Life with our energetic (almost) 22-month-old is incredibly active. Chase is into everything and is a very physical little dude. He is not one to want to sit still for long and definitely keeps us on our toes! Chase loves exploring and running everywhere. (We joke that Chase and Sadie share the same two paces: Standing still or sprinting… walking does not exist.)
His curiosity is one of my favorite characteristics and Chase is always excited for new interactive experiences which makes this stage of toddlerhood so much fun!
Now that Chase is down to one nap a day, we feel like our world opened up a bit and we’re able to stay out longer and do more fun things as a family, including trips to the zoo and hikes in the mountains. Anything outside is toddler gold for Chase these days!
Chase is still a chatterbox and is a pretty good communicator which is a lot of fun for us. He likes trying to repeat what we say and constantly points at everything when we’re out and about to tell us what he sees and recognizes. (I think a lot of this comes from reading lots of books together because story time often looks like Chase pointing at various objects and animals in his books and telling me what he sees.)
It’s hard to get Chase to slow down enough to sit still so I truly treasure reading books with him because he always wants to cuddle up and sit in my lap for story time. It’s pretty much the only time I get any snuggles these days so I absolutely soak them up!
The last time we left off, Chase was in a total Dad phase and while he still absolutely looks to Ryan for fun and love, things flip-flopped a little and I’ve received a little more attention the past month or two. Chase will often come over to me to grab my hand to bring me to whatever it is he wants to show me or coerce me into playing with him which melts my heart every single time.
He also reaches for me and asks for Mama if he happens to fall down or hurt himself in some way. He’ll yell “All better!” after I kiss whatever he hurt and it’s just the sweetest. (He also says “all better” repeatedly when he wants me to be done brushing his hair, wiping his face, etc. Haha!)
We still fill our days with play dates with Chase’s best buddies and my wonderful mama friends and it’s been extra fun lately because now they all know each other and can say each other’s names.
His favorite weekday activities include swimming, playing at the park, library story time and Gymboree!
Eat
Chase is still not the best at eating and play is absolutely his priority but we’ve become a little more laid back about his eating because there’s definitely no forcing a toddler to eat more when they aren’t interested. I figured we could stress out about his eating every day or just roll with it. So we’re rollin’ with it right now!
I must admit that I cannot help but feel guilty that Chase still isn’t eating a bunch of vegetables every day. I had visions of a perfectly healthy little eater when I was pregnant with Chase but since he’s always been so small, I feel like I just have to get him to eat something some days and when the only thing he will eat is his beloved Earth’s Best Organic Sunny Days bars, well, that’s what he’ll get.
He still absolutely loves his muffins and eats a Paleo Blender Muffin almost every morning, along with strawberries, a banana, apple or pear slices. For lunch and dinner, I’ll offer Chase whatever we’re having which is definitely hit or miss. On the days when it’s a miss, standbys like Greek yogurt, chicken sausage, hamburger patties, smoothies, carrot sticks (he shockingly likes raw carrots, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes… sometimes), nut butter sandwiches and pouches come in very handy. (I order a bunch of Chase’s pouches and bars through Thrive Market to save some dollahs!)
Sleep
I feel like I can kind of bypass this category at the moment because we’re in a pretty good place with sleep right now. Chase is so go, go, go all day when he’s awake but when it’s time for sleep he usually crashes hard.
Bed time is usually between 7:30 and 8 p.m. and most days he’ll sleep in until around 7:15 a.m. This will occasionally change and we’ll be surprised with an early wake up but it is fairly consistent and we absolutely feel grateful for that, especially since it took us so long to get here!
Chase’s nap occurs between 12:30 and 1 p.m. and usually lasts 90 minutes to three hours. I can almost always count on a solid two hours from him but there are days when he’ll sleep for three hours (usually once or twice a week, often on the weekends) and it’s amazing!
Likes
- Any form of transportation (especially school buses, trains, boats and planes)
- Animals (especially dogs, turtles, cats, sharks, fish and seals)
- Reading books
- Being outside
- Boat rides and swimming in the lake
- His water table
- Dory (“Doe-wee”), Koko and Elmo
- Balls
- Playing at the park
- Rocks
- Playing “Stop and Go” and racing
- Singing (especially songs with hand motions, such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Open Shut Them”)
- Yelling “BUBBA!” to try to find Ryan
- Snowball (Mom’s old stuffed cat)
Dislikes
- When we make him leave the park or come inside (Oh the battles!! Total meltdown territory.)
- Wearing a hat or a life jacket
- Diaper changes
- Getting his hair washed
Toddler Favorites
PLAY
- Step 2 Water Table
- V-Tech Count and Learn Alphabet School Bus
- Magnetic Wooden Train Toys (Definitely his most-used toys right now!)
- Osprey Hiking Backpack
- LeapFrog On My Own Laptop (We save this one for long car trips only and it’s fabulous!)
- Jungle Waterfall Bath Toys
- Little Tikes 4-in-1 Trike
- Fisher-Price Little People Skyway Car Tower
- Little People Activity Airplane Ride-On
- Markers and Stickers
- Balls
BOOKS
- Goodnight Moon (He loves looking for the tiny mouse on all the bedroom pages!)
- DOG
- Elmo Books: I Love You Just Like This + Elmo Loves You
- The Wheels On The Bus (Chase cannot get enough of this interactive book! He’s in love with school busses, so this book is a definite favorite.)
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
- Point ‘n’ Match Books (PERFECT if your toddler loves finding things and pointing out animals, cars, etc. in books!)
- My First Words
- B is for Bear
- Where’s Spot?
Past Updates
- 17-19 Months
- 13-16 Months
- Twelve Months
- Eleven Months
- Ten Months
- Nine Months
- What I Wish I Knew Before My Baby Was Born
- Eight Months
- Seven Months
- Six Months
- Our First Sleep Training Experience
- Traveling With A Baby For The First Time
- Five Months
- Four Months
- Three Months
- Two Months
- And Then He Smiled
- Three Weeks
- The First 12 Days
- Q&A: All About Birth & Life With A New Baby
- Chase’s Birth Story: Part I, Part II
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I love these updates bc my son is the same age as Chase, so it’s always interesting to hear the similarities and differences! Our son definitely does not talk as much- well, he talks a lot, just in his own language!! Food is also a struggle- we love these chicken nuggets- the have hidden veggies inside and are always a go to- http://www.kidfresh.com
I also don’t know how my son survives on such little sleep when you talk about how much sleep Chase gets!! We go to bed between 7-7:30pm and I’m lucky if he sleeps until 6am- it’s usually until around 5:30am and he only naps for an hour- hour and a half!!
Oh yes a lot of Chase’s talking is still babble and many of his words are only decipherable by me and Ryan but it’s so fun to hear them chatter away! Also, thanks for the veggie chicken nugget recommendation!!
He is so darn cute! I love reading the updates since mine is just behind him 🙂 I hear ya on the fights coming in from outside or the park. ohh the struggle, ha. But at least they love the outdoors.
total meltdowns! yeesh!! haha!
I love these updates! Chase is so cute — I love his goofy grins!! My daughter is the same age and we also have battles about leaving activities. A friend taught us “the timer trick” for leaving the park/activity/making a transition — it doesn’t work every time, but it helps a lot! When we’re about to leave, I say, “Ok, we’re going to leave soon. When the timer quacks, we’re done playing and need to get back in the car/stroller/house! But you can play until then.” And then I set my phone timer for 1 minute. That little bit of heads up seems to help a lot, and the external push of the timer (instead of me) might help too?
Love this idea!!! I do it with books at the end of the night… “Okay, this is our last book” etc. and it really seems to help. I feel silly I didn’t think to try this with leaving a park/coming inside, too! Thank you for sharing!
I can’t believe the little man he is turning into! What a sweet boy, I love seeing how his likes and dislikes change. Such a cutie!
Awww he’s so adorable!!! He’s at such a fun age, too!! My middle one is 3 and she’s also go, go, go! My oldest is SO mellow and prefers coloring, reading and watching tv to anything that requires moving, LOL. It’s funny how different kiddos can be!
Glad you’re able to keep Chase busy and tire him out!! You are a great mama!! 🙂
It really is so fun to see how different kids are! Chase’s friend Claire is just as energetic, wild and crazy as he is while his other friends are much more calm and mellow. It’s crazy how their personalities are already so clear from such a young age. I’m so curious to see how they change and develop as time goes on!
Ah I can’t believe Chase is almost two! I think it’s awesome how active he is and how much time he gets to spend outside. I’m sure that’s why sleeping goes pretty well for him.
Our daughter is obsessed w pouches too, which our pediatrician said is fine. We get the majority of ours from Aldi. They are the Little Journey Organic brand.
YES!!!! We discovered the Little Journey organic pouches a month or so ago and I definitely stock up on them, too. They are wonderful! Chase loves the strawberry banana apple yogurt pouch the most!
Hi Julie! I love your blog and have a 19 month old son so I love reading these updates! My little guy definitely has days where its pouches and meatballs so I feel the struggle!
Just wondering- have you put anymore thought into preschool? I am debating myself…
Yes!! In our area, they offer 2-year-old preschools (apparently this isn’t the case in some of the northeastern states?) and we’re doing two half-days a week (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) beginning this fall! I think Chase is definitely ready for some independent time away from mom with kids his age and I really hope he loves it!
That sounds like a great plan! I think starting off part time is key. Best of luck to Chase, I hope its a positive experience for all of you!
Oh my goodness, I feel like this post could have literally been talking about my son LOL. The eating….so hit or miss. My doc always say HOPE for one good meal a day…..which is always at school. Weirdest part ever……we chase my son around and call him Bubba! He thinks it is hilarious!
Chase will absolutely love school. Honestly, when I pick my son up every day, he does not even want to leave! It is so good for kids, and he will learn a ton. Gavin’s school has science centers, complete with little lab coats!
Love that tidbit from your doc!! My pediatrician is so great and also had a really laid back approach regarding “good” toddler eating which is so refreshing!
The picture of Ryan, Chase and one of his grandpas (not sure if it’s your father or Ryan’s) is precious!
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What a cutie!! 😀 He definitely keeps everyone on their toes and active, huh?! I’m 35 weeks pregnant with my first baby–a girl! Can’t wait to be able to snuggle her!
Yay! You’re so close!!! I hope you are feeling well. I know the last few weeks can be tough so I am sending you lots of positive wishes for good health and sleep!!
Don’t beat yourself up over the veggies. He’ll come around. My six year old (who is super picky!) is on a kale kick lately. So I pretty much give it to her every night until she gets sick of it 🙂
Such a sweet update. It goes so incredibly fast. I will have a four-year-old in under two months, and I can’t even believe it. I just wanted to mention this in case you didn’t know, but you can recycle pouches! You can’t put them in regular recycling, but you can save them up and take them to a terracycling program. A lot of organic grocery stores offer it. You just rinse them out, put the cap back on, and toss them in the bin.
The picture of Chase with his truck & stuffed animal –be still my heart! He is so precious!! Soak up each and every day with him, it files by in a flash.
Aww, what a cutie! My daughters are now 8 and 4, and I miss the baby stages.
I loved reading this update! My son turns 3 in September and it makes me sad because I feel like he is getting so old! He loves a lot of the sames things as Chase – outdoor adventures, animals, reading books, anything involving water… Little boys are fun but exhausting! It’s go-go-go at our house! (So thankful for nap time which equals mommy rest time 😉 )
I love reading these updates! I have a 5 YO and a 15 month old and sometimes I feel like I need a refresher! LOL
I do remember my 5 YO loving her water table and in the cold months I would put rice, etc. in it for sensory play and she loved it!
I love reading these updates and thinking about the future 🙂 Our little guy is super active too, and he can’t even walk yet! I can only imagine….
Chase is such a sweet boy! I can really feel his little personality shine through as you write these posts.
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Gosh he is such a cutie! And are those baby toms?! SO CUTE. Looks like he’s developed quite the little personality 🙂 So fun.
Thank you for these updates! My sister’s son is a few months younger than Chase. I don’t have any kids, so I don’t know what’s appropriate for him. I love having your suggestions! Funny though – your son Chase has so much beautiful blond hair, while my nephew is still nearly bald! Late hair growth runs in our family. 🙂
What a super cute kid! I hope you grow up active and strong! Enjoy childhood while it lasts. xoxo
What a fun update, he is such a cutie. My kiddos are almost three and 18 months, so it is fun to remember my son being that age and to think about what the little miss might be getting into in just a few months.
Chase is growing up so fast!
Love your updates. I have a 12 month old and we’re about to head out for a week long lake vacation. Any tips for getting my 1 year old to wear a life jacket without wailing?
My son (30 months) isn’t the greatest eater at times either (some days he will surprise me) but I figure if he’s growing and the pediatrician isn’t concerned I won’t push food on him, so I totally agree with just rolling with it. Plus I figure if my son is really hungry, he’ll eat, haha. I did actually start giving my son a vitamin that your friend Britney has written about (ahealthysliceoflife) and he LOVES them so I feel a little better about his lack of veggie in take. Have you tried making smoothies with him – I just discovered how much my son loves making them AND drinking them, his spinach and avocado intake hasn’t been an issue these past few weeks, haha
I love the water table! I’ve been looking for one…. and some that are sand and water… but I think water only might be a good option. I love that you link right from Amazon, love that site for everything.
Clearly I am obsessed with Amazon Prime! The best!
Love these updates, can’t believe he is almost two!
Love when you do these updates since your son and mine are close in age (Owen just turned 20 months) and the suggestions for toys, etc. are great especially since they seem into the same things. Thanks!
How cute! My baby boy is almost 18 months (I guess I’ll keep calling him my baby forever) and I love how I can relate to so many things in your update. My son does not sit still more than a second and he thinks walking is for babies and running is the only wat to get from A to B =)
We haven´t mastered the sleeping through the night yet, but I gave up hope long ago!
It makes me so happy to see Chase smiling and well, thank you so much for sharing!
lol on him saying “all better” after he wants something to stop. lol Also is he wearing a cute little bow tie in the pic with the other littles? So cute!!! And I like the “just roll with it” attitude re: food and quantity, since it seems so much easier on you guys and maybe that will loosen him up for eventual adventurousness with food, since it’s not too much pressure now, and therefore, not much resistance to fight against later. You clearly have a happy little guy who’s getting lots of love! I wish I could sleep as well as Chase does!! Oh the sleep, how easy it is for all of us when we’re little!
Happy Almost-Wednesday! <—I left the T word out just for you. 😉
I love these! He is the cutest! We also love that water table for our 13 month old.
Why do these littles eat so crazy?! Haha I have a 17 month old and any type of cracker is a-okay with her! There’s hope though! My 3 year old will eat pretty much anything nowadays, so hopefully she’ll follow in her big sisters footsteps!
lol I too love looking for the mouse on every page in Goodnight Moon! I memorized the book so it gives me something to look at haha. Love the update can’t believe he’s so big!
Love the updates! Would you consider doing a post (or more!) on keeping fit while pregnant and embracing the post-delivery self (diet and exercise)? I know you posted something about a workout plan you recommended after delivery but I’d sure appreciate hearing more from you on how you made it through the journey.
My son is just over 2 and won’t touch a vegetable so don’t feel bad! He’ll eat chips made from vegetables (hah) so I try to do that and just keep putting them on his plate in the hopes that one day he will change his mind!