22 Months...And Then Some

John Whitten is 22 months old! Well, he actually is 22 1/2 months (I have been a bad blogger), and he is growing like a weed!! A lot has happened in the last month and a half. Perhaps the biggest milestone for our sweet boy is that...wait for it...John Whitten is 100% WEANED!!! I am sure many of you are reading this in disbelief. In fact, I am still kind of shocked that I went through with it, and that John Whitten accepted it. So anyway, it was not an easy thing for either of us but it is done and we are both okay with it (Mommy is still a little sad). Other than weaning, John Whitten has had a verbal explosion over the last month. He can say pretty much any word that you ask him to say, and is putting three and four word sentences together. He will say, "Truck, beep, beep Mama", for me to read him one of his favorite books. And when you give him something he always says, "thank you, Mama" or "thank you, illian". He and Lillian are BEST friends and it make my heart so happy to watch them play together. In the morning Lillian is the first person John Whitten hugs and kisses; it is so sweet. John Whitten is a big boy. He is 26 pounds of solid something and is very tall. He is our gentle giant. Oh, he is also sleeping in his big boy bed. He seems much more comfortable in his bed than he did his crib. I seriously think that he was just too big to sleep in the crib and be comfy. Sense we wean him, he is also finally sleeping all night long. That right people, it took 22 months but John Whitten finally slept through the night. Let me just tell you, from this Mama's point of view between the breast feeding and the lack of sleep, these last 22 months have been looooooong.

At every little monthly update, I can't help but stop and think about how grateful I am that I am home with John Whitten. I always hear so many people say that they wish they had spent more time doing this or doing that with their kids, and I am happy that I honestly don't feel that way about anything. I have cuddled John Whitten until 10:00 in the morning. I have laid and played on the floor with him for hours at a time. I have read book after book to that boy and loved every second of it. We have danced in the kitchen while I cook dinner, and have chased each other through every park in Birmingham. We have been to more story times than I can even count, and know the zoo like the back of our hands. I have laid in bed with him during nap times and made mental notes of every sweet and delicate detail of his beautiful face. I have heard every word, every laugh, seen every smile, kissed every boo boo and I have relished in every second, every minute and every moment of my baby boy's 22 months of life. I might not be able to say that I enjoy every minute of every day, but I can say that I appreciate every minute of every day. Some days I find myself watching Lillian and John Whitten playing and all I can think is, "don't blink".

even there Your hand will lead me;

Your right hand will hold to me.

Psalm 139:10