The life and times of a 22 month old

Just what does a typical 22  month old do?  Granted the answer to that question is subjective and totally depends on the parents.  However, as we’re on the cusp of having another child we’ve forgotten when to do things and what to expect.  Your toddler may vary; we’re just documenting this in case we have Unexpected More Mojo in two years, which is highly unlikely. 

Talking

On his 22 month birthday Toddler Mojo started babbling like there was no tomorrow.  Prior to this day he was saying a couple random words, but it wasn’t babbling.  Now he’s saying one word, followed by lots of sing song sounds.  He’s also said his first sentence.  Toddler Mojo stuck his head through the banister and said “Hello down there” to the dogs on the floor.  The dogs weren’t impressed, but Mommy Mojo was beside herself with pride and immediately posted it to Facebook.

Walking/Running

His balance has improved greatly and his curiosity is increasing.  On flat surfaces he runs like a pint sized Forrest Gump as fast as he can, and all we can do as dad is hope he doesn’t trip.  He’ll certainly trip at some point, but short of rolling him in bubble wrap we keep him as safe as we can.  He can maneuver up stairs without crawling and with one hand on the wall.

Eating

Our 22 month old toddler is eating more, much more.  For lunch he’ll eat simple things like lunch meat, pasta, crackers, cheese and for dinner he’ll have smaller versions of what Mom and Dad are having.    He’ll have one snack three hours after he wakes up and another about halfway between lunch and dinner.  After that afternoon nap they may tend to be a wee bit cranky.  If you have a good snack, that they really like it’ll make the afternoon go much smoother.

Sleeping

Toddler Mojo is going to sleep at the same time, 6:30 PM and waking up around 6:30 AM.  He does play in his crib for a little while before finally dozing off, but he likes his crib, has a handful of books to read and a couple stuffed animals.  Around 1:00 PM he’ll go down for a nap, which may last up to 2.5 hours.  He sometimes cries for a bit when he goes down for the nap, but it’s never too long and only because he’s tired.

As More Mojo will be joining us in a couple months we moved Toddler Mojo to his ‘big boy’ room.  He’s still sleeping in a crib, but it’s a new crib in a new room.  We’ll keep him in his crib for as long as he can sleep there.

Pre School/Socialization

Are you planning on putting your child in pre school?  When your child is one year old you need to start looking for a pre school that will take your child.  We started looking a bit late and were lucky to find one that can take him at the start of the school year.  Start when your child is one year old, it seems early, but start then for the best selection. I stay home with Toddler Mojo during the day and he doesn’t need to go to pre school.  We’re sending him to pre school for socialization and fun.

Recap

The difference between 21 and 22 months is huge in their communication skills.  Toddler Mojo is still signing when he needs something, but he’s also saying ‘More’ and letting us know what he’s trying to accomplish.  He can read some smaller words and knows most of fruits (when we prompt him with where is ….).  His experience in day care will only enhance all of this by month 23, where does the time go?