Monday, August 25, 2014

Ethan, aaaalmost 2

Ethan is potty training and is very pleased with the amount of applause he gets every time he uses the potty, so he's keeping it up really well. It's been 3 weeks with only a few minor pee accidents. #2 is a different story, he prefers to use his diaper, if he's wearing one for naps or bed, or a "discreet" location like the bottom of the staircase on the carpet... but it'll come with time.

He expands his vocabulary every day and is a total parrot for repeating, but his favorite things, in no particular order, are Mama (he looooves me), Dada (a celebrity on his motorcycle), Bobba Dan (Bob the builder), Diggy Dump (any kind of construction machine), and Pakeet (Patrick). His overwhelming love for Patrick reminds me of when he was a newborn - he would turn his head to listen to the voices of mom, dad, and Patrick, who had talked to my tummy a lot. It always made Eli so frustrated because he wanted the baby to look at HIM! Now Ethan's closing in on 2 years old will repeat everyone's names (including his cousins) but doesn't care about the actual person unless you ask him about Patrick - then he runs across the house yelling "Pakeet! Pakeet!" It's my best diversionary tactic at the moment! Luckily, Patrick loves Ethan and is very good about letting him hang out and play or will read a book to him while I'm busy.

Speaking of books, he is my 2nd best book reader, following closely behind Pakeet. He has to snuggle in super-close to my side, his hands in his lap, my arm around his back to hold the book; THEN we can read. And boy, do we read! I have a milk crate full of board books, plus a few larger books of his on the shelf, and I would be shocked if we read less then 20 books together a day. Maybe not 20 DIFFERENT books, like he'll want "Old Hat, New Hat" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" at least 3 times in a row each time. It becomes tricky when Patrick wants to keep reading Harry Potter (we're on book 4... again) and Ethan wakes up early from his nap... I can't distract him by telling him to get Pakeet, because Pakeet also wants him distracted! So Bobba Dan fills in for a few minutes... never long, because Ethan's favorite thing besides Pakeet is reading books, so he'll snuggle in and plop his board book on top of Harry and we just have to be done until bedtime.

We're looking forward to him turning 2! This is the first time I've had a 23-month-old and not had another baby. It's a different experience - mostly different that I can still call him my baby guy! Everyone else looked like a giant once the newborn came and they were de-throned as the baby. So although I know he's giant, talking and potty training, he's still my baby.

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