Now Entering Parenthood...

It’s been a couple months since I posted last. Running around chasing after a busy busy toddler can be pretty exhausting!! Simon is certainly not the baby that he was half a year ago. He is a definitely little boy.

Figuring Out How To Communicate

Simon seems to be adding new words to his vocabulary on a weekly basis. It’s still very basic at best, but in the past couple weeks he has become very attached to the word “Uh-Oh”. He will say it whenever he drops something, whenever someone else drops something, and sometimes when he just feels like it. Other popular words are “Hi!” which is usually accompanied by a hand wave, and sometimes if he is feeling willing enough he will say “Hi Daddy!”

It’s pretty amazing to witness. Sometimes he tricks me and says something I swear was clear as day a word or phrase… like “Thank You” or “Kitty” and then it will be weeks without hearing anything like it again. So I’m not sure how large his vocabulary is at this point, only that it is growing.

Also, he seems to be really into vocal imitation. Whether it is clicking or tongue out or trying to sing a song with you or laughing because you are laughing. I guess now would be a good time to consider stopping saying phrases we don’t exactly want imitated back to us :)

Playing Games and Figuring The World Out

Every day I am shocked at the stuff that this kid is figuring out. I’m not going to claim that he’s going through anything exceptional, only that I’m astounded at how quickly the little human brain can start to grasp concepts… whether they be social or physical.

Physical play… Simon can how put together lego blocks, stack objects on top of objects, try and put puzzle pieces in a board. He is very obsessed with putting “things” inside of “things”, whether it be tupperware inside other tupperware or taking something from one cabinet and placing it in another (fun!). It’s even evolved into some more mature needs during food time, such as the desire to put “finished” food onto a different plate and to use utensils.

Social play… Simon has strongly embraced the concept of hide and seek. He doesn’t quite hide very well, but he gets so excited to be found. You can usually watch him fidget in anticipation as we pretend to not see him. Hiding also comes in handy with his new shy “phase”, where he likes to hide behind my or Tom’s legs whenever anyone new (or not so new - like grandparents) come into contact with him.

He also has begun dancing to music that especially interests him. And has learned the ins and outs of certain routines (I go upstairs, start my CD player, drink my milk and read a book before bed)… and will sometimes help to complete these steps knowing what order they come in.

With New Development, Comes New Defiance

In the same way that Simon is trying to test the physical boundaries around him… does this fit into that? Should that go there? He is also trying to test his boundaries with us. And quickly we are entering into the fun stage of toddler-dom… Discipline.

Although he is too young to grasp the ideas of why it might be okay to touch one thing and not another, why this goes in my mouth and this doesn’t. He does seem to understand that there are some things mommy and daddy don’t want him to do, and he will try to do them any way… he’s seeing what happens, he’s seeing if we respond every time or just sometimes.

He’s a behavioral scientist, he’s a little alien in a foreign world trying to figure out the cultural norms. And he isn’t afraid to voice his opinion if he is frustrated with the results of his experiments. I’m trying to stay smart, consistent, kind but firm… using age appropriate language such as “no touch” and “yes touch”, but it is hard and continually proves to me how exhausting setting limits is and why there are lots of parents who don’t.

What Lies Ahead…

So I am sure parents of older toddlers are even laughing at the idea of disciplining at 14 month old as being tiresome. Indeed the road that lies ahead is only bumpier. But I can’t help but be excited at the thought of Simon continuing to grow and of the addition of a new family member, little brother Charlie.

Just as we were getting used to the unit as it is, the whole thing is going to shake up. Stay tuned… for the next time I post it might be introducing the Strickland family member #4 :)