So today Stuart and Myles feel under the weather. At least Myles doesn’t seem to have the cough that Stu is dealing with, but he has had a temp, and been altogether not his chipper little self. I’m enjoying more snuggles consequently, though, so that is a silver lining for sure. I thought I’d do a post to update you on the boys a little bit. I haven’t really done as well posting Myles’ little accomplishments. He is walking, and running, everywhere now. He and Qade get the biggest kicks out of chasing each other around the house. It’s all fun and games till one of them crashes or just decides he doesn’t feel like doing it any longer… then Mommy usually has to intervene. 🙂 Myles has 12 teeth! He still has his big wide smile and gaps between his teefers that make him look so cute!! I’m not looking forward to our next teething session because that was the WORST one with Qade, but perhaps Myles will surprise us. He certainly has before. As far as communication goes, Myles is verbal! I’ve been trying to teach him signs, because that helped A LOT with our first little lad, but Myles isn’t really going for it. However, he does talk… so I guess it all works out. He said “Ah-done” and “up” (only it’s more like “uh-PPPPPPPP” with a little spit involved, ha!) and he says “bye-bye.” He got a little helicopter from his Auntie, and when it’s done playing it will say “Bye-bye” and Myles will answer it. Very cute! The other morning as I was feeding him his oatmeal, Stu came out and kissed his head and said, “Good morning!” Myles replied with a “ga-monin” I was in shock! 🙂 Myles also says “Ball” which is one of his very favorite play things. He also will say please when prompted, so he’s coming along in his language skills. Oh, I almost forgot, Myles likes to say “ta-da!” too. That is totally cute! He has a bit of an ornery streak in him when it comes to pestering his big brother. He certainly knows what buttons to push. I will occasionally hear a very irritate shriek followed by 4 running feet as Myles has “stolen” one of his brother’s precious cars and is running for his life with a rather hysterical Qade on his heels. 🙂 We’re learning lessons about playing nicely, and sharing, and being kind, but well…. it’s slow going. And sometimes Mommy just has to laugh at the looks on BOTH of their faces. 🙂 I know, bad me!
Qade is growing leaps and bounds in his own language skills. He is very fun to have conversations with now. Sometimes we have to remind him to use his “words” because he thinks that he can revert to “Myles-isms.” They do seem to communicate together, though I don’t think they have their own language. When he does talk like a “big-boy” he uses complete sentences and will actually talk to us about things. One thing he has recently picked up is “okay.” Sometimes when we ask him to do something he’ll say, “Okay!” He will also ask us if we are okay. That’s cute! We’ve been working on him (a lot) recently on his whining. He is making progress, but it has been hard on all of us. The “whining chair” was instituted and he really dislikes having to sit on it. Also he does much better when we remind him immediately not to whine. I get discouraged sometimes because there are days that feel like a battle from “son up to son down” ha ha ha! 🙂 Still that’s where Stu helps me out so much. When I’m at the point where I’d like to just go stick my head in the snow, he will continue on and work consistently with the boys. Yay for teamwork!! I knew I picked a good Daddy for my little ones, but he still amazes me! We have learned recently that Qade’s attention span is about as long as a FOX news “anchor” so in order to pass along instructions we have to help him focus. He knows that he is supposed to look at our eyes when we are talking to him, and he’ll even repeat it “Wook at Mommy’s eyes” but even while he’s saying it, he’ll be looking out the window, at his little brother, up at the ceiling or more often at the floor. So now we cup our hands around his eyes (kinda like race horse blinders) and it has helped a heap at getting him to look at our eyes and focus on what we are saying to him. I know that he is making progress and I need to stop now and then to look back. It’s like I told a friend of mine in the same boat, we’re always moving on to the NEXT project parenting-wise so sometimes it’s hard to notice the victories that we do have along the way. I love my Monkey #1 and even though we plod through some difficult days he still is such a joy to us, and he’s a sweet little boy too. 🙂
Stu was noticing today just how athletic Qade has become in recent months. His balance and coordination have really improved. Sometimes I’m not sure that’s positive since it gives him even more climbing skills! For example, Start got me some magnets for Christmas that I put “up high” on the fridge because they’re chokable for Myles. Well, Qade had asked for them, and I told him they were Mommies. SO yesterday I was talking to Stuart in the office when I distinctly heard the bathroom door close. Hmmmm…. what could that Lad be up to? So when I came to check I found that he had fished his stool out of the bathroom to try and reach the magnets. Finding that inadequate, he had pushed over a box that has a little desk for him and Myles in it (yet to be assembled) and climbed up and did indeed have all 6 magnets in his paws. 🙂 I was actually too proud of his ingenuity to scold him for taking the magnets down. 🙂 I actually don’t mind if he has them when Myles is sleeping. Still, I’m gonna have to keep an eye on that dude as he is figure out things for himself.
So to end this incredibly long blog all about US I’ll just say that I hope you all have a fantastic New Years Eve and New Years Day! Watch football to your hearts desire, if you enjoy that (ugh) and eat lots of yummy things because the “resolutions” have to start the next day!!!! 😉