Welcome to Toddlerville! That pretty much sums up my recent conversations with my 19 month old. I should have seen it coming when we went to the doctor and they labeled their milestone sheet as “Mr. No.”—On the one hand the days are busier, crazier, messier, and keep you on your toes, but on the other hand seeing your kid “get it” and explore on their own and navigate their way (with supervision, of course) is pretty awesome. Having a baby is great and there are certainly amazing milestones they hit, but I wasn’t prepared for how fantastic it would be to hear your kid speaking to you (I didn’t say I could understand it all!), learn their animal sounds, sort their toys by color (rare, but it happened!), or run up to you with a huge smile and say, “Mama!” I can’t get enough of the hugs, funny faces, or dance parties.

What I notice the most about this age is Henry’s need for independence. He will walk into his bedroom, sit down on the floor, and read a book or zoom his cars. If an adult walks in there, he will get up and walk away! What a stinker! Luckily we live in a small condo in Chicago, so we can easily watch him on the monitor so he doesn’t end up climbing his bookshelf (also a favorite activity!). I love this side of him. I love watching as he tries to “read” a book aloud in his classic Henry gibberish. You can see the wheels inside his head turning and his desire to figure it all out on his own. It hit me the other day that I have a little boy, not a baby.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Caring for an infant is challenging because they are completely dependent on you for almost all of their needs. Having a toddler brings its own challenges. You can’t reason with a child who isn’t old enough to get the dangers that surround them. How can I explain to Henry that a fireplace lighter is not a safe toy. Well, you can’t. I have to weather the tantrums that are sprouting up far more often lately, and try to redirect him. Somehow the blocks aren’t as fun as the knife I just used to cut his sandwich. Add in the fact that he can move and stack furniture to get on the counters! I’m half horrified and half proud that he figured that out!

Sure, I miss having a little baby to snuggle with, who naps frequently during the day, and that baby smell–I’ll get enough. However, my Henry is a pretty cool kid now and he wants to be my friend. What is better than that?

-Maureen is a Sitter2Mom, our Chicago City Coordinator, and mother of Henry! 

We were never worried about Henry’s mobility, as he walked at 8 1/2 months, but for the longest time he just babbled to himself and didn’t say any “real” words. I wasn’t worried, per say, but I yearned for him to say, “mama.” Well….he hasn’t mastered that word yet, unless he’s crying, but all of the sudden he is throwing out new words, animal sounds, and phrases like, “Uh-oh!” This is by far the best age because he’s very curious, responsive, and adventurous. He can stay up for longer periods of time and is engaged in music, zooming cars and airplanes around the house, and enjoys free time at the park. He loves to explore, finds himself to be very, very funny, and loves giving hugs to his family and the dog. It’s amazing how you can give him directions or show him how to do something and he immediately mimics you. With that, however, comes the urgency to watch what we say and do so we don’t have a kid running around repeating all the “grown up” words we use! We are loving life with our little boy.

The other big change in our life is….a new address! (Nope, not a baby!!!!)—As our child grew bigger, our condo started to shrink! Our super chic, urban condo in the sky has been replaced by a bigger, kid-friendly condo in a much more family friendly neighborhood. While we are beyond excited for this change, surviving a move with a toddler was a tad chaotic (that’s putting it nicely!). My husband and I spent hours packing up all our belongings only to turn around and see that Henry had unpacked two boxes while we weren’t looking! Henry just loved climbing all over the boxes marked, “Fragile–crystal wine glasses”—Luckily both sets of grandparents helped entertain him while we packed without interruption.

We already love our new neighborhood! The North Center area is full of activities for kids! Change is good!