Feeding
He is still breastfeeding on demand, which is every night, every morning, sometimes during the night and sometimes in the afternoon if he is having a nap. His morning feed still takes ages, at least half an hour. Still, it is a nice slow wake up.
He's really good at eating breakfast - he likes porridge with blueberries or chocolate weetabix. He likes to pour his own milk. He also climbs up onto the bench to get his own cereal from the cupboard (and gets annoyed if you help him).
He is a big fruit lover. Pomegranate is one of his favourites, as are blueberries, strawberries, mango and grapes. He's not so much into his vegetables these days, with the exception of carrot chips, green beans, peas and corn.
He eats much better at lunch time than he does in the evening, so whenever possible I try to have the main meal then. For tea he is happier snacking on a plate of cucumber sticks, ham, avocado, grapes, and that sort of thing. I think he's getting all the nutrients he needs so I'm not too worried about how that works - except when he doesn't eat enough and wants booby all night!
He is also a big fan of pomegranate tea, raisins, apples and chocolate!
Sleeping
He is currently sleeping in my bed at night. He did move out for a little while. You many remember back when he was 7 months old and became more mobile, I wanted him to learn to sleep in his cot so that I could put him to bed and come back downstairs for some grown up time knowing he was safe. He took to that quickly. My plan was that he would have a couple of hours in his cot and then come back to my bed when I got to bed. He didn't agree though, and me going to bed disturbed him so he ended up in his own room. I missed him. More to the point it was harder when we were away as he wasn't used to sleeping with me anymore. Then some time between one and two, he started to come back to my bed when he woke up. Now he goes to sleep in my bed. He's really very cute. We have a story and then booby and then he will lay down and say "a little bit share my pillow Mummy", so I lay with him for a moment or two. I LOVE that time. I can't stay too long though as he finds it hard to fall asleep when I am there.
He sleeps for about 11 hours at night, sometimes waking for a feed but not always. He has recently dropped his official daytime nap, though he does still have one about three times a week -he is asleep on the sofa right now, and he will fall asleep in the car after swimming lessons or a big day out to Nana's house. He won't sleep in his cot now though - if you suggest he goes for a nap in his cot he is very resistant, so now when he is tired I ask him if he wants to lay down with me on the sofa - he soon drops off and I sneak away.
I have talked to him about getting his own bed, but he says "No thank you, I don't need one Mummy". That said we did go into a bed shop the other day and he did quite like the idea of a single bed. When we got home he wanted the tape measure. He took it upstairs and started trying to measure his cot - he said "take that down, new bed go there" though when questioned further he didn't actually want to sleep in it! "I sleep in Mummy's bed" Still - I am thinking it might be time to make the purchase, so that it is there when he is ready.
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| Our latest artwork - BB wanted to make a train with glitter, so here it is! |
We still swim every week, and have done since he was 7 weeks old. We have just moved from baby swimming, which was essentially about bonding with your baby and enjoying the water, to more grown up swimming, where they're actually learning to swim. BB loves swimming, though I think the main attraction for him is his friend L who has been his swimming companion since the beginning.
We dropped TumbleTots just after he turned two. The classes changed at that point from being a place to experiment and explore, to being a place where you line up and take turns and do a specific thing. I can see where they are coming from with that idea, but two is too young - BB certainly thought so, he hated it with a vengeance - so much that by the time we went to our third session of the new regime he didn't even want to go through the door.
TumbleTots day has now become a day to catch up with his friend T. If the weather is good we go to the park or somewhere outdoors for a run around and some fresh air. This has the added bonus that T's mum is a great friend of mine and we can keep each other sane at the same time.
BB also loves his train. DD started a set of Brio for him for his first birthday and we have been adding to it ever since. Trains and train tracks and tunnels are 3 of his favourite things. He is also big into playing shops - he has his own shopping trolley and a great vegetable set, so we play the game that he calls "pay" every day too.
He enjoys craft activities too - though it always frustrates me a bit that it takes longer to set up and clear up than he spends on it. I used to design the activities for him quite carefully, but I don't anymore as he is able to self direct. He will tell me if he wants to paint or stick or whatever, usually by getting out the equipment himself. He has started doing things with DD when he's here too which is great. Here are a couple of his recent works. The "Christmas sheep" he made with DD, and the elephant he did all by himself - I do think it looks like an elephant, though I think he decided what it was once he had finished rather than before he started! He pointed out to me the four feet, the ear and the trunk squirting water - can you see that?
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| Christmas Sheep |
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| Elephant |
He also likes to help out with all the chores. In fact, if I turn the washing machine on myself he gets very upset. He likes to carry the washing to the machine, put it in and turn it on. He also likes to put in the dryer, and constantly opens the door of the dryer and then closes it and turn it on again! He likes to help out with cooking still, and to put things into the washing up. Sweeping is also one of his favourites. He has been scared of the vacuum cleaner, but recently has stated to be brave - he now cautiously presses and then quickly lets go of the button that retracts the electric cable, and then giggles.
He goes to nursery for two mornings a week now and he enjoys it too. He loves his key worker "I love Emma long time". He does very similar things there to here, from what I can make out, like play trains! He always eats everything - sometimes X2.
Talking
He talks a lot now and can have a proper conversation. He'll try any words, but he can't say the th sound or the fl sound, so them sounds like lambs and floor sounds like fool, but I can understand most of what he says. He recounts events from ages ago and remembers people we only met once, and what they ate, or what they did - I find it quite remarkable really. Some of his language I know he learnt when he was really small too, for example as an infant he had reflux and was constantly spewy - I used to say to him as I cleaned him up "you did a sick". I don't know where that choice of words came from, but anyway - I don't use them normally. He has vomited a couple of times in the last few months and his terminology is "I did a sick!" - I have not used those words since he was about 10 months… scary in a way - hopefully I didn't teach him anything else unwittingly!
Other developments
He is still wearing nappies. We did have a time a few months ago where he tried to do a wee on his potty before he had a bath - but he doesn't want to do that now. He is taking an interest in what others do on the toilet though, but when asked if he wants to do a poo or a wee on the loo he says "yes, but not today". I am not pushing it. Hopefully he will just do it when he's ready.
He can take off some of his clothes too, like his shoes and his trouser and socks. That said he doesn't always do it - the other day when I asked him to take his shoes off he said he couldn't do it. I told him I know he can, to which he replied, "I can do it at nursery, but not at your house!" He can put his own wellies on, though not always on the right feet. He also likes to choose his own clothes.
He still likes lots of close contact. He loves cuddles and sitting on my knee, he snuggles up to me at night, and likes to ride on my back to come down the stairs. I figure that's all part of how we should develop naturally, part of our evolutionary history, but some would say I indulge him. They can have their opinions - and I'm happy with mine!
Personality
I am probably biased here, but he seems to be a really likeable child. He's mostly happy, and he enjoys interacting with others. He can be a bit of joker already and loves making people laugh. He's quite sociable and friendly and plays well with other kids. I sometimes worry that he will be a pushover as he usually gives in without a fight if the other kid wants something, but hopefully that's just because he's nice and he can see from they way they behave that they want it more than him. He is often perplexed when other kids have tantrums or take things from him. He doesn't really get upset like that.
He does have tantrums though, but they are usually at home in private. One of his funniest was when I changed his nappy and he screamed "I want my poo come back" for what seemed like forever! Doing something he wants to do himself is also a trigger, like putting something in the bin, or getting his spoon out or pouring milk on his cereal.
He loves to look at himself too. It is part of his bath time routine to be picked up and look at himself in the mirror when he's done. He also has a mirror in the car - one that I used when he had a backward facing seat. We went in my parents car the other day and he told me that I should buy them a mirror so that he can look at himself in their car too! He loves having his photo taken, and if he is doing something that he thinks is worthy he will tell you to get your phone and take a picture of him - posing in different ways - this sequence of him hiding in the toys was indeed directed by him!
How I am
I am totally in love with my little man. Now more than ever before. He is great company, we have a lovely little life together. In general I feel like I am doing OK with this motherhood thing, but then I have times when I just wish I could press rewind and start over. Parenting is teaching me a lot. The hardest part is dealing with myself, but I am definitely becoming a better person for it.
Great update! Happy belated half birthday!!
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