This update has been a work in progress for a few months now.
April 14 G officially turned 2.5. Boy is he a handful. I sincerely hope that he's going through the "threenager" stage early, because I honestly don't see (and don't want to know) how it could get much worse. His favourite word is NO and he likes to deliver it with gusto and volume, frequently. We're working on manners and being nice, and using words like "frustrated," "angry," or "upset" instead of hitting or screaming "no." It's hit or miss, though tonight he said he was frustrated that my show was on instead of his, so that's improvement.
We switched schools shortly after the new year. When we got back from Christmas, he was adamant about not wanting to go to school and pitching fits in the morning. We noticed in the 5 days he was at his old school his vocab and diction dipped. Unsurprising considering he was almost 2.5 and in a 1 year old classroom. They did nothing but sit them in front of the TV and allow independent play. He was bored brainless. We found a great place that put him in the 2.5-3yo room, and he loves it. They teach him letters and numbers, do worksheets, colouring, fingerpainting, play outside every day, provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and he has a blast. His vocab and diction improved immediately and he now tells us about what he did at school, and what he learned. He is so much happier. They're even working on potty training him (though he doesn't seem to care if he's wet or dirty, and I'm not sure how to get him to care while taking care of Ms Velcro). He hasn't had a single biting incident since he switched schools because he's in the appropriate level. He's even starting to engage in imaginary play, telling us he's going to the store on his trike, or having a tea party with his play kitchen.
Noises are freaking him out lately. Not all loud noises, but thunder, and garbage trucks. We even waved at a truck driver at a rest stop, and he blew the horn for G, but it just freaked him out. After waking up to him out of his bedroom, screaming at the top of his lungs from the top of the stairs at 3:30 am about the "loud noise garbage truck" we made a few changes. We switched out his door handle for bathroom one, lock on the outside. It seems mean, but if he gets out of his room without us knowing, he can mess with the gas stove, knows how to turn on the fireplace, reach the knives, etc. I wouldn't put it past him to figure out the gate on the stairs either. So we lock him in at night. He also knows all about the video monitor and that if he gets scared he can call for us to the camera and we'll come up and get him. He's a smart kid, that's for sure, but I do miss the days when he couldn't open his door.
He still loves trucks, trains, and anything else that goes. Dump trucks and garbage trucks are pretty big, though he gets excited about the mix trucks (cement mixers) we see on the way home from school. He also loves water towers. He will yell out "water tower water tower!" whenever he sees one from the car. He was so excited when James took him to one and they got out to touch it and walk around it.
We did have one really super scary incident recently. We were at Sam's, having hot dogs, and he fell off the bench and smacked his head on the concrete floor. James was sitting right next to him, holding Ainsley while I put the carrier back on. I ran around to get him and he actually lost consciousness for a second. He revived immediately, and seemed ok; he wasn't even crying that hard, but it was petrifying. We called his doctor, and when the nurse called back she said to take him to the ER. James took Ainsley and I home, and headed to the ER with G. He said every nurse in there must have asked what happened, and every time would almost accusingly ask where he was. What are you supposed to do to prevent something like this? Have him wear a helmet 24-7? Never let him sit on a bench? By the time the doctor saw them, he was fine, laughing and smiling, and even told the doctor "my head feel much better!" He was mostly concerned with watching Nascar apparently. He did really well for the CT scan, and they found a hairline fracture on his skull. They sent James and G home with an appointment with a pediatric neurosurgeon the next Tuesday. That was probably the scariest part; waiting all weekend knowing that we were referred to a specialist in neurosurgery. But, he was really nice, and very unconcerned. He said any symptoms that G experienced from that point on were unrelated, there was nothing he could do to make it worse (even hitting his head again), and that it would heal on its own in 4-6 weeks. This happened the Saturday after my kidney stone surgery, so it was a busy, busy week. The next weekend he ended up with a horrible fever (it reached 104F) while we were out of town. Since we were in a condo on the beach, he wouldn't slow down, even when he was throwing up. It turns out he had an ear infection, and he's doing much better now. I hope we get a break from doctors for a while.
Overall, he's a happy, healthy, typical toddler. He has the sweetest smile, dotes on his sister and loves to eat cous cous, yogurt, rice, and chicken nuggets. He's intermittently sweet and terrorizing, aggravating and adorable. He's smart as a whip and stubborn to boot. Most of all, I can't imagine my life without my little G man in it. (Especially the heart melting moments when he asks for mommy.)
He has started saying hilarious things, most of which have been shared on facebook. For those without facebook (hi Auntie Van!) here are some gems:
-G: I tired. Me: I'm tired too. G: Mama, me too too!
-Go to chicken nugget store!
-Good job turning into driveway, mom!
-Find hidden treasure! (While chasing after his friend Lilly after church)
-Be be back (be right back)
-We bought him water sandals at Nordstroms. He was so excited, and wanted to wear them immediately. He put them on, walked over to the fish tank and said "need swim fish tank!"
-He now gives kisses when something is hurt. When I said my head was hurting, he came over and gave me a kiss on the forehead
-I miss you gone Daddy (to James, constantly. James likes to say G misses him being gone because he'll say it even if he hasn't been gone recently)
-Sweetheart mama
-Backhoe is good stuff. How cool is that?
-I fwear Daddy (I swear Daddy, delivered like an exasperated teen)
-Go hostal. Get surgy. Go hostal, feel much better. Feel much better, mama.
-Wrinkle...I eat it! I like wrinkle! (re: his wrinkly fingers after a bath)
-G: Knock knock. Me: Who's there? G: I'm here!!
-*sneeze* Me: Bless you. G: I bless you too!
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| Showing off the eggs he found at church |
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| Cous cous |
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| Take my picture! |
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| Pluto hugs |
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| The face of concentration |
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| Highlight of his life? Bus rides |
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| Loving older brother |
