23 month update!

I can't believe Avinash is almost two years old already. Actually, looking back on it seems even longer.

I can't even imagine a baby this small anymore.



I remember him being so playful and interactive, but boy has that increased now that he is (slowly) learning to speak.

I love how he always requests a 'boon' when he eats but mostly just holds it in one hand while he eats with the other.

I love how he points out all forms of wa-wa that he sees - puddles, rain drops, lakes, rivers, any liquid in a cup. Even waiters now understand his request for it.

I love how anything slightly circular is a ball. Especially balloons. And the moon. Or the letter O. And tomatoes, which he loved to pluck from my mom's plants in the backyard, bring to park and then give them to her to put away.

Well, that only goes for cherry tomatoes. Normal tomatoes are called applays. As in apples. Any fruit basically is termed an applay, not sure where he got the french pronunciation from. Maybe it's more creole.

I love that waves and says hi to everyone he passes (including homeless people - it makes us kinda nervous, but sometimes they wave back).

He also loves Sesame street so much now. He calls Elmo 'lala'. This one took me a while to figure out, I thought he was mispronouncing the word Elmo, but he is actually just referring to his intro song (la la la elmo's song...). He has a little Elmo doll which he carries around and tries to share his food with.

Avinash loves coloring now. Especially after his Naniji and grandma took him to the Discovery center and got him tons of coloring books. Ever since we got back from Pennsylvania, we have integrated some crayon time into our nightly routine. Now he and I color (he loves picking out which colors I use too) while Ryan reads a story. One of our favorites is the Winnie the pooh storybook collection. A. A. Milne has a really great, wry sense of humour. Ryan and I are always cracking up over it. I love how Avinash will join in with very loud and pretty fake laughs as well.

I love that Avinash can climb practically anything, including the sliding ladder in our living room up to the ceiling. He used to be very timid when it came to new places, but lately he has been more confident on even brand new playgrounds - climbing up the monkey bars, up rope bridges and rock walls. Now if he would only walk across the balance beam at gymnastics by himself. (Of course it freaks all the other parents out when we try and let him.)

Avinash is also a huge helper in the kitchen. He runs over when he hears me starting dinner and drags a chair over so that he can reach the counters. He can chop up mushrooms with a butter knife, peel the paper off garlic and help me pour things into the pan. He can also stir and season with the best of them. My mom even keeps 'Avinash' party mix at home that has twice the normal amount of spices that he dumped in. Tastes great though.


There are so many more lovable things and cute moments, that I can't seem to get them all down. We are just so proud of how he is growing and love watching his progress!