a theo update
Currently I'm home alone with a long list of things to do and the whole day to complete them, but all I can think about is having a cuddle with Theo, to hear him calling me to come play with his trains or cars or a play in the garden. But I know when he's back I'll long for the space and time to myself, but as much as I wish to have time to myself, I miss him so and find myself walking into his room to look at the space he usually inhabits and I feel a little twinge in my heart that he isn't there. Such is the irony of being a parent, you wish for space and time alone, but once you have it all you want to do is be back with them and everything feels a little empty without your sidekick by your side.
So on with the update! Theo's speech is coming a long pretty well now, for those that don't see him for a short while comment on how much he is saying and for me I've definitely noticed a bit of an explosion recently. I'd say he's always been pretty average (whatever that is) when it comes to speech development, as he's always been pretty forward with physical development. But he constantly surprises me with his sentences and the amount of words that he knows. I don't remember teaching lots of names for things, but he has somehow gained that knowledge. A few weeks back he surprised when I asked him to get out the car "No mummy, I stay here in car". When we ask him what he did that day he will take a long pause "ummmmmmm, I go to zoo, see dinosaurs" etc. We have reached the world of "I", I get this, I do this, I want this, and my favourite "I go weeeeeeeee on toilet!" He is fully understanding what I am saying to him now, for example yesterday I lost a pen and I asked him if he had seen it to which he replied "no Mummy I don't see pen, you go upstairs find it". Hah! He likes to describe things of different sizes as big one/baby one, everything small or littler is baby sized. We have a favourite place to go and watch trains where there is apparently a baby, mummy and daddy sized train. A little while ago he started to mimic my tone of voice when telling him off, and has become quite bossy. He'll say "stop it right now" or "no mummy/daddy, you go over there" with this cross little expression on his face. He'll furrow his brow, squint his eyes and have a stern little mouth and put out his hand and yell "stop!" He knows what he wants and he won't let you forget it. He also knows when he's doing something he shouldn't or touching something he knows he's not allowed to, as he'll start saying "no no nooo" whilst doing it!
He has also started to become scared by things, mainly spiders! It's a funny one because he likes to look for them, or thinks that he can see them places, but is scared of them at the same time. Same as the dinosaurs at the zoo, he knows they are scary, but wants to go see them all the same, like tempting and pushing himself into being scared!
In terms of behaviour he's getting a little better when we are out around other children, there's been a lot less random hitting and he's a lot better at understanding when and how to say sorry. Most of the time if he does hit another child it's not unprovoked, and its usually a territorial or frustration thing. He has 3 or 4 friends who we see regularly, and he will always greet them with a big cuddle and be so happy to see them! He always asks after them when we are not with them, and is a very sociable little boy. He loves seeing all of our various family members, and just gets ridiculously excited when we visit or they visit us. I dread to think what he's going to be like at our wedding, every single person he has ever met will be in the same room at the same time, it's probably going to send him over the edge...! He loves to and wants give cuddles to a lot of things, people, animals, toys, food the moon...and we get a "wuff you daddy/mummy" when he goes to sleep at night.
His sleeping is still pretty good, he's getting better at just being able to fall asleep in his room if we leave him in there still awake. In terms of potty training I'd say we are pretty much there! We only use a nappy at night, and keep him in pants when he naps in the day. I still have to ask him quite regularly if he needs to go to the toilet, to which most of the time he will reply no, so we make him try and go anyway because we've had a few accidents that way. But the majority of days we are accident free, when we are at home he will use the potty by himself without asking, but he just needs to get a little better at telling us he needs to go, especially for number twos! But I feel like we're over the hill and everyday is getting better! Hooray!
We've stopped our swimming lessons for the time being, but are still making an effort to go swimming every week together. He's still very confident in the water and can swim proper widths on the back kicking his legs, and has started to grasp swimming on his front and using his arms. He can jump in unaided, likes to put his face in the water, get in the pool backwards from sitting and can push off from the side in the pool with his legs on his back. I've loved to see his skill and confidence grow in the water, and hopefully towards the end of the year he will start swimming lessons without me being in the pool without him.
In September he will be starting preschool for a few hours in the morning, twice a week. It's only ever going to be for three hours, which for us I think is the perfect combination. He'll get stimulation and playtime with out children, with learning thrown in, and I'll get a few hours in the mornings to get some work done and have a break. After staying at home with him for two and a half years, I think it's going to do the both of us the world of good! But more on this later!
It's been a tough, but fun six months since we entered the two year old phase. We have constant daily battles when trying to get dressed, leave the house, stopping him running off, stop screeching, but like always there are some amazing redeeming features of this happy, energetic, loud, sweet, courageous, adventurous, funny and intelligent little boy that don't keep you mad at him for long.
I love reading your Theo updates... and everytime I do I think I must write about my children and what they are like now... but somehow I never quite get around to it. You are going to be so happy you kept such a lovely record of his development.
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