Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Dear Eliot: Two Years, Four Months

Dear Eliot,

Right now, you are sitting next to me playing games on my phone.  You've always been so good at doing puzzles on the iPhone and iPad, and the games you play continue to grow more sophisticated.  You look like a little teenager with your electronics and games.

Lately, you haven't been demanding to watch Cars as much, which is a relief.  Now you always ask to watch UmiZoomi or Octonauts, so I have a few episodes recorded to meet your requests.  When tv characters ask you questions or tell you to say something, you shout enthusiastically at the tv.  I mean, I like Cars fine, but we had watched it almost daily for over a year.

With the weather warming up, we spend the majority of our days outside in the backyard.  You splash on the steps of the pool and throw toys (and everything else) in the pool.  Fortunately, at this point, you don't want to go in by yourself since it is kind of cold, so I can sit by the pool and watch you or keep an eye on you while doing yard work.  You have fallen in the pool once....  You were playing on the steps when you slipped.  I was right next to you and grabbed you right away.  You didn't cry or anything, just said it was scary and cuddled up for a little while.  Then you were right back playing on the steps.


We've had a couple of "big boy" adjustments as of late.  We lost all of your pacis, so instead of buying new ones, we decided to try taking them away for good.  I had let you keep the paci for bed and naps since you grind your teeth in your sleep.  And sometimes I let you have it when you got really upset.  I figured it was time, though, to let you be a big boy.  You went to sleep fine without it!  You don't really ask for it during the day either.  In the past five nights that you haven't had your paci, you have woken up screaming inconsolably three times, which is hard, but I think you'll work through it.  Also, you suddenly decided that you no longer nap.  I had you nap before because you'd get so very tired in the late afternoon; however, it was getting more and more difficult to get you to nap.  Since you stopped napping, you've slept better at night.  You still stay up late (9:30 pm or 10:00 pm) and wake up at the same time (between 7:30 am and 8:30 am, sometimes 9:00 am), but you are getting more solid sleep, I think.  And you don't seem to need a nap at all, just a little "rest time" when we lay down and cuddle for about 45 minutes.


Your speech is growing more clear and complex.  You speak in full sentences all the time and say the funniest things.  The other day, you went to the zoo with your dad.  When you got home, you came running to find me and told me all the animals you saw.  You said, "And a choo choo!  And I sat in a chair!"  This meant that you rode the train at the zoo.  I love how you say things--it's so cute.  You used to say "all right" instead of "yes" for a while, which was so funny because you'd be freaking out for juice, and I'd ask, "Do you want some juice?"  You'd reply "all right" in this Australian accent, like it was my idea.  That lasted for a few weeks, and now you say "yap" for "yes".  That is kind of silly too, but then I stepped back noticed that I say "yep" a lot.  Maybe that is weird of me.

Your speech also causes some frustrating instances as well.  You are really bossy at times.  I don't think that you quite understand this whole parent-child dynamic.  If you want to do something that you know I don't want you to, you tell me to "sit down" or tell me "bye-bye" while waving.  However, I am also quite proud of your manners.  You say please, thank you, bless you, and no thank you.  Even if you are in tears over me telling you that we have to go inside, you still usually say "no thank you" over and over instead of stomping around and screaming "no".

I think you are growing socially rather well.  You get so excited to see friends (both adults and kids) that you completely flip out and run in circles.  You love playing with other kids and running around.  I'm glad to see you engaging with others.  We're working on the whole sharing thing.  You do pretty well sharing other kids' toys, but sharing your toys confuses you.

In about six and a half weeks, your baby brother Jack will be here.  Sometimes I worry about the adjustment time; other times, I'm not overly concerned.  You are still so sweet to Jack, kissing, hugging, asking about, and poking my belly.

I had my third Mother's Day this year, and I felt so thankful for you, the one who made me a mom for the first time.  Thanks, Eliot, for loving me.

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