Babies Make Four: 22 Months (And Biltmore!)

Luke turned 22 months old last Wednesday which means I only have two more posts with monthly updates about him. This month has come with lots of changes for Luke, mainly the fact that he has become very verbal. Our meltdowns have slowed down majorly and I feel that it's two things that are working... 1. Discipline. He really hates time outs. He hates to be out of the action, but it helps in removing him from the situation and 2. Luke being able to communicate what he wants.

It's actually pretty awesome that now he can tell us that he wants a cup of milk or that he wants down or that he wants his trucks and cars. He's also found out how awesome Sesame Street is and Elmo is his new favorite character. I had a stuffed Elmo at my mom and dad's house which Luke now sleeps with every night and hugs every morning. We go back and forth with watching Sesame Street and Thomas. I think I've probably seen every Thomas the Train video and could recite them in my sleep. Luke also has found out how much he loves our dogs. He loves it when they play and chases them around (they obviously do not like this as much as he does). We've also transitioned out of high chairs and he now sits at the table with us. That was another thing that reduced the meltdowns. The fact that he sits at the table with us and is involved with dinner really helps the situations!

His second birthday is fast approaching (holy cow!) and I need to get on planning birthday parties. This year we're having two parties, one in Virginia for our family and one at our home for Luke's friends, and some of ours. :) I can't believe that it's only two months away and it makes me a little sad, although he's so much fun now. He's turned into such a funny, loving child. He loves to jump off furniture and run circles around the house. If only I could have one-tenth of the energy Luke has!

Today we took a trip over to Biltmore to look at the Downton Abbey dresses that they have on display. It was such a nice day, because we had a break in the weather and there was hardly anyone there. I've never been there before when the crowds were so few and it was so nice. We could walk through the gift shops without being trampled and getting through the house wasn't so bad. It was kind of a dreary day, but it was warm enough for us to be outside and that's all that matters. We upgraded our free tickets to get season passes, so we're looking forward to going back in a few weeks to hike and to see the farm animals at Antler Hill Village. I hope to get a lot of use out of those passes and to take Luke out on the trails to get his energy out this summer! But we had a great day and after a week of bad weather, I'm so ready for spring. Only a month away!