20 Months

Ephraim turned 20 months old yesterday!! It's hard to believe he's almost two already. Here he is playing with play-doh. He loves the gingerbread man cut out (still a favorite book in this house) and making them dance around and kiss (with kissy noises).

Ephraim has been talking and constantly asking for new words by pointing to things. He'll try to repeat a word if you say it. Yesterday after I gave Ephraim his bowl of cereal, I heard, "Poon! Poon!" I had forgotten his spoon. He says, "Bye, bye" and "thank you." He is sometimes very "two"! He gets frustrated when he can't get things the way he wants, mostly around sleep time. He wants to hold his stuffed animal a certain way and have his blanket wrapped around him a certain way. My little perfectionist!

Gabriel watched the movie "Iron Giant" all the way through for the first time (it is one of Paul's favorite movies). He liked it a lot and drew a picture of the iron giant afterward. He is getting really good at drawing. He drew the cover of the movie "Totoro" (the current favorite), more than half by memory until I got out the cover for him to copy.

Gabriel's invisible friend, Yon, is still alive and well. While in Target on Monday, the conversation went something like this:
Gabriel: It's Yon's birthday today.
Mom: Yeah? Cool. What should we do for Yon's birthday? (Thinking of leftover decorations we might have, or the required birthday cake.)
Gabriel: We should buy me something.

Mom: Why should we buy you something if it's Yon's birthday? Shouldn't we get something for Yon?
Gabriel: No, we should get something for me. Yon is just made up.

It is so cool hearing Gabriel talk about Yon so much ("Yon has this" or "Yon does it this way") and yet Gabriel is so completely aware that it is all in his imagination.

On a side note, Paul's work is going well. He went to work as lead designer on the new project (still leading the old project but not really working on it). It is great to see him so excited and enjoying his job. Our couple project is going well for me too. A few weeks ago I started a weight loss game between us=put a dollar in a jar for each pound we lose. Whoever loses the most by May gets to spend that money. Because Gabriel is in preschool, I have been going for walks in the park with Ephraim and now that it is cold using the treadmill at home. The best weight loss motivation for me is losing weight! And it's working, 1-2 lbs a week so far!!