First, his language is really coming along. He can say a lot of what he means, like "Need cracker now" or "Mama eat beans." (He really likes to feed me stuff, edamame included.) However, he still really likes to babble, so he'll wander around going, "Baby eat treat.. AAAHHGAGAGAGAKAKKAKAA! Hooeydooey." He sounds like a Minion. Some of my favorite little language quirks right now are that he calls me "honey," and that he has picked up on how often we call each other "Bear," as in "Papa-bear." So he'll say, "Need Papa-bear."
He's a total contrarian at times. He's been pointing to a poster in his room and saying "bunny." But it's not a bunny; it's a dog named Snowy. But if I correct him, he shakes his head and insists it's "bunny." Yesterday at his checkup, the doctor gave him a new book. It has animals and the names of their infants. It says stuff like "A baby cow is called a calf." Lochlan disagrees, and he points at the page and says insistently "baby cow." I'll say, "yes, a baby cow is called a calf. Calf, see?" "No," he says disapprovingly. "Baby cow." I told the doctor he had philosophical differences with the book, and she said, "Well, that's a new one."
He's still a huggy, kissy, cuddly, lovey snugglebug. Sometimes he gets to stay up extra late because he goes and lays on Daddy's chest, and we're powerless to resist the cuteness. He also loves his stuffed animals, and he says all their names, and he often lays down for a nap or bedtime clutching them. He's very empathetic, like the other day when Sweetie burned himself on a hot bite of food. His little face looked SO concerned, and he said, "Daddy okay? Drink water. Big water. Okay, Daddy?" He also cries if Azadeh cries, wailing, "A-deh cry!" when asked what's wrong.
He's a bit of a sneak. He tries to delay bedtime any way he can. We're still nursing a couple times a day, and one of them is at bedtime. So he'll have "nuh-nuhs," then wander around trying to climb Daddy or get into Sister's room, and I'll come to get him to put him to bed, and he'll declare that he needs more nuh-nuhs. Other times, I'll ask if he wants nuh-nuhs, he'll say no, so I'll scoop him up for bed and he'll say "nuh-nuhs now!" Anything to delay bedtime. When I start singing him a song, he often leans back and shakes his head wildly, going "no no no no no!" But give him 7 or 8 seconds, and he puts his head on my shoulder and relaxes, and by the time I put him down, that's the last we hear from him for ten hours, minimum.
Funny song interjection: Today we were cuddling and I started singing.
"Twinkle twinkle--"
"No."
"Old MacDonald had a--"
"No."
"There was a farmer who had a dog--"
"No."
"Frere Jacques--"
"No."
"Where is Thumbkin--"
"No."
"Um... There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven."
He nods slightly, so I sing all I remember.
He loves to have his nails painted, and the other day he was so proud that when Sweetie got home, Lochlan went running in to show him, saying "A-deh paint nails purple."
He does not, however, like to be accused of wearing girls' clothing. I put some old yellow sweatpants of Z's on him, and when Sweetie asked, "Are you wearing sister's pants?" he looked SO offended, and said, "baby pants! Mama put on." Okay, bro.
He knows his colors well, and never misses the opportunity to use them. He likes Green Brobee (from a kids' show), blue cat (same show), and pink yogurt. Actually, any yogurt is fine by him.
In sum, he's a pretty cool dude, and he's really enjoying life. He loves playgrounds, water, pools, food, his sister, the rest of us, cats, dogs, most other mammals he's met or seen on YouTube, books... you know, there's not a lot he doesn't like.
It is in this one that I REALLY see how much he looks like I did as a kid. I should see if I can hunt one up that will show you, too (my parents will know immediately what I'm talking about).
