Milo is SUCH a good helper, and SO smart. He listens in on our conversations and does what he can to help, like when he
got rid of his pacifier and crib on his own, so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. One of the easiest ways to cheer him up or distract him when he's sad/frustrated/just wants to be held, is to find a way for him to help. He gets SO proud of himself when he is able to help and does something "so big".
When I'm trying to get dressed in the morning, and he does NOT want to be put down, I just put all of my clothes in his lap and he will hand them to me one at a time until I'm all dressed and can pick him up.
He "helps" me put my make up on. I have to sit him on the counter and let him "help". He will take my powder brush and put it on my face, and brush my hair. When we're brushing our teeth he loves to sit on the counter with his toothbrush and brush too.
When he helps me, sometimes it's more cute than help. Like when he helps me with the dishes. He has to sit on the dishwasher door and pull out the dishes. Or drive his cars on/in the dishwasher. SO much help.
When I'm doing laundry he "helps" me sort the laundry. As I make piles, he takes the clothes one at a time and moves them into his own piles. While I'm folding he goes to my folded piles and "puts on" (puts over his head) the different clothes. He really does help me with the some of the laundry process though. It's almost like he knows that when clothes get dropped while I'm switching from washer to dryer, that it's not too much fun for me to bend over and pick them up, so he picks them up and hands them to me (and feels SO proud). He opens and closes the washer and dryer doors for me, as well as the laundry doors. He will sit next to my clean clothes pile and hand me clothes one at a time to fold. And when I'm putting shirts on hangers, he likes to sit with the hangers in his lap and hand me a hanger one at a time.
I decided that it would be helpful that once the new baby is here (and he can walk), if Milo could throw away his own dirty diapers. So every time I finish changing him, I hand him the diaper, hold his hand and help him walk to the trash. He gets SO excited to throw it away. Now, once the diaper is all wrapped up, he squeels, grabs the diaper in his right hand and my hand with his left and practically runs to the trash. If ever I forget and start to go throw it away myself, he gets so upset until I let him throw it away.
Every night I feed him oatmeal before bed, and he helps with the whole process. He picks the oatmeal, opens the fridge, {if the milk is light enough he pulls it out of the fridge}, he holds the milk lid while I stir the oatmeal, he puts the lid back on the milk, opens and closes the microwave, holds the milk lid again while I pour him some milk, {if it's light enough, he carries the milk back to the fridge}, opens the fridge, puts the milk away, he holds his spoon until I get him in his high chair, then hands it to me so I can feed him.
He is so hard to take shopping now. He is no longer content to sit in the cart, big part or in the seat. he HAS to help and push. It is so cute and makes him so happy, but it is sooo uncomfortable. If possible, he now gets left behind ;)
If ever he has something that I don't want him to have, all I have to say is "give that to mom" and he hands it right to me. So obedient. We'll see how long that one lasts ;).
I can't believe my baby has become such a big boy!
And because I don't have any pictures relative to this post because my computer won't read my SD card and I can't find my camera cord, but no post is complete with out a picture of this big boy, here is Milo eating a fresh chocolate cookie.
