Okay. I know I say this every single freakin' month, but this kid GREW this last month. I mean, I don't know if he physically grew (a bit taller, maybe?) but he skyrocketed in every other way. Way more than he ever has, though it's harder to pinpoint because it isn't anything like crawling or walking or learning how to iron Daddy's shirts properly. (No one knows how to do that but Caleb thus far...)
While Abby and Brian were visiting the boys spent a couple days in Sacramento for work and when Caleb returned he said he noticed a difference. That's just two days. I knew it was coming though because the past 3ish weeks his entire sleep schedule has been completely off. He did that whole waking up earlier and earlier thing (6am!), but his nap was also short so his bedtime was super early. And many nights he fussed and cried on and off for hours, all things he hasn't done in, what, a year? At least? Every other growth spurt just messed with naps, they never touched bedtime and wakeup, so this one had to be a dousy.
He is learning a dozen words a day, words I don't even think I'm teaching him but he picks up anyway. I am constantly surprised at how well he can communicate even though he isn't stringing the words together all the time. He knows most of the words he needs to convey himself, and when he doesn't know it he pulls out his catch-all phrase. Something like, "ah faw wah wah." Sometimes he'll string it in there with the words he knows, so it sounds like, "Momma! Ah eat ah faw wah wah." And I'm supposed to figured out what "ah faw wah wah" is this time. It usually only takes one time for him to learn what the word is though, and he files it in his ever expanding vocabulary folder.
He figured out "yes", but as I said, it quickly turned to "yeah". An almost bored yeah, which just sounds so cute coming from such a tiny body. Yeah, I guess I want a peach, if you're offering. I WAS going to go hit the golf ball under the couch again, but I suppose I can pencil you in.
He's starting to understand ownership of things, though he has no sense of "this is mine" yet. Is that just because he doesn't have anyone else stealing his stuff? No pesky brothers or sisters? If someone takes away something he is holding, especially if that someone isn't Caleb or I, he reverts into shy mode and walks away to find something else, bottom lip pulled in. At the park he'll spot another kid's scooter and say "Yours!" which I'm assuming means anything that isn't his.
This last week he used "I" for the first time. He was sitting in his high chair, his new big boy at-the-table chair, and starting to fake fuss / produce actual real tears that I wasn't going to let him have a candy corn. I told him I was sorry, and continued wiping his hands and face off. He looked at me through his tears and said, "I sad". It was so cute, so....to the point, both Abby and I had to laugh. We've never asked him if he was sad, never reaffirmed his emotions (should start doing that obviously), the only thing I could pinpoint it to is that we do point out when other kids are crying while we're out, usually because he seems concerned. We'll say that "the little girl is sad, isn't she? But she'll be okay." or something like that, and never given it a second thought. But he put the two together.
via mah phone
Please ignore the recycling waiting to go out on the counter back there. Bane of my existence, that recycling.
His new love is golf, followed by the music kit we got from Costco (the drum is already busted), his scooter, and his ride on car, which he can now push himself.
His favorite foods....he eats a lot, though nothing really stands out. He still asks for popsicles, suckers, or marshmallows several times a day. He's had exactly two roasted marshmallows, but they've clearly made an impression! He also wants candy...and yes, it appears he loves caramel candy corn just as much as I do. We've both had to ration ourselves.
When he does get a candy corn or M&M, he doesn't wolf it down the way you'd expect him to. No, he carries it around with him like a precious little pet, occasionally licking it. The candy corn just gets extra sticky, but the M&M is just downright messy. It looks horrible, I'll find little finger prints and streaks around the wall corners or the filing cabinet or something, and they look like blood. Always freaks me out a bit.
He started to really love and use the playground, which is nice. He'll still hang around trying to see what sort of snacks I've brought (learning to NOT bring...) but he'll go play. And he loves to hang on the bars before sliding down the slides. It's a requirement actually, he seems out of sorts if there isn't anything to hang on.
He counted to 5 the other day while he was helping me check out his library books. Didn't know he could do that. Should I be teaching him that? How am I supposed to know these things?
He has peed in the potty 4 times. One night I decided to take advantage of this Pavlov's dogs response he has while we're running his bath, and sat him on the toilet, and he did it! He peed in the potty. And woah nelly, did I get excited! Scared him a bit, but nothing a bit of toilet paper couldn't solve. He loves to throw it in the toilet. He's done it every night since (minus the one night Caleb sort of did it out of order) and other than that I wasn't going to push it yet. I do have a little Bjorn potty coming, but it won't be here until mid-October, so I figured we'd just keep with this until then.
And then yesterday he was playing in the living room while I was putting away the dishes. He had his pants off, I knew that already, but didn't think much of it. He's a boy, and boys, in general, seem to like having their pants off. Just the facts, ya know. So after a bit he comes waltzing into the kitchen in nothing but a shirt and says, "Ah pee pee." And inside the living room I found a discarded and completely dry diaper, and a puddle of pee on the carpet. My son piddled like a puppy. Toooooootally wrong order, kid. But on the right track! So, yeah! Ish!
We'll see where this goes.
Today we went to a Fiesta put on by our church (some seriously awesome fiesta pics will be up soon!) and ran into some families we knew from our last ward. I saw one of the boys I used to teach as a sunbeam (age 3 - 4) and I was floored. He's in first grade this year and is A BOY. I mean, a total boy. Long boy arms, boy legs. It was crazy how fast the time had flown, and while that should have been what I focused on, it wasn't. I just kept thinking I am sooo glad I can still see Wyatt as my baby. I don't think I'm quite ready to give in to The Boy thing yet. I need a bit more time with his soft, squishy arms and legs, his warm post-nap cheeks, and his requests for a hug.
It seriously is crazy how fast they grow up right! Cliche' I know but so true. He is such a cutie Kim! I'm thinking it would be a fine time for #2. I mean come on, he's adorable there should be at least two mini Kimeb's in the world! (How's that for a statement? I'll go back to minding my own business again.)
Posted by: heather | September 19, 2010 at 08:05 PM