A 22/23 Month Old's Milestones

Every so often I check online and in my what to expect books to make sure my little one is growing and developing on schedule. She's been driving me nuts lately, and it's been awhile, so I pulled it out today to examine, and I thought you might like to know how well she's been doing!

According to the books, she should be able to:
1. take off an article of clothing
does a diaper/pull up count as clothing? B/c her desire to be naked is increasing daily.

2. Feed a doll
She's more interested in shoving her play french fries down mama's throat, but Ok.

3. Build a tower of 4 cubes
or terrorize the kids who can

4. identify 2 items in a picture by pointing and naming
as long as she doesn't have to name "mama"

5. throw a ball overhand
even the ones on the skeeball machines

6. speak and be understood half the time
well, she can sure speak, and she can sure be understood. But I'm thinking these are two different things

7. jump up
right after she climbs up unassisted on the trampoline

8. Put on an article of clothing
especially her shoes, right before she waves to me, tells me bye, and walks out of the house.

9. draw a vertical line in imitation
she can sure draw lines--in both directions, all over her body!

They also say "The toddler stage is characterized by much growth and change, mood swings, and some negativity."
Uh, Ya THINK?

They do not mention the milestones of:

1. opening doors, regardless of the type of door/knob (including the fridge)
2. climbing on everything making it necessary to remove her baby crib *sniff*
3. turning down fruit loops in favor of the crab meat she discovered in the meat drawer
4. jumping off the diving board in the pool, and the need of floaties because of her tendency to scream every time someone comes close to her in the pool
5. singing the songs and repeating many lines with the movie Little Mermaid


I am amazed and disturbed at the same time. The tantrums, which, trust me, aren't bad tantrums yet, are becoming more and more frequent. And it's all over "Give me what I want NOW" types of issues. She wants to do what the older kids do, exactly the same way they do it, when they do it, and wants no help doing it, either. She screams when she can't get it, she screams when you offer help b/c she doesn't want it, she screams when she doesn't get what she wants, she screams when she does get it and she wants more, do I even need to go on?

Luckily, when I have had enough, I can say, "Oh, Ashley! Come play with your sister for awhile. I need a break!" And she does. Or even better, "Oh Ashely! I bet Syd's diaper needs changing. Can you take care of that for me please?" (As is the case right now...as I suspected that maybe there might be a poo?) I don't know how anyone ever made it through their first several babies without an older child around to help. Wow!

I will say this, though. As big as she's getting, and as much as she is NOT a baby anymore, she still climbs up in my lap for snuggles and rocking to sleep. And as much as she will NOT say my name (mama), she still loves me more than anyone else, including her beloved daddy. Yeppers. A mama's girl!