New words, new activities

The baby has started to use more words. The ones I can think of most easily are:

Cuh-kah (cookie)

Ch-kah (chicken)

Toca (toca, touch)

Tch (touch)

Pa-tah (pasta)

No no no (no)

No toca? (Can I touch that or no?)

And recently, besides continuing to "read" on his own by looking at books, albeit briefly and infrequently, he's continuing his interest in music. 

There's a toy with buttons that light up and play a different song for each button. He will sit and press the buttons or lie with it, for up to 15 minutes at a time. He seems fascinated by the music, control by buttons and lights. He's also pretty good at the piano. 

He's also taken an interest in his sister's favorite toys, namely HopHop and Lalaloopsy. Lala is easy to carry and she's plastic so he likes gnawing on her while teething. HopHop is just a favorite, so he wants her, too. Mostly this is completely unwelcome stealing and she wants to take them back. Sometimes she lets him. 

He has dolls of his own that he particularly likes but there's something about holding his sister's that's more special. 

Speaking of Carolina, she's getting exciting and anxious about going to school all day in a few weeks. I'm a little nervous myself. Mostly I just hope she eats her food. I know the teachers will help her adjust to the full day routine, but food time is her time to be belligerent, if she wants to be. And I hope the nap may is comfortable enough. I don't truly expect her to nap, I'll be impressed if she does not talk the whole time since they won't let her read during nap time, but I just want her to feel comfortable. 

More to come...

Books are now real

Something happened yesterday and a book stopped only being something the baby wanted to gnaw on, but became "alive". 

I read him "I Love You Through and Through", which means he squirmed in my lap and tried to eat it but liked one part--when I gently rubbed his head when it says "hair".

So he's been walking around, occasionally rubbing his head and looks at me to say "hair", and does it if I happen to say "hair". Or he'll pick up that book and bring it to me and touch his hair. 

He's started to pick up other books for me to read, too. It's barely a page here and there but it's a huge change from before. 

I feel relieved, actually. Knowing he will be teachable and not in his oral stage forever. (I realize that's not going to happen anyway, but the glimmer of progressive change was reassuring just the same.)

In other news, his sister loves, loves going swimming with her grandmother. Just the two of them. And she's back on her Tiny Titans kick. This means nice comics to read and look at and a calmer Carolina who wants to "read" on her own. Love those Titans!!

Toca, toca

The baby has learned that "toca" is "touch", and used it at first to get his papa to lift him up to touch something up high. Maybe a picture on the wall or even a light. Mostly, it was things that mommy is too short to lift him up to. 

That initial use of "toca" quickly grew into wanting to touch everything, and then as a single-word sentence. You'll hear him walking around just saying, "Toca, toca, toca, toca..." Sometimes very quickly and sometimes with varying intonation so that it sounds just like half of a conversation, but only using "toca".

It is very cute. It is very funny bit is also very tiring when he's on a tear to touch everything. And many, most, or only things he shouldn't be touching. 

I finally understand why they have those baby gates and corrals. There are boys, and boys are not girls. Nope. Not even. He is full of energy and curiosity, just like his sister but he doesn't take "no" for an answer. I can tell now that this isn't going to slow down, either. 

Good thing we moved to an apartment with a park and huge field across the street. We need it!!

It's a hot, busy summer so far: teething, potty issues, apartment closing, packing (again)

With the apartment closing, constantly looming but never coming, and keeping the kids busy, I've just realized I didn't put many updates recently.

The baby is talking more and more. I know I keep saying this but he's going on and starting to repeat words very clearly. It comes and goes, but it's fun. He's got 3 molars coming in at once. So he's been more cranky and uncomfortable than usual. And he's got this habit of putting his hand down his pants. He still hasn't pulled out any poop but he is letting his diaper get loose and leaking out at night. It's becoming a problem, so I'm looking for cheap short sleeve onesies to use instead of his short sleeve PJ shirts to discourage his new habit. His belly has been giving him trouble because of the teeth and he's grabbing at his ears a lot. He's also eating everything. Everything, everything. He's taken a small bite out of the TV stand, you know, the wood. Boxes, paper, tissues, foil, toys, plastic, literally anything he can put into his mouth. I will be well happy when he's done teething.

It's a very potty month, his sister has a new/old habit of not going to the bathroom in the morning. Actually, it's a control move and won't go to the bathroom at all unless it's about to fly out of her. She's had some emergency runs to the toilet at the pool, and once didn't quite make it.  She's giving me a hard time about eating her dinner, too. So we're back where we were when she was about 2 and it's no fun.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to bend significantly and just let her control things, because otherwise this isn't going to get better. It drives me up the wall that she sometimes yells "I have to go pee pee!" in the car. When we're no where near a toilet and we're more than 10 minutes from home. It's bad because her "warning" isn't for much in advance. It doesn't happen all that often but it has happened. It kills me since I have her sit down to at least try before we leave, but even that is getting major arguments. "I don't have to!" "There's nothing there!" (And then once she's sat down, about a second later you hear, "I don't hear anything!"). Holy christmas...

But it's been hot this past week. Last week rained a few days and was "cold" (about 75 degrees), and this week it's been in the high 90s and humid. I really don't like global warming.

We are finally going to close on the apartment this Friday, and we're only half in boxes. There will be a trip to Home Depot to get more boxes. (Man, I miss NYC and all the free boxes in the local neighborhood. Nothing like that here.) 

In between school and summer camp, there was a 2 week break. So we'd go do some fun thing every day, or at least try to. And those weeks it wasn't brutally hot. There was a day we went on the train at Van Saun Park. It was a fun morning.

So much activity...

The kids had their birthday parties. The baby's been walking for about 3 months and is now running. A few days ago he started clapping and will now clap at various times, which is very cute and funny. His big sister has really enjoyed her swim classes and is home with us for summer vacation until school-camp starts next week. 

Here are some photos from this month's activities...

Baby's been talking

Here's the latest (of what I can remember off hand):

Dak or tak oo (thanks, thank you)

Buh buh or buh eye (bye-bye with hand waving)

Papa (papa)

Mah mah (mama)

Na (Carolina, no, or no no)

Gah-pop or pop (Grandpop)

Dah or dat (that, that thing there)

Bak or Bak pak (backpack)

Boo (book)

Duh-p (diaper)

Uh-la (¡hola!)

Aw duh (All done)

Flowers

Dear School Director,

I've no idea how your daffodils ended up with cream cheese on them. 

Love,
Me