I've been somewhat dreading the half-way mark of this year. Why? Because the 6 months between 2 and a half and 3 years is pretty monumental around here - a full 6 months of milestones that just keep hitting me in the face. In the next 6 months, we will tackle potty training, saying goodbye to pacifiers, and learning to sleep in a big boy bed. Those are some big turning points - not only for you but for our family. For over 7 years, we've changed diapers, looked for pacifiers, and awaited the stirs and cries of an infant or toddler waking from a nap or first thing in the morning. Soon that phase will end, and we don't have plans to continue that stretch. In some ways those changes are welcome - a pay raise from not having diapers to buy, teeth that won't buck out from a pacifier, and easier travel without worrying about a crib. But, in more ways, they are unwelcome - signifying the end of a long chapter in our life with a baby. You are way more toddler these days, anyway! This half-birthday reminds us that you are right on track with your attitude, your defiance, your insistence on your way, your boundary-testing, and your absolutely amazing conversational skills! You are doing all the right things for your age, which also comes with its benefits and struggles. So, let's dive into those things, shall we?
What ARE you up to these last three months?
-You are fully conversational, using long flowing sentences to tell us what you want, what happened, what you need. You use words like "because" and "actually" appropriately. You use those sentences to say silly things like, "My teacher name is Miss Cecily," with a smile on your face because Cecily is really a friend in your class - NOT the teacher. You use those sentences to say demanding things like, "Mommy! I talking to YOU!" when I'm not listening or "Quinn, leave me alone. I not want you to play with me," or "Bannah, get out of my space!" (Notice how I have many more examples of the demanding language! Hmm, wonder why!?) You use those sentences to give us information: "Mommy, I go to camp today and I bounce in bounce house. I have fun at camp," or "Wyatt is my friend, and Asher is my friend. We play outside in the house," or "I have chicken for lunch but I no have ketchup ("chechup")." And, my favorite, you use those sentences to tell us about your feelings: "I am ANGRY!!!!" "I frustrated ("fustated")!! I said Leave ME ALONE!" "Mommy, I sad. I no want you to go to work."
-You like to shake people's hands and say, "Nice to meet you!"
-Other favorite expressions: "I want you to hold me," or in the pool, "I want to hold you." "I want to cuddle." "That's not fair." "I missed you." "Goodnight, guys! Brother hug!" And of course, "I love you."
-You are one big ball of emotion some times - and more and more frequently! You get very upset, angry, "fustated," when you don't get your way. You hit us, slap at us, yell loudly at us, and even roar at us. The most common thing you do, though, is throw anything you happen to have in your hand. If you don't have anything in your hand, you look for something near you to throw across the room or down hard on the ground. It's funny in a way, but mostly very obnoxious. Your temper is getting out of hand. I've had to start running over to stop you from chunking some breakable object or something that could do a lot of damage to the floor or anything else in the object's path. It could be because you want my phone and I said no. It could be because Quinn didn't share with you or your turn is over. It could be because you don't like the song that's playing in the car. You are certainly asserting yourself and want what you want when you want it!
-Luckily, those demands don't seem to be made at school, and your teachers tell us you are one of the funniest, sweetest, most friendly kids in the class. Ms. Valerie says she can't imagine these tantrums we tell her about - that you've never hit your friends at school, and you are always smiling and having fun. Ms. Cooper tells us what a delight you are to have in class and how you clap for your friends with a "YAY! We did it!" when you accomplish something with the class.
-I get to see these awesome traits in My Gym classes that we still attend. Last week, we joined the next level class, and the teachers now ask you to listen to their instructions with little help from your "grown up." You have done a great job sitting quietly and listening to directions, taking turns, and following along. You have a sweet heart - always wanting the other kids to be safe and share - but you certainly like to have your space and want things to be just yours, too!
-One of the biggest accomplishments of the last few months is that you now say your /k/ sounds! Milk is no longer "milt." You can actually say "QUINN" instead of "Winn." It just happened one day, when I was overly exaggerating my /k/ sound at the end of milkkkkkk. You started making the gargling sound along with me and from then on you just knew how to produce the sound. This was a relief to me - as teaching that sound at the back of the throat is tricky! But, I do miss hearing "milt" and especially, "otay."
-One of my favorite memories happened last month. You wanted me to sing "Greatest Show," a common request! I sat on the ottoman of your glider, and I leaned forward toward the rocker where you sat by yourself facing me. I held your waist and legs and sang, "It's everything you ever want. It's everything you ever need, and it's here right in front of you," and you smiled. I teared up thinking of your wedding day or your graduation day, all of a sudden - just you already grown up. I thought of when we might be apart and how I'D remember this moment forever - those words, the feeling of having you in my arms, you and me.
-Along those same lines, you like songs at night, and rocking you has become one of my favorite parts of the day. One night, I started singing "Beautiful Boy," ending it with "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Knox." You replied, "Beautiful Mommy!" The next day, you did it again, but then you started singing "Beautiful Bryceeeen, beautiful Nami, beautiful Taden, beautiful Mawa (Mara)...." and naming all the people in our family.
-You LOVE pretend play. You especially love getting behind a counter of any kind (our play kitchen, the wall of a hot tub of a bigger pool, a table) and pretending to take a food order. "What do you want?" We tell you; you pretend to make it; you give it to us; we pretend to pay you - and the whole thing starts all over again. Recently, you've been telling us you don't have that and to "get out of my line!" You told Grandma this last week, and we had images of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi cracking us up through text messages.
-If you could become part of the Yo Gabba Gabba cast, your life would be a complete dream! You adore these characters, and sometimes it's the only thing that settles you down when you're otherwise impatient or upset. Your Gabba buddies make you so happy, and thank goodness for them because they really help us keep you distracted - even if we aren't watching the show. For example, I'll talk about Brobee or Muno while changing your diaper and that helps you lay still for me. Or, I'll sing a Gabba song, and you're immediately more peaceful, joining in with me.
-You also like Daniel Tiger, and man, has that little guy helped me teach you some important lessons. Most importantly, his "Grown Ups Come Back" song did the trick in helping you overcome your separation anxiety at camp this summer and at the gym where Daddy and I have been spending more time. We will be walking into the gym, and you'll say, "I no cry today. Mommy comes back because grown ups come back. Sing it, Mommy!" And I'll sing it with you, and then you feel reassured that you know I'll be back soon.
-I still love that you say "ornange" for orange.
-We said goodbye to "purple paci" this month. "He" was broken, so we had to throw him away, and now you are down to three pacis. You are doing just fine without "him," but you do ask about him every night. "Where's purple paci?... Oh, he broken. Daddy not fix it." And then you are fine. You just have to reassure yourself that's what happened and get cozy with "Green," "Blue," and "Ornange" pacies - and your lovey, of course.
-You wake up around 7:30 usually. Nap around 1:45/2:00-4:00ish. Go to bed around 8:00.
-You love to jump off of anything, and you have a great sense of spacial awareness to get yourself in and out of the tub (which still makes me nervous every time I watch you do this!) or get on and off chairs or in and out of the car.
-Other random things: You like to be read to every night and get upset when we have to skip books if it's too late. You love baths and get pretty pissed if it's a (rare) shower night instead. You're a picky eater these days (love nuggets, grapes, pretzels, yogurt, Booty, chips - but anything else is hit or miss). You are pretty friendly - warming up to strangers fairly easily. You pretty much always have a skinned knee or two at this age. Lots of tripping, bumping into things, not watching where you're going, falling. I feel bad for your poor knees! You blow out candles or blow bubbles with an /f/ sound. You love dressing up like a superhero. You love to dance - which has always been the case! Every pumpkin is still "Halloween." You love your time with Damon and Hayla. If you could go anywhere everyday it would be to Grandma's house or My Gym. You gained quite an appreciation for water play and swimming this summer. You love kolaches - but mostly just the "hot dog" inside.
Knox Morgan, you are a firecracker for sure! These twos are NOT terrible, but you sure do keep us on our toes! You also keep us coming back for more. We couldn't love you more than we do, and we can't wait to see what these next few months will bring. Well, actually, we can. We CAN wait. We can take them slowly and steadily and calmly. We can ease into this new phase. Slow it down, please. Because although the days are long, these years really are so short. Daddy and I are leaving infancy and toddlerhood behind with just as much reluctancy as you are running toward preschool-hood with confidence. So go slowly and gently, Baby Love.
Happy Half-Birthday, Knoxi!
We LOVE LOVING YOU!
Love, Mommy
