Cooper 21 months

Cooper is becoming a big boy.  It's been a while since I've written down any of his progress.  So I will, but first I will start with the obvious here...no, he is not potty trained.  He wants to be.  I can hardly keep a diaper on him.  For the past 2 weeks he has been getting on/standing at the potty as much as he can get away with.   You would think I'd be thrilled that he is showing so much interest.  Well, I do think it's adorable how hard he tries to be like his big brothers and I do think it's great that he has an interest, but I just don't want to start the potty training yet because I don't think he is physically ready.  If he would use his training-potty that sits on the floor, I might just be more willing to try, but he doesn't want anything to do with that so far.  It's all about the big toilet, for him.  Anyway, I'm kind of pulling my hair out trying to keep a diaper on him.  My other kids didn't start potty training until they were almost 2 1/2.  Julien was potty trained in 1-2 weeks, and Jonah took forever (months and month, then a break, and then months and months again!) and it was a dreadful experience, so I think I'm afraid that will happen with Cooper if we start too young.  He is only 21 months old.  I don't want to be potty training him for another year.  But it's hard because I also don't want to discourage him either.  Any tips??  He has never gone in the toilet.  Oh, but he wants to so bad! 

More info on this little cutie (so I can always remember him at this age).... 

*He wakes up every morning/nap time and yells, "Mama, Mama, Mama." I love it so much. And when I open his door, he is smiling and laughing.  

*He loves helping his family.  He knows our routines, and if we skip a step, he will find a way to communicate it to us, since he doesn't talk much.  He is always one step ahead of us.  He just knows what's going on and keeps everyone on their toes.

*He will not eat until everyone is folding their arms to say a prayer.  Even if it's just him at the table ready to have a snack, he wants the whole family involved in the prayer.  He will grunt and point to any person who is not cooperating.  At night, after we say our family prayer, we take him into his room to put him in his crib and he folds his arms and is ready for another prayer.  

*He has been eating at the table, for months now.  Again, he didn't want to be in the high chair because it wasn't like everyone else.  So he eats at the table and boy does it get messy.  But he feeds himself and the best part is he loves to chuck his dishes up into the sink when he is done!  He probably remembers to put his dishes away more than his brothers do!  Love that kid!

*Although he understands everything we say, he still doesn't talk much.  He says, "Mama." "Dadda." "Papa."  "Naw Naw" for Jonah. "Nana" for banana. "Yeah" (in the most serious mature voice, it always makes me laugh).  "Papoh" for poo poo. "Popa" for popcorn. "Baba" when he points to bottles in books.  "B (sound) for bear and book. "Ba" for ball.  "Nigh" for night night.  "Bye." "Ha" for hi. "Oh."  Hum, I think that is it.  I love his little voice.  He also makes animal sounds for cows, dogs, and anything that roars.  And his newest sound effect is "woo woo woo woo," for a fire truck. 

*He loves planes.  He gets that from Jonah.  Anytime a plane flies over the house, Jonah will stop what he is doing and run over to the window to look at the plane.  So now Cooper lights up when he hears a plane and runs to the window too.  

*Cooper claps and squeals as soon as we pull into our apartment complex and especially when we pull into our driveway.  

*When it is time to go somewhere he walks around the house handing everyone their shoes. Anytime he can tell that Mom or Dad are getting ready to leave, he will always put his shoes on because he loves to go bye bye. 

*He still eats anything I give him.  I've gone out of my way to not have another picky eater, and so far I've been lucky.  

*He loves books.  It took him quite a while to love them.  He wasn't very interested before, but now he will sit there as long as you will let him, just reading book after book.  He never gets bored of it.  And honestly, I don't really either.  I love that time with him because I get to cuddle up with him and smell his delicious baby hair and skin and kiss his little cheeks off.  It's also so fun to watch him learn.  Unfortunately, I can't read to him as long as we'd both like to.  But I am cherishing this time.

*The days of taking a walk with him in the stroller are pretty much over.  We still bring the stroller on walks just in case he gets tired, but he just loves to walk.  Jonah is in charge of pushing the empty stroller while I keep my hands free to help Cooper.  Jonah loves to push the stroller, and that is good cause I still like to have it because Cooper usually tires and wants to take a break in his stroller towards the end of the walk.

*Cooper has been in nursery, at church, since he was 18 months old and is still not loving it.  He cries as soon as we walk into the room.  He eventually calms down and deals with it, but as soon as I walk in when it is over, it's usually tears or just total cuddles and clinging to me.  He does the same thing with babysitters.  I think he is slowly starting to feel a little more comfortable with us leaving him though.  A little.  We're always just as excited to see him when we return.  We don't like being away from him for long.  He is just so fun and adorable.  

*Cooper can fake cry and fake laugh on command.  It is so funny.  I am going to post a video of it.  

*When I tuck him in at night I will always say one last time, as I'm walking out, "good night Cooper, I love you," and I will blow him a kiss.  He is laying there all snug under his blankets with his binkie in and he blows me a kiss right back. I can't really see him very well because it is dark, but I hear his little lips smack and it melts me.

*Just this past week he now likes to sleep with a little teddy bear.  I tuck in his bear right next to him and it's way too cute!!

*When it comes to getting dressed, Cooper will not let you dress him until he has tried to put on his own clothes about 50 times and then finally gives in and hands you the clothes.  It's a great opportunity to exercise my patience, let me tell you:).  It is kind of funny though, because he always puts both legs in the same hole and tries to walk around.  Then he looks like he is wearing a skirt as he waddles through the house. 

I can't believe he is 21 months old already.  The time has gone by too fast.  I am so happy that he is becoming more and more confident and learning so much.  He knows he is loved and he loves us all right back.  I feel so blessed to have him, as I do Julien and Jonah.  It's such a blast watching him develop!  Cooper baby, Mom and Dad can't get enough of you!