Developmental update-(almost) TWO!

Both boys are playing independently a lot now, especially in the morning and after dinner, often with minimal or no fighting amongst themselves. They understand much of the conversation around them and can communicate among themselves pretty well. Last night we learned how attached they are to their blankets when Mama forgot to move the blankets from the washer to the dryer until it was time for the boys to go to bed. We offered other blankets, to which Beck basically looked at us like, "who do you take me for?" They thankfully went down so that we could leave for dinner but woke up just as we arrived home and Theo was inconsolable for a while, even when reunited with his newly clean blanket. He woke up two other times last night, seemingly to make sure we were still there.

We still do a lot of walks around the block, so the boys know the route very well. Theo now usually takes his push truck on the walk, and Beck usually elects to ride in the Cozy Coupe car (pushed by Mama or Dada) until about halfway around, when he gets out and pushes the car the rest of the way.

More and more the boys are just eating whatever we are already eating for a meal, sometimes with modifications. If they don't like what we're eating, they don't eat. Fruit (especially strawberries and raspberries) are the reward for trying at least one bite of everything on their plates, but occasionally all they will have is one bite of each before eating the fruit. On a few nights Beck has refused all food and so he hasn't earned the fruit, and he's gone to bed without eating hardly anything. They both occasionally eat massive quantities of seemingly random foods (e.g. applesauce, turkey pepperoni).

Theo

• Peed in the potty for the first time Monday. Enjoys sitting on the potty, watching for any action, and trying to manually extract the pee
• Says a lot of nouns but also still says a lot of "dat" and points/grunts at things. I'm trying to encourage him to use words but responding less to the grunts and asking him to use words, with limited success. Beck does a lot of the communication for the group and Theo is much more easy-going for the time being and seems to need/want less, requiring less communication
• Expressive with his eyes and mouth, experimenting a lot with scrunching up his face, mimicking facial expressions, and watching others' expressions
• Great at hopping and jumping with two feet, and a very fast runner
• Likes to hold my hand while we walk down the street, likes to cuddle and give kisses and hugs
• Loves to keep things from Beckett that Beckett wants, even if Theo does not necessarily want to play with them
• Says "hi" and "bye" at home, often in pretend play, but not often to strangers. Often waves bye-bye to strangers
• More confident with physical challenges and less fearful
• Adventurous in eating and will almost always try at least one bite of a new food willingly
• Great fine-motor skills; loves taking things apart and putting them back together. He can latch most things in our lives (car seat, high chair, babyproofing locks) but thankfully cannot unlatch any of them yet
• Has developed a dramatic pouty face and almost-cry that completely disappears if his need is met (e.g. he starts a sad tantrum because he wants the toy Beck has, but then Beck offers it to him and takes the toy Theo was playing with and Theo's face returns completely to normal and resumes playing)
• Sometimes needs extra attention at naptime and bedtime, with extra cuddles, kisses and reassurance

Beckett

• Not interested in the potty much at all, except when Theo is on it at which time Beck tries to hit Theo playfully. Will sit on the potty for short periods and sometimes says "potty" but mostly not interested. Though he is very interested in peeing standing up, either before bath in the tub or outside
• Says a lot of nouns and some verbs. Has begun to say two- and three-word phrases, like "Dada worp vroom" (Dada went to work in his car) and "Zee Zee wheat" (Theo would like frosted mini wheats) and understands most of what we say. 
• Follows two-step commands well (e.g. "go get the bibs from the clothes basket and put them away in the drawer") and seems very happy to be helpful
• When he finds himself in possession of something he knows he shouldn't be (e.g. the TV remote, a phone), he brings it to an adult to surrender it
• Loves all things with wheels-excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, cars, trucks
• Loves to say "hi" and "bye" even to strangers
• More careful with climbing and navigating around obstacles, but also more clumsy--tends to have more scrapes, bruises and bumps (often because he runs while looking somewhere other than straight ahead)
• More easygoing with strangers and less familiar people
• Less adventurous in eating. I've learned the best way to coax him to try something new is to offer something he likes and then ask him to promise to try the new food right AFTER. It's like Beck wants a show of good faith from me before making the deal
• Loves napping and sleeping and usually tries to climb into his crib at both times. Says "nap" with a huge grin. When he gets in his crib he flops down, grabs his blanket, curls up and closes his eyes
• Still a more solid guy, with greater heft and width, though he's not that much heavier or taller than Theo