first time. Unfortunatly while being babysat! I didn't have to clean that up, but had enough work in the evening when it started coming out the other end. Tomorrow I will take him to the doctor to make daddy feel better.