2 Months Old

Month 2

In Photos...

27 months

Wesley is 27 months old. 

He makes us laugh, sometimes because he's trying to be funny, and sometimes just because what he says is so surprising we can hardly believe it. There is so much surprising cuteness at this age.

He is very friendly and talkative. If someone says hi to us when we are out and about, he is quick to start chatting them up which is surprising to many adults. Sometimes they can't understand everything he's saying, but he is quick to engage in conversation with them.

Wesley is a Strider Biking Wiz. It is a pedal-less bike on which Wes glides down the road. He's so fast--he can easily outpace us, which allows us to cover more distance around town. It's lightweight and he can move it around with ease. I am shocked at the kids of bumps and uneven roads he can manage. We stride up the streets noting the model and make of the cars we see.

Conversation

Man pruning hedges: Nice bike.

Wesley (stops bike): It's a Strider Bike. (Runs his finger along word Strider slowly saying) s-t-r-i-d-e-r bike. It doesn't have any pedals. I just use my feet. I like my Strider bike. I go fast. Just no pedals. I go all the way to town. I saw the boats. Then I come back. Sometimes my tire get dirty. This is my Strider bike. It's blue.

Man (surprised look): Oh, yes

I can't remember the rest of the conversation, but Wes kept talking for maybe three more minutes before we moved on. So sweet and ready to engage.

And, when you miss your Strider bike ride...a tunnel will do.

His imaginary and "real" world experiences still blend seamlessly. The stories he tells are often surprising, though filled with familiar characters (trucks, construction equipment, planes, various animals). He also really likes to explain how things work, or what happens detail by detail, play by play (which I find adorable).

Conversation 1:
Wes: "And I saw a Camero. It was a convertible! It put down the roof and then it was a shiny Porsche convertible!"
Me: "You mean it transformed into a Porsche?"
Wes: "Yes!" (then proceed to repeat the same explanation about it formerly being a Camero)

Conversation 2:
::Looking at the globe::
Me: And that big country there is Russia
Wes: Russia! I used to live in Russia. I had just a little bit of food and water.

Conversation 3:
"This is Emily's coal. You put the coal in the steam engine and burn it to give energy to make it go. Steam comes out the smokestack"

One interesting development is that when we tell Wes he can't do something, he says, "I read the instructions..." and then it seems like he wants to change what the instructions said to make them in his favor, but he doesn't quite know how to lie yet. I told him that he was only allowed to have one vitamin because that's what the instructions was healthy for a kid of his age. He'll ask for another vitamin throughout the day and say, "I read the instructions...", or he'll ask for various things he wants and say the same.

Tea Time
We've had some lovely tea parties. Wes is so careful in his pouring and has gotten to the point where he will very rarely overflow our cups. "Would you like some cream in your tea?". Why yes, thank you, Wesley.

Brotherhood
Life with a little brother is a big adjustment. Wes is often very sweet with Sabien. There is also a hearty dose of stress and jealousy around the situation, but we'll focus on the sweetness for now.

Sabien loves watching Wesley.

Wes loves his train set. They are trains that go with Thomas the Train, so they all have names, "That's Thomas. He's the Little Blue Steam Engine that Could"

Construction site matching letters game.
Matching the letters is easy for him, but he really loves it. It's good coordination practice as he backs up his dump truck and dumps the load. It was very fun and good practice for starting sounds and quick letter identification. He would fill up his dump truck at the work site, and then deliver the load to the appropriate letter. We also play the same game with the front loader.

Wes has started reading Sabien's baby books. He runs his fingers across the big, bold words and "sounds them out", saying them very slowly. He has also started noticing more letters in words on the page when we read to him. He will read us books that he has memorized. He has all of the little turns of speech, each word exactly committed to memory. I love it when he reads me books.

Grandma D has been coming over every Saturday to spend the afternoon and evening with us. We have enjoyed her company, and she and Wesley have been having so much fun together. They like to go on adventures around town. Wesley even lets her read books to him and put him to bed. It is very sweet, and we are fortunate to have the help on one of Casey's long work days.

Despite the fact that our house often looks like a tornado wreck, there is so much orderliness in Wesley's play. Trains line up precisely. Cars do, too.

And Oma came to visit which was great fun as always.

Numbers

Wesley has an increased interest in numbers. He can now count up to six. I think he understands the one to one correspondence of numbers 1-3, but not higher. Meaning he can point to objects and count three, recognizes when he sees one-three dots, etc. 

Potty Time
Wesley has basically home daytime potty trained himself this month, at least for now. He has worn mostly underwear at home for the last few weeks, at his request. Grandma M had sent some cool underwear a couple months ago. He was interested in them for awhile, inconsistently, and then all of a sudden he decided he wanted them.

At first he had a few accidents, then just with number two, or would ask for a diaper when he knew he had to go. But now he is going consistently on the potty all day long. I rarely ask him if he needs to go, but he tells me and then wants help and company.

We have been putting a diaper on him when we go out of the house, for our ease. However, we've tried a few outings with undies, because he has started saying he wants to wear his underwear out, too. I just have to remember to ask him when he comes back home, or else he'll have been holding it, but forget to go on the potty. It definitely adds a challenging element when I'm out with the boys on my own, so we stay close to home with just the three of us and underwear.

I'm glad he decided he wanted to on his own, because I certainly didn't know how I'd increase his interest beyond what it has been (spotty) at various points. Also, it's really hard to change a diaper with a baby in the carrier, but not so hard to pull down pants for the potty.

13 months

This month was full of "dat"s (thats) and gaining speed...

Sing Songs
One of my favorite new activities this month is playing Ring Around the Rosie. Wes often gets the "fall down" right, and he thinks it's so fun to walk in the circle. Then he stands right back up and takes my hands. It's a great game.

Somehow, lately"Old McDonald" has become our bedtime nursery rhyme. It seems a little ridiculous, but I suppose it is repetitive, and I don't know many other songs that can be so lulling. Much to my surprise, Wes pays attention and does the relevant animal cue. So if I say "and on his farm he had a chicken" Wes starts saying "bock-bock-bock". He does this for two or three animals and then starts to lull off on our sleepy walks or in the car.

Language
The word of the month is "Dat" with pointing. Some days I think I hear about 800 "dat"s a day. He really wants to draw our attention to things, and he really wants to know what stuff is.
He now says "bye-bye" while waving
He says ba-ba for sheep
He has a cute new meow for cats that sounds so soft and like "mah-mah".

Wes is still ravenously consuming books on a daily basis. He has developed an interest in Dr. Seuss books which last month seemed to either bore or disturb him. One morning this month he laughed all the way through Green Eggs and Ham. Funny guy.

Physical Feats
It seems like Wes can walk forever without getting tired. I haven't had him ask to be picked up because he was tired at all this month He walks continually when we're outside, and we're frequently outside for long stretches--often over an hour and a half.

Wesley continues his climbing adventures. He is great at climbing on & off of his trike. He's really good at getting on and off couch now. He just pops right up there.

He loves to rock on his rocking horse and is great at rocking back and forth on it.

He walks backwards. He spins in circles. The circles is a new dance move--so cool. Also, this month he has  incorporated the upper body into his dance moves. He sways back and forth with his upper body in addition to the deep knee bend which are classic. I love it.

He can now stack two blocks.
He puts his blocks on the pegs of his stacking train with ease.

Wes loves to push his tractor and trucks around and go "vrrrm". He flies his airplanes or objects he's pretending are airplanes through the air. The boy LOVES motorcycles and trucks and tractors. He loves them on the street, he loves them in books, and he loves them as toys.

He has finally had some success with his puzzle. It has big knobs and three animals. It is still really challenging for him, but sometimes he can get the pieces in their spots. He can also put the little circle and triangle magnets back in their spots on his magna-doodle.

Identification:

Body parts: nose, eyes, ears, toes, fingers, hands, mouth, bellybutton (preferably someone else's), hair, foot
Animals and objects: It seems like he can point out almost any animal or object shown in his many books.

Direction & Response:
He tries to direct our actions more specifically now. He will take my hand and bring me across the room to touch something he wants me to open. He takes my fingers and rubs them on surfaces so I can feel different textures (in books or oddly textured objects).

Wesley now tries to communicate more complex demands upon my behavior. Sometimes he takes my hand and shakes it around and clearly wants me to do something, and I don't always know what he's saying. He gets frustrated and complains when this happens, but so far not a full-blown meltdown. Like if he sees a picture of a bus, he'll start shaking my hand because he wants me to sing "wheels on the bus" (this is a simple example, one that I understand). Or, he'll be pointing at something saying "dat" and trying to get me to do a specific action with the object. Usually we can figure out what he wants through a guessing game if I'm not clear on what he's saying. Sometimes we have a more difficult time.

It's interesting to see him developing a more complex idea of the way in which he wants things done. He also seems to be realizing his own agency more. He's wanting to share his thoughts, to show us the things he notices, and to have us play in the way that he wants us to play together and this desire is being expressed in more contexts than last month.

On the following directions front, Wes is actually somewhat effective in cleaning up now. He'll take toys and put them on his shelf (and leave them!). He will take food out of the grocery bags and give them to us to put on the shelves. He will take his shoes, walk them across the room and put them on the shoe rack if we ask him to do it.

Food
He enjoys dipping his food. I started saying "dip dip dip" when I first showed him how to dip. Now every time he does it he says "duh-duh-duh".
He likes to pick tomatoes in the garden. We have had some success in teaching him not to pick the green ones.

watering with a stick

Entertainment
Our new evening routine often involves walking downtown by the waterfront for an hour or so before bedtime. I basically just follow Wes around as he walks back and forth and all around the plazas, or across the footbridge, or around the cobblestone paths. He is so tiny and driven and capable and busy. People get a kick out of seeing him walking around. I love watching him.

A new challenge, however, is that he hates to be taken away from his walking or from wherever he is if he's enjoying it. And, I do try to be flexible, but sometimes it gets cold and late or is too sunny or whatever. Oh, he screams. Loudly. And thrashes. And arches and is really hard to get in the Ergo, or even to keep a hold of. He is great at making his body slip right through your hands. I officially look like one of "those Moms" who is torturing her child who is screaming bloody murder and throwing himself on the ground. Goodness...but it is still mostly fun.

Other delights

Wes gives hugs. He kisses his stuffed animals a lot, but prefers to hug humans.

Wes continues to love to talk on his phone (which is actually either his ipod, his calculator, or the stereo remote). He gabs on it then puts it up to our ears so we can talk on it.