This is the monthly Remy update for this month. A little late, but hey I’m doing my best over here.
Growth Spurts. He’s getting so big, my little man. Gary just raised the saddle on his balance bike. Again. We’ve even bumped up to size 9 shoes. There’s this idea out there that children hit half their adult height at their 2nd birthday, which suggests he won’t be all that super tall since he was just under 3 feet at his 2nd birthday. Since then, we’re closer to 3’2″ plus. However, both his Mom and Dad continued growing 2-3 years after most people stop. I grew another inch my Freshman year in college, for example. No telling if this is relevant information. Anyway, he’s been growing lots.
Me, I, You Correct Usage. As you may recall, Remy’s been using “you” to refer to himself and “me, my, etc.” for Mom and Dad for several months now. Gary’s been working pretty hard with him on this. We’ve had a breakthrough here about a week ago when Remy started saying, “It’s me, Remy” repeatedly, as if to program the phrase into his little brain. Since then, he still falls back on the old you-usage habit, but increasingly get’s it right. I knew he’d come around eventually, but it’s nice to see it happen.
Remy bike tech.
S with a Consonant. This is still an issue. He drops the S sound when it is paired with another consonant, most commonly at the beginning of a word. It’s so common that if I ever don’t understand something he says, I add an S to the front of his utterance to see if I can figure it out. This often is the solution. For what it’s worth, he is perfectly capable of making the S sound and does so regularly. We’re working with him on this, though, and I’m sure he’ll come around just as he has with the you-me-my issue.
Dumptrucks and Other Wheeled Vehicles. Remy loves dumptrucks, so when Grandma and Grandpa came visiting with a new dumptruck toy in hand, he went flying out the front door to greet said truck. The two were nearly inseparable for several days, including a couple of naps together. It’s not that he doesn’t have other dumptruck toys (he does have 3 that I can think of), but this one has a lever that lifts the bucket into dumping position if you pull it one way and makes a satisfying “vroom” sound if you pull it a different way. That combination of features was the-coolest-thing-ever. Still is, a few weeks later, but perhaps not to the same degree. This gift may have had some influence on new event covered in the next category.
Hugging. News flash. Remy let his Grandma and Grandpa hug him. This is a major milestone. He has allowed this from neighbor “Aunt” Ann, but that was only after spending lots and lots of time with her. He might see Grandma and Grandpa once every month or two. Maybe someday he’ll actually hug his grandparents like he does his parents.
Kissing. We’ve also made lots of progress with this form of affection. I’ve always been stealing kisses on his head and cheek (why? Cuz I luuuuv him!), but until lately, he didn’t make any moves to request such attention nor return the favor. Now he’ll come up to his parents with his face tilted up at us smiling beatifically occasionally requesting “Mommy (or Daddy) kiss Remy!” Awww! My heart melts. No way I can turn down that request! Also, even more recently, he’s given back a few pecks on the cheek (and rewarded with lots of hugs and verbal praise.)
Little Comedian. He purposely states two words that don’t rhyme, claiming that they do. Or knowingly pronounces things incorrectly. All with a smirk. When he’s really got the crowd warmed up, he whips out the ”Jer Boob.” Ah. Let me explain the “jer boob.” When nursing (yes, we’re still doing that), he often requests to be flipped around to the “other boob.” However, why bother saying an entire 3 syllable phrase (other boob), when one can contract it to something shorter? Hence the “Jer Boob.” Perfectly servicable to the toddler mind, but Mom wasn’t going to let Remy verbally slack, so I teased him and laughed at him claiming to not understand what “Jer Boob” meant. This process elicited lots of giggling and laughter, so now any time he’s looking for a laugh, he says “Jer Boob.” Little wise-acre.
Run and Jump Skills. Why just jump when you can gather up some speed first? ‘Nuff said.
Ball Throwing. Occasionally, the ball does go in the general direction in which it is aimed. This is a radical departure from previous attempts. Now, I don’t feel 100% compulsed to duck every time he throws something.
Problem Solving Skills. It’s so annoying when Mom and Dad put interesting things out of reach. No problemo. Remy will just place the step stool here, climb up on the trash can, over to the counter then, voila, he can reach things off of the high shelf. So, yes, planning a series of steps in order to achieve a desired goal is well within his capability. Next? I fear to prognosticate.
where is the link to updated pics?