Now for the family members and a time-stamped record of Remy-isms I can return to in years hence, I give you the Toddler Talk series.
Here’s a topical list of recent themes:
Stair Diving. He’s not a crazy daredevil in general, but once he thinks he’s got something worked out, he does do some crazy stuff. Especially if there’s the perception that Mommy or Daddy are there to save him from himself. One of those recent fun things is diving off the top of the stairs into our arms from our vantage point of several steps down. This means that we have to always be on the ready if we are “in position.”
“I Got You!” Remy’s not been the quickest to speak actual words, so you can imagine how my heart swelled with love and pride when he tackled my lower legs with a bear hug saying those three words. Now, the enunciation wasn’t perfect, but it was a clear parroting of what Daddy Gary says when he grabs Remy. Yay! Multi-word phrase! Go Remy!
Brutal Affection. Speaking of leg tackling…some of you may have sweet, gentle children that cuddle and kiss with the softness of angels’ wings. Not my little guy. Head butts, pounces, tummy pounds and zerberts into Mom’s belly are the love demonstrations of choice. This is no surprise, though, because neither parent is exactly the gentle type either. Still, there’s a lot of “be gentle with Mommy!” reminders floating around this household.
Stepping Up. When they built our home, they didn’t put counters and sinks at toddler height. This, of course, is great for us as full grown adults, but a real hassle for an inquisitive Remy wanting to turn on the wa wa in the sink. Every sink. We now have old text books stacked up in front of the kitchen sink. Upside down buckets and laundry baskets also make a good step stool in a pinch.
Monkey See, Monkey Do. We are well into the mimicry phase of development. This means when I squat down so that he can see how I brush my teeth so he can better replicate the skill, he follows suit by squatting himself. This also means that I’ve caught him rolling around on the foam roller and he’s developed a habit of self-massaging his legs. Wonder where that came from?
Love the “I got you”. A multi word phrase and affectionate! And we’ve got a little monkey see, monkey do guy here as well. The best is when he mimics David doing push ups. I just love it.