- His appetite seems to be increasing, although he definitely needs to be in the right mood to eat. When he isn't, he will push everything away and off of his tray. I'm really working on getting him to say or sign "all done" like he used to. Lately, I feel like he is yelling at me or whining loudly when he is finished, which is not a habit I would like to see continue.
Zoning out in a Nutella coma
- As I have previously mentioned, Ben is into EVERYTHING right now. I really need to let go of the notion that I can/should have a clean and tidy house during this stage. He also is letting us know how frustrated he is with us when we take items away from him that he shouldn't have.
- While Ben is not saying too many words in clear English, I'm starting to wonder if I am just not great at deciphering his baby talk. He babbles constantly, and in the past few days, the words are becoming more consistent and possibly more understandable. For example, he will stand up on the edge/arm of the couch (the only part of the couch he is not supposed to stand on) and say what I'm convinced is "that's dangerous!". He also says what sounds like "yabba dabba dabba dabba" when I'm changing his diaper, so maybe that is him saying "diaper"? (He has not yet been introduced to The Flinstones, so I don't think this is from that) :)
- Ben is starting to outgrow a lot of his 18 month clothing and is moving on to 24 months/2T. Insane.
- Ben is super playful, and he is happiest when we are watching him play (eyes focused on him and not anything else), playing with him, or when we are outdoors.
- He enjoys grocery shopping a lot! He loves to smile at everyone and will often wave. Recently I have only been allowing his binky when he is in his crib (or right before bedtime), so he now will babble loudly or yell (loud noises!) when we roll through the aisles. I'm sure everyone in the store loves when we show up :) He also will stare at the computer and scanner when it's time to check out. If only he could get his hands on all of those buttons and screens!
- Ben loves to snuggle (and he loves our iPhones).
- Ben loves to dance! One of these days I will need to capture him in action. Last weekend we went up to visit Erica and meet Baby Luke (who is teeny and adorable and I wished I could have snuggled him forever), and him and Dylan had a short Justin Bieber dance party!
Us with Erica (looking seriously amazing 6 days after having him) and baby Luke!
We have a pretty reliable routine each day, which is helpful and keeps us sane. I always wanted to be that mom that had a flexible schedule, whose kid could adapt to any situation or setting, but I had to face that I am just not that type of person and that just isn't really our lifestyle. Ben has definitely learned (and I think appreciates) consistency, to the point where he literally LOVES naps and bedtime (as long as they are taking place in his room and in his crib - or at Callie's in his designated sleep area) :) This is fantastic most of the time, but when we attempted to put him down in his pack and play over at the Cougan's the other night, he almost lost his mind. I think we need to work on keeping on a good schedule, while at the same time incorporating a little more spontaneity into our lives. I read a great blog post about this exact thing this morning, which was a good reminder to me that it is fun to mix things up a bit from time to time and let go of the "schedule" at times.
Overall, I'm getting the feeling that we are entering a challenging phase of parenting. I need to remember that Ben, while he understands much of what I say, is a little kid (a baby!) that is still figuring out what everything means and doesn't quite understand why he cannot have and do everything he wants and still cannot communicate to us in the way he wishes he could. It feels like a hard thing to have to teach someone else the "rules" of life. I want nothing more than to have an environment where he does not have to be told no, where he can have 100% of our attention at all times, where he can learn and grow and explore as much as he desires - but unfortunately, that cannot always be the case. While I may feel like I am not always doing the best job I can balancing work and being a mom, I feel grateful to know without a doubt that Ben feels how much we love him and is learning so much more from us than I even know.
I guess I was wrong, I had a LOT to say!
I would love to hear from others about how you have/are navigating toddlerhood! :)
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