Matthew is 22 months already?!

Matthew at 22 months is quite the character. He has become quite loving...hugging me about 20 times when he's riding in the shopping cart, and wanting to kiss anything and everything. On the other hand, well, he's almost 2. So we all know what that means. I really think the "terrible twos" are already waiting on the doorstep, if they aren't already here. A day after Chris got home, Matthew heard that you can say "NO" and say it to anything that we ask. So since then, you'll hear him say it to almost anything. What's good though is that he'll finally say "yeah" and "no" to questions. What a big step! (wow, he can finally answer questions at 2...what an accomplishment, ha).

Other milestones:

• 18-24 month clothes
• Size 5-6 shoes
• Size 4 diapers (hopefully we'll be out of those things soon!)
• He is still reading the scriptures every night with us and he continues to love "his book." His favorite picture is still the Abinadi one. He now knows who Abinadi is (he's known that along with every other character, literally, for months now) and that he is "HOT" (because he was burned obviously). He knows who King Noah is, and he'll say he is "UGH" (bad). He also knows that the cheetahs say "ARRRR." Ammon later informed me they are jaguars. Whatever!
• He knows what sounds dogs, cats, horses, cows (ooooo), ducks, fish and cheetahs make.
• He just learned "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and it is HILARIOUS. He can't really do it as fast but when he gets to the "smell so sweet" part, he will do his whole breathing in thing. I can't explain it in words, but it is all I can do not to completely crack up at him when he sings it.
• He loves "The Wise Men and the Foolish Men" song. He'll point to his head when we say wise man and can do the rain and the floods great.
• Still LOVES airplanes and makes the sound whenever he sees one. (A whoosing sound). Needless to say, he does it a whole lot in the car.
• Continues to be obsessed with lights and has ever since he was small. He'll ask what a light is, then we'll tell him and he'll say, "Hot?" Funny.
• Whenever we ask him where someone is and they're not around, he'll say, "He (She)'s a gone." I laugh all the time when I'm with this boy!
• He knows all his body parts, even the more advanced ones. Literally, you can ask him where his fibia is and he'll know. (Okay, maybe not that advanced, but you get the point).
• When something is out of his reach, he'll try to grab it and grunt. My mom taught him that one. She also taught him what to do when he is cold.
• Waves bye about everything. When you're leaving the room, he'll wave. Bedtime. Wave. Leaving the house. Wave. Wave, wave, wave.
• I got him a little baseball bank and wrote "MY MISSION" on it and now anytime he sees money, he LOVES to put it in his bank.
• My dad is in his office all day and Matthew just loves to visit him. He'll take his pens, knock the business cards off the desk, take trash out...he loves to be with his grandpa and adores his grandma. He is SOOO spoiled!
• The other day, we were coming off the 95 and were on the Charleston exit when I rolled down the window and gave a homeless man money. I rolled the window back up and I look back to see Matthew putting his hand on his face. I just laughed and laughed. Only to me would it mean sad (ever since he got his Easter book and Mary is kneeling at the cross with her hands on her face crying and I told him that she is sad). To anyone else, they'd swear he was tired or bored or something. Oh the joy of motherhood and knowing your own children and their interesting quirks.
• Just LOVES the puppies. Ginger had more puppies (don't ask) and he just loves and adores them. He carries them around all day long. He'll pick them up, drag them around and lay down with them. He loves to kiss Pain, Ginger and will literally fall on Brooklyn and hug her. He just loves dogs.
• He knows fish, dog, bird and horse sign language.
• Just got another haircut that looks quite like a little military boy.
• Is outside as often as we'll let him so pretty much ALL DAY. He does not like TV, not Sesame Street, not Clifford, not even his movies anymore. He just wants to play outside.
• My dad and Ammon were cleaning the garage the other day and they found this old Little Tikes shopping cart and he has pushed it around ever since. He is either pushing that, his little walker we bought him in Kentucky, or pulling a bag, a bucket or anything that has a handle. I think he's going to own his own lawn care business when he's older.
• Takes about a 3 hour nap every afternoon.
• Still loves his veggie yogurt, applesauce and sausage. He'll actually eat just about anything we give him (we have to hide the veggies, and that doesn't work usually, but we're working on it!)
• We went to see a movie the other day (Ammon and Chris saw "Clash of the Titans" and my mom and I saw "The Last Song") and Matthew went with my mom and me. He was more entertaining than the movie (needless to say, the book was better)! He would kick his feet on the chair in front of him, lean back and I'd give him popcorn so he wouldn't talk. Then, he'd lean over, grab the straw to "his" Sprite, do the AHHH afterward and then leans back like he's a boss relaxing at his desk. I know he was thinking the whole time, "wow, if this is what you guys always do after I go to bed, I'm never sleeping again." He passed out on the way home.

He is growing and getting smarter and smarter everyday. I can't believe he is almost 2. It is so crazy to me. It is funny how the Lord works. He makes you remember how much you hate being pregnant right until the baby is born. Then, you only remember how much you love your baby. Then, before you know it, you're thinking it is time for another one! Again, oh the joys of motherhood! (I think I'm SO lucky to be a mom. I'd SO MUCH rather be a mom than a dad!)

He knocked down the bag of chocolate chips and then ate them. He and Brooklyn had a hay day.