Unless "two" refers to the second year of life, in which case its age one to two?
Because, in our house, we love us some two. Apart from the fact that I can barely wrap my head around the fact that my little squishy pumpkin baby is turning two in just two months (at which point there will be another squishy squashy bundle!), I am eagerly looking forward to two.
Three, I could skip right over (four is going swimmingly, by the way!) and one does have a lot of rough spots, but the closer we get to two, the more I remember how much fun it is.
Our "bumps" during age one have much to do with the fact that both boys have been late talkers, taking off right around age two. So cognitive development (not to mention motor skills) quickly surpass the ability to communicate about wants and needs. In addition, "wants" come onto the scene. Previously, as an infant, needs and wants were the same thing. Suddenly, there is a whole world to explore and a big brother to keep up with and oh! the naughty things we can find ourselves in!
But for the most part, apart from the never-ending-naughty parade of constant "getting into things," my little pumpkin is more and more fun everyday. He's picking up new words all the time and is really coming into his own, in terms of personality. Both boys have their father's quirky, random and usually hysterical sense of humor and there is nothing like a kid who can't even talk yet cracking jokes to put us all in stitches.
I love his squealy laughs when he's tickled, his love of his "bankies" for bedtime, and his constant attention to "wuff-wuff"s - he can spot one in real life or in a book a mile off. And, he will "wuff-wuff" at you until you acknowledge that you, too, have seen it!
He's quick to lend a helping hand with dirty diapers, clearing the table, fetching things except.... when he's not. And he sasses me or his papa. How can a non-talker sass, you might wonder. I too did not realize this was possible, but his "negative" noise or "dismissive" comment is a throat-clearing sound, followed by an eyeroll or a raspberry. A character this kid!
He's finally at the age of loving to read stories and will bring book after book (board books. Let's not get crazy with the attention span) for you to read with him. His current favorite thing is to play Mr. Potato Head. They're the first thing he goes for in the morning and get drug along all day. In fact, the other night, he must have had some kind of Potato Head related nightmare because he woke up sobbing at 2AM and climbed out of bed to race down the hall to the playroom to scoop up his two Potato Heads and bring them back in his room. I spend many, many hours of my day replacing shoes and hats.
His vocabulary now includes "papa, mama, ba-ball (baseball but applies to all ball sports), wuff-wuff, cack-cack (duck), tweetwee (birdies), rarrrrr (lions and tigers), uhhhh-ohhhhh, ooop (poop and Pope. this kid asks everyday to look at Pope pictures in my Vatican Trivia book. Be still my heart), urrchh (Church - also all things religious in nature except Jesus), illlk (milk and orange juice), head shakes and nods for yes and no, and "beep-beep" - which incidentally does *not* mean car or truck or thing that goes, but "move out of my way."
Oh and gas. His newest word. We have a lot of bodily functions around our house apparently.
He can tell you where his guardian angel is (pats his shoulder) and has started to be less heathen-ish during Mass, which is a real blessing as our hands will soon be full again during Church. He's no Church-mouse but pre-two has seemed to be a turning point in terms of Church behavior.
And, of course, boy through and through, he is a daredevil like his brother - climbing and learning how to jump. I've managed to convince him that since he can't *actually* jump yet, practicing from the very bottom step is the safest best. However, evidenced by Sunday's post-commissary run to the ER, I have not yet talked him out of *not* climbing out of the grocery cart (think handless headstand. Only he FELL into that position. Terrifying? Yes. Fine? Of course. Skulls like rocks). Funnily enough, his brother broke his foot at almost the same age - only a few months older - jumping off a play structure at the mall that was too high up.
Needless to say, I'm on the hunt for perpetual Guardian Angel novenas. I'd like my kids to see *at least* five years old.
So thats my baby right now. My baby about to be big. My poor 2nd child with only a 2 months ago picture to post because I never grab my camera for him. Poor guy.
Do you have a favorite age? :)
:) So wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love reading this :) M is just over one and a half, but it's so much fun, and I am really anticipating (or at least praying) that two will be as good for us as it is for you!
ReplyDeleteI really, really love 9-18 months. Once Sully hit about 30 months? I was in trouble. Kid drives me up a wall (LOVE HIM, but dang).
ReplyDeleteyea three. its bad news bears :-p
DeleteI must agree on the three thing. Someone told me it's called "totalitarian threes". I can't agree more. At two, like you said, there are choices that suddenly he can make and when he doesn't get his way, off to time out you go. But when he was two, he didn't know that it was possible to leave time out unless Mom or Dad gets you. At three, he figured out that there is no invisible tie to hold him there. Darn. I was hoping he'd believe that until at least age 19.
ReplyDeleteBut at the same time, since his talking pretty much all developed between 2 and 3 (I thought it was late too, but when he moved from 2-3 word utterances to full blown sentences to PARAGRAPHS within a 6 week period- I think he was just holding back), his personality- jokes, snippy comments, drawn out discussions about how the yellow traffic light is a weird yellow, like an orange yellow- that has really been able to shine through. So three- despite my overwhelming desire to pull my hair out multiple times daily- has been kinda fun. Well, most days :-)