twenty-two months.

more so than in the other months we've had him home, we've noticed that from last month to this month, our boy has really changed quite a bit. i'm sure these changes began prior to this one month, but these choi boy changes are very noticeable now. choi boy is wearing his almost-two-year-old badge very proudly and is growing up (and also getting into a bit of trouble) because of it!

to commemorate cb's 22 months, here are twenty-two things in two lists:

choi boy changes:

1. cb does a lot of independent play now. he can keep himself entertained for longer stretches of time and seems to have loads of fun coming up with things on his own. these photos were taken while i was making dinner one day. the hubs came home and saw cb engaged on his own and snapped away. so fun!

2. cb is talking a lot more. he's beginning to put two word sentences together and just shouts out random words all day long. sometimes, he'll go through the house and just name everything. other times, he does what we've termed the "roll call" -- he'll go through and name every single person he knows. often while pretending to be on the phone. oh, and he's also screaming a lot now. super duper fun.

3. cb does a lot of mimicking now. he tries to copy what we say and do all.the.time. it's mostly super cute, but not so fun when we're trying to discipline!



4. choi boy's two year old molars are coming in at full force. and they're not fun. for any of us.

5. perhaps because of that, cb is eating less and is getting a bit pickier in terms of what he wants to eat. interestingly enough, he gravitates towards very flavorful things...kimchi, rosemary/thyme/seasalt potatoes, hummus...maybe we have a future food critic on our hands?

6. we knew our little guy was always on the move when we first brought him home. dude, we had no idea what we were in for! he is a little speedy gonzalez!


7. cb has gotten *really* good with his gross motor skills. he kicks and throws quite well and quite far, and is getting really good at catching with two hands, too. he's even starting to master his jumping skills! (i am going to try my hardest not to be a crazy sports mom. but i can't make any promises.)

8. we're getting lots of head shakes and whining when we try and help him with something. not surprisingly, cb wants to do EVERYTHING all by himself. yay. this is especially awesome when he couples the whining and tantruming with his screaming. i'm beginning to wonder if he's part banshee.

9. the boy's got jokes. cb tries really hard to be deliberately funny and does silly things that he hopes will make us laugh. his best material seems to be a universal toddler joke...he puts anything and everything on his head and proclaims, "HAT!" and then tries to do it to every other person and animal in the room. funniest thing ever, right?

10. hmmm...how can i put this one nicely?...cb knows what he wants and is passionate about getting it. more so than ever now. (<-- that's totally teacher code for "child is STUBBORN!")


11. cb is so much less of a baby now, but also so much more fun...he is lots of fun to interact with and he just "gets" a lot more, too. as much as it's sad to see him grow up so fast, i'm excited to start having conversations with him! :)


things i hope don't change about cb:

1. cb's sweetness. though he can be a stubborn little dude who often wants his own way, cb genuinely cares about the people around him and checks in to make sure they're okay.

2. his hugs and kisses. cb isn't super cuddly (because he's ALWAYS moving, remember?), but he gives the squeeziest hugs and the sweetest kisses.

3. cb's love for piper. i hope they continue to be BFFs.

4. cb's soft little voice.

5. similarly, cb's pronunciation of certain words. i know this will likely change very soon, but the way he says certain words is so stinkin' cute. like the way he says, "haaai" (hi) and "baaai" (bye) and "aaice" (ice) -- he sounds like a little southern belle!

6. cb's love for books. this makes my teacher heart so, so, SO happy.

7. cb's love for his gal, kate. what an adorable love story would it be if they really ended up married??

8. choi boy's dancing. his latest move is raising the roof. and i swear, he can kinda do the carlton. awesome.

9. cb's slow wake-ups. it does his non-morning-person momma good.

10. choi boy's fearlessness. a lot of times, it scares the bejeezus outta me, but for the most part, it's such a great quality about him.

11. cb's joy and excitement about life. choi boy's glee and delight at nearly anything and everything lifts my spirits every time...which is especially helpful after a very stubborn bout from the little guy. ;) hmmm...i hope he uses this power for good over evil. ha :) i love him.


happy 22 months to my kimchi-squattin' little man!