Cooper at 22 Months

Sleeps in a toddler bed (see below).
Loves eggs.
Claps his hands when he likes an idea.
Refuses to wear coats (only his puffy vest will do).
Knows the actions to If You're Happy & You Know It.
Loves wearing shoes.
Knows how to put on deodorant.
Wants to be a garbage man or drummer when he grows up.

Our Little drummer boy.

CAUTION: Lots of details about one specific boy ahead. If you don't like baby book-style dissertations please leave and return for another day's post.

The 22 month mark (and the weeks leading up to it) have resulted in lots of changes in our house.  Cooper discovered how to climb out of his crib.  Consequently, Dave changed the crib into a toddler bed that night in an effort to avoid any broken bones from Cooper lunging his body over the side.  Cooper transitioned beautifully and only took a few days to learn that he has to stay in his bed until someone comes and gets him.

We moved Cooper's bottles and bibs downstairs.  He hasn't used them in months.  We also removed the changing pad from his room since he just lays down wherever we are to change his diaper.  On the agenda for 2012: potty training!  Our house is getting less baby-ish by the day and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.

With all his accomplishments, Cooper is still slow to speak.  Our doctor (and every other parent out there) has assured us that everything is fine.  We've heard this is often the case with boys and first born children.  Cooper babbles constantly and if you ask him to tell you a story he can talk for a solid minute.  He knows exactly what he's saying, but unfortunately the rest of us don't speak Cooper-ese.  He also knows exactly what we are saying and follows very specific instructions.

To date Cooper can say Mom, Dad, please, no, yeah, juice, cheese, there, Bar Bar (for Barney), meow like a cat, bark like a dog, and snort like a pig.  He can also say ho, ho, ho, uh-oh, and vroom like a car.  He's said lots of other words, but not consistently.  We've started trying sign language to help eliminate some frustration and he picked up the sign for milk over night.

This is a picture of our baby monitor.  The second night in his toddler bed, Cooper rolled out and fell asleep on his knees while trying to crawl back in.  The poor kid slept like this for hours.