It seems like every day you are doing something new. amazing me with your propensity to learn, and your knack for being cute. You're more fun than ever, and for the first time in my life I can see how some people could be content with only having one child. (Don't worry, you will get brothers and sisters some day, just not quite yet!) I have an urge to document everything so I don't forget it...but I also don't want to spend so much time chronicling that I neglect snuggling, so I've compromised by waiting three months to write this behemoth post. Every smile, every antic, every shared laugh and cuddle is a gift, to be treasured up and counted in my heart and remembered yearly at Thanksgiving, and all the days in between.
You are trying to run, but still fall over at random times. Just now I watched you strategize and attempt several times to retrieve a prized lotion bottle from under your high chair. You held onto the low bar for a while, trying to reach it without going under, then finally took a deep breath, got on your belly and crawled. Victory! You slithered out with the prize clutched in your fingers, then clapped for yourself. Do you know how cute you are?
At Thanksgiving (down in GA at Poppy & Gram's) you learned the art of ducking under and crawling over things, usually the legs and feet of aunts & uncles. You have a love-hate relationship with their boxer, Sarah, calling "Hi, Rah-rah! Hi!" as you approach her with an eager smile... then at the first glance she gives you, you cry and run away, arms outstretched to any adult (especially Mommy). How DARE she look at you!?
Your newest & cutest tricks are... bouncing on your new ladybug pillow pet while trying to sing "Ride a little pony, ride to town, ride a little pony, don't fall DOWN," at which point you fall off, or at least lean your head over very far; resting your head on the floor and look through your legs for long periods of time; declaring with appropriate amazement "oh, no!" when you fling your bow to the floor or your doll from your bed; greeting us with enormous smiles, happy 'hi!'s, and outstretched arms every morning; coming (usually fake crying) to me pointing to an injured spot explaining "boom, boom," then making kissing sounds so I know to kiss it and make it all better; blowing your nose (just not when you try it in your board books... random??); identifying your nose, belly, feet, fingers, hand, teeth & mouth when asked (in Spanish); supplying necessary animal sounds for dogs, cats, cows, owls, mice, dinosaurs, lions, elephants, hyenas, kukkaburras, fish, ducks, frogs & birds when asked in Spanish (or whenever you see them, live or in books); saying "po'vo?" (please) and "dah-yah" (gracias) appropriately, usually unprompted; trying to sit on anything at your knee-height (including my face if I'm lying down); sitting and "reading" to yourself quietly, always turning the pages right-to-left, and making appropriate sounds; make-believing cooking ("hot!" blowing sounds, eating & drinking sounds with play dishes); helping to clean up, one toy at a time; re-enacting of past injuries, involving hitting self or falling, saying "ow!"; adding in a new dance move of your fists pushing down; and lastly, your "surprised face," scrunching up your face and inhaling "oooohh!" as if looking at something amazingly cute. People ask me if I sit and work with you on this stuff, and some of it, I have, but most of it is just you mimicking whatever you see. You are always learning! You are still obsessed with trash & trash cans, identyfying any trash can, dirty diaper, or plastic bag as "urk." If I tell you it's clean, you respond by smelling deeply, then going "ahhh." You say "awww" and cuddle when Daddy tells you to "give Daddy loves," or when Mama tells you to dale un beso. You clasp your hands together to pray and say "Ahhh mah!!" as we Amen. In long car trips you start straining at the car seat harness, while signing "down," then in frustration wag your finger at the harness shouting "no no no!!!" You try to match pitch to everything-- car horns, swings, alarms-- and have a pretty good sense of beat. My little musician! You LOVE music and dance to everything.
Your favorite books are "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!" "Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You?" and "Good Night, Gorilla." You act out every part of "No More Monkeys," and LOVE the picture of only the eyes in "Good Night, Gorilla." This has led to your "surprised face."
Words... You call out "Poppy" and mimic everyone else's name, usually using exclusively Ps & Ts (Aunt Courtney= ToTee). You say 'tante (elephant), doggy, gato (cat), d'n (down), up, all done, hi, bye, ta-ta (cup), ma (more), p'vo (please), 'che (milk), am-beh (hungry), da-ya (thank-you), bebe, yum, night-night, Ellie, & oh no very clearly. You know a lot of people, and call them by name- Jay (Jane), y-y (Ryan), Eh-en (yourself), Abuh (Abby), Na-na (Nina), Bubub (GB), Poppy, and some version of Uncle Colin which I cannot recreate. Daddy is still your favorite word. Many of your words sound very similar; bee-bo (libro, book), bo-bo (blandito, blankie), or daddy, doggy & ducky. Best are moo-moo (cow), ma-ma (mommy), mah! (your repitition of "si, mama," -yes, mommy,- which I have you say after each instruction), na-ma (no more, as in "No more monkeys jumpin on the bed!, said with furrowed brow and wagging finger), na-na (either means "knock knock," with accompanying gesture, or "nariz/nose"), and no no no (obvious). Context clues are crucial!
I've been working with you on communicating instead of whining, and in the past 4 days have seen a huge difference! You usually sign/say "ay-dah" (help), or "down," or "please," then what you want. You've even started repeating combined signs like "down, please." You obey very well for a toddler, requiring correction but mostly obeying. When you disobey it is usually with a very mischevious smile...uh-oh. Ocassionally you still randomly bite my leg or toe, which I do NOT appreciate.
Well, you're coming up to my leg and smacking it, grinning up at me "hi!" so I think my time is up.
I love you, munchkin. You are a treasure-- Mommy is so thankful for you!!
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