Dear Eliot: Two Years, Five Months

Dear Eliot,

You are doing and saying everything these days.  It's amazing how you have turned into such a big boy in just a handful of months.  Your development just sky rockets every month.

You have quite the imagination.  You like to pretend to be animals, especially a baby t-rex.  You have a few imaginary "friends" already--a momma bird, a baby bird, and a frog in your pocket.  You talk about these animals coming and going, ask where they are, and pretend to hold them.

 

For a few months, you have been making your toys talk and setting up storylines.  Usually, one toy needs help, so I help it out, and then it needs help again.  And again and again.  However, this past month, your storylines have grown more complex.  The two cars are scared of the big truck, but then they learn that the big truck is friendly.  The three cars want to race, but then they crash, but Mater comes to help them and Doc fixes them up.  And then they crash again.  Things like that...  Also, everything is a family to you.  You have so many Maters that you assign each one a role:  daddy, mommy, and baby.  Same with your McQueens and trains and race cars and bath toys.  The funny thing is that you are consistent with which one is the dad, mom, and baby.  However, if you have just two, then it is daddy and baby (not mommy and baby).

You sure love your dad lately.  For a while, you would refuse affection from him and I think it really hurt his feelings.  I blamed the stubble on his face--it is itchy.  These days, though, you ask for Daddy at night.  You ask for Daddy when he's in the other room.  You ask for Daddy when he is running.  You give him kisses and hugs.  You two love to play together, and I'm glad you got over your "Mom is affection and comfort; Dad is for helping me dunk" assigned roles phase.

Your speech continues to develop and you talk in full sentences with first person most of the time.  Sometimes you ask us what things are when we know that you know the answer.  Here's the thing:  you're quizzing us.  And sometimes you tell me that I gave you the wrong answer and you correct me.  Some objects have more than one name, little dude.  I'm happy to see that you are developing empathy rather well also.  I try not to complain or show my discomfort with this pregnancy, but sometimes getting up is just hard or I get bad contractions.  You notice, Eliot, and you say, "Oh, Ma hurt?  I'll kiss it!"  You come over and pull up my shirt to kiss my belly.  You do the same for your dad too when he stubs his toe or you discover a bruise on his arm.  It's adorable.

I can't believe that just a few months ago I was so worried about your tantrums in public.  You only have about one tantrum a week now, it seems, and you're always getting better.  We've gotten to the point that we can bargain with you too, which helps.  If you start asking for something you can't have at the moment, I tell you to wait and then we'll do it--and this seems to work, actually.  I didn't think you'd understand waiting or even be OK with waiting at this age, but you've become quite relaxed lately.  I mean, it doesn't always work that way, and you do a lot of things we tell you not to, like running around the pool and chasing the cat when she wants to be left alone, but you're not screaming and crying in fits like you might have been before.  You're still a toddler and we're still working on listening, but you're doing an amazing job at growing in that area, especially when we go out.

We have about a week and a half left of you being an only child.  Your brother Jack will be here before we know it and I'm a little nervous about the transition.  You adore babies, so I think we'll be fine.  You have been wanting to spend a lot of time in his nursery lately, and you call it the "baby's room" or "Jack's room".  You play with his toys (many of which used to be your toys) and push and "feed" your "babies" in his swing.  Sometimes you take his things, look at me, and say, "MY toys."  You know that I have been telling you that they are Jack's toys, and you know it is wrong--that is why you give me that look.  You are waiting for my reaction.  Sometimes I tell you that they aren't yours, but Jack will share.  Sometimes I just give you a look because I don't want to make a game of it.  I know we'll have to work on sharing, but maybe we can figure it out by the time it matters.

You've been doing great swimming lately.  The water is still too cold for me, so we haven't gotten a ton of practice in yet, but at the beginning of pool season, you were a bit afraid to go out on your own.  Now you kick and spin around by yourself in a float.  When you are in a life jacket, you still want someone near, but your dad has taught you to swim to him.  You refuse to use your hands still, but you kick so hard that you do go toward him.  By the end of the summer, I bet you'll be jumping in (with a life jacket, of course).

When we took you to the bay for the first time this year, you were cautious at first, but then asked us to take you all the way out to the boats.  You just love the water and the sand at the "big sandbox".  I tried so hard to get a photo of you at least looking up (not even at me, just not down), but you were captivated by the water and sand.

 

You had your fourth haircut this month....  You just sat there perfectly the whole time and only got nervous at the end when she pulled out the clippers.  Then we gave you a lollipop and you were completely fine with it.

You're still crazy about basketball.  I let you pick out your clothes a few times lately and you always choose your basketball jerseys.  Your first pair of Jordans grew too small--or you grew too big, I suppose--so we took you to the mall to pick out new ones.  You were beyond stoked to get a new pair and tell us about your "basketball shoes" all the time.

You're such a big boy, Eliot.  Looking back at photos from a year ago, I can't believe how much you've grown.  When Jack arrives, you'll seem even bigger.  I don't feel ready to lose you as the "baby," but that isn't really up to me.  And we do have so much fun!

In my earlier letters to you, I wrote a lot of hoping to build your confidence and self-image.  I wanted you to feel secure in yourself and also in our love for you.  I have to say, either it is your personality, simply being a toddler, being an only child (for now), or maybe we did something right, but you are incredibly confident in yourself.  You are independent and strong-willed, but compassionate, sweet, and look to us for support when you need it.  I pray that never goes away.