Mr. Little Man. You are so, so grown up. Just today you got your first haircut – by yours truly. Your hair was so, so, so cute. Long sweeping bangs and little wisps and curls around the sides and the back. But it was always in your face and I felt bad about that. Now that I’ve cut it I kinda regret it. But it’s not that it doesn’t look cute – it totally does. You will always look cute. It’s just that you look so different – so much more grown up. I already miss the thought of you “younger” (yesterday). I know it’s silly! I love you today more than I did yesterday. And you needed your hair to be cut. That’s just part of life. Ah, but it’s the little things that drive home how fast you’re growing up and how you’re just not my baby anymore.
Wait, you will always be my baby. :)
You also got all four of your first molars in this last month. Yeah, it’s been a big month for teething! No action for ages and then four in one month! The two on your right side (top and bottom) are all the way through, and the two on your left side are still coming in but have broken the surface. It’s been causing you a bit of grief – disturbing your sleep and making you more clingy than usual.
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| with nan & pop - your great-grandparents |
Your vocabulary is just exploding! I don’t think I’ll be able to remember all of your new words (and I haven’t been writing them down unfortunately) but I will try! Some of the notable ones are: Baa (Bop), Nanny, GeeGee (Gigi), boo (poo), chee (cheese), sjoo (shoe), sjuu (juice), bay bay (baby), and nigh nigh (goodnight). You also sign “book” now.
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| always the music lover - listening to music on dad's iphone during our plane ride |
But even more than all your new words, your comprehension level is through the roof! You’re a great listener for such a little guy! We can say all sorts of things that are much more complex now and you completely get it. For example, I could say something like, “ Go and get your shoes please. They are in mama’s bedroom near the closet.” And you go straight to the place and find them. It’s amazing! You are so, so clever.
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| at taronga zoo |
Another thing that has really increased this month is your, um, bossiness. (Not sure how else to put it!) You’re constantly directing daddy and I around – pushing us to move here, go there, do this, don’t do that, etc. It’s pretty cute, but also tiring at times. Eventually you will learn that the world doesn’t actually revolve around you, but for now I think you’re pretty convinced!
You respond really well to time-outs now. When you don’t listen or disobey we sit you down against a wall and say “shhh, time-out”. You sit there quietly, looking down and “shh-ing”. It’s nearly impossible not to laugh. Often I have to turn around so that you can’t see me smiling or laughing! When we finish the time out we stand you up and talk to you about what you did wrong, tell you we love you, tell you to say “I’m sorry” and give each other kisses. Without fail so far, you always then go and obey or do what you were told before the time-out. It’s amazing! I’ve never seen a kid respond to time-outs so well. We’re hoping it lasts!! Oh, and we’re so proud of you!
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| here you are "shushing" during your time out |
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| this is your "i'm in trouble" face (i finally was able to take photos since i had a giant zoom lens!) |
This month has been a big month for us. After we returned from our family holiday in Port Douglas we all got sick for the week. It wasn’t fun! :( After that we left for Sydney for two weeks. It was such a fun time. You absolutely loved Nanny & Bop, especially your Bop. And ohmygoodness they loved you!! It just melted our hearts to watch you interact and play with them. We really wish we lived closer!
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| nanny & bop & cousins jackson & jasmine |
You also loved seeing Auntie Koz and Uncle Ben and your cousins Jackson and Jasmine. You and Jackson were two peas in a pod – totally adoring each other. It was priceless to watch you entertain each other, imitate each other, and love each other. You had so much fun! We even got to go to the zoo together – your first trip there – and you and Jacks loved it! It was hard to say goodbye to them all.
You’re doing a better job of letting us brush your teeth now. That’s a nice development and it means they actually get a clean like they need… most days at least!
And then there’s eating… Your eating habits are all over the place these days. You still don’t really like veggies and you often reject things that you “like”. Not sure if it’s just the teething or if you’re picky or if you’re just asserting your independence. Sometimes I find it very frustrating, but I try to mostly just stay relaxed about it. The “experts” tell me this is very normal for toddlers. J You still love your cereal, toast, sandwiches, yogurt, chicken nuggets, cheese, grapes, crackers, scrambled eggs, and rice cakes with peanut butter or cream cheese. You’ll eat those baby food squeezies still and that’s pretty much the only way I can get veggies into you. They are expensive, but at least you’re getting a little more than just all those carbs! I’ve been giving you V8 fruit and veg juice every day just to get a little more veg into you as well. You really like it.
Like always, you love music and love books. That’s still never changed and I’m beginning to think it never will. Your hand motions for songs has just skyrocketed this month and you do the motions to pretty much every song I sing – 5 Little Ducks, The Wheels on the Bus, 5 Green and Speckled Frogs, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Open Shut Them, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Twinkle Twinkle, and so on and so on… You love your songs!
You also have started singing some of the words too. It’s so cute. You do the “quack, quack, quack” from 5 Little Ducks and a few others. I love it! And dancing, hello dancing! Every month you bust out new moves to the absolute delight of daddy and I. It’s one of our favorite, favorite things!! This month’s top move is you pointing downwards like you’re doing some kind of Saturday Night Fever moves. You also bend over and put your hands on the floor and come up again over and over. It’s so cute and so funny… and who knows how you come up with this stuff, but we love it!
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| blowing kisses |
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| "no mama, look this way!" |
I’m getting so excited for you to become a big brother. I just know you are going to do such a good job. And it won’t be long before you two boys will be playing together. That will just be so precious.
I love you my little Mr. Man. We are so proud of you, so entertained by you, and so amazed by you.
smooches and cuddles,
mama xxoxoox
