Tuesday 26 July 2016

Reu aged 21-24 months

Our boy has turned two! Reu's developing so quickly at the moment that we can't keep track. But here's an attempt to remember...

- Reu has really developed in coordination and courage. He's able to climb the big climbing frames independently at the Raby Arms pub, Ward Jackson park,  Stranton school, Summerhill and now the Parker's house! The other day he was right on top of the monkey bars! Daddy ran over to retrieve him.

- Reu enjoys a little kick about. The other day he giggled lots when I kicked the ball and my slipper flew off into the air.

- Daddy and Reuben created a 'special den' with blankets the other day. Now he asks for it all the time.

- Reu goes to swimming lessons with daddy. He loves swimming and asks to go all the time. We went on holiday to a haven caravan park and made the most of the pool while we were there.

His speech has developed loads. People frequently comment on how confident and chatty he is. Reuben only really has one volume for his voice though - very loud!

Here's a list of some things he says, there are far too many to remember but here's a snippet:

- 'crumpet, no crumpet?'
- 'strawberry ice cream!'
- 'no like it'
- 'gabby' (aka dummy)
- 'incy spider'
- 'mummy help'
-'mummy/daddy cuddle'
-'change nappy'
-'Bob, Nikki, Ophie'
-'twinkle star' - he had a nightmare the other night. I went in to comfort him and through sobs he said 'no more twinkle star!' Who knows what he was dreaming about!

- He likes counting and often gets into his teens.

The other day when he was meant to be napping I could hear that he was wide awake over the baby monitor. I was treated to 2 hours of Reuben signing, counting to twelve and chattering away to himself. He sang lots of rounds of 'bye, bye daddy see you soon' with verses of 'mummy' and 'poppet' too, as well as the 'go jetters' song. I could also hear him saying 'watch fireman Sam!'

He continues to be an extrovert. He loves people, loves going round to people's houses and he likes to say their names and ask if we're going to see them today? I have to be careful to not mention people too long before we're going to visit or he gets upset that they aren't here yet. I have to be especially careful when mentioning the parkers, he tried to get out of the front door to see them!

Reuben loves singing and he's started singing more Christian songs too, 'glory, glory to our God, behold our kiiiing', 'I believe in yooou'
He's started singing along with us now and not just stopping to listen when we start singing - his timing, tune and rhythm are getting better and better.

Reu has had a few transitions recently. He moved into his big boy bedroom, stopped having a bottle of milk before bed, and transitioned from the sleeping bag to the duvet.

His bedtime routine is a bit different now, he has a bath, a bible story and pray and then goes to bed. Every night we so him what he'd like to pray about and every night he says, 'simi, timo, eke'

His first proper prayer was thanks for 'simi my friend, Apple yum yum'. V cute!

Sunday 6 March 2016

Reu from 19-20 months

Reu 19-20 months 

How time flies! Reu is learning to do new things all the time now and there's more cute anecdotes than I can recount or even remember. 

-He's obsessed with 'Go Jetters' a CBeebies cartoon that is sort of action/ adventure for toddlers. It's pretty good actually! Reu asks for it 'Go go!' And he even sings along to the catchy song during the credits. 

- We are expecting another baby in August! We have started chatting to Reu about his baby brother/sister. He sometimes looks for my tummy under my top and then gives it a kiss. Because we've showed him the scan photos, he now points at his own scan photos (in his bedroom) and says 'baby'. Cute :) 

- Reu doesn't sleep as long at night anymore, 11.5 hours rather than 13 (which is still amazing, and we're thankful). He's pretty good and entertaining himself in the morning in his cot for 30/40mins or so. He chats to himself and this morning we could hear him giggling! 

- Reu loves to 'wak' (walk) everywhere. Getting him into the pram is a bit of a battle these days because he just wants to walk all the time. Sometimes I take him into Middleton grange so he can wander freely and climb up on all the little rides dotted around the place. 

- At playgroup this week, Reu was very enthusiastic about tidy up time. He efficiently cleared the kitchen table from all the toys by using his arm to swipe them into the box. It was very noisy but incredibly efficient. Lots of the parents laughed at his initiative.  Then he helped me put the farm animals away, he whisked the book way from Sarah's hand as soon as she'd finished reading it and ran to the book case to put it away, then I lost him for a moment - but found him in the middle of the ball pool helping to put the balls away. I need to utilise his enthusiasm for tidying up at home! 

- We had Chinese takeaway for the first time last night and he absolutely loved it! He devoured the prawn crackers, fried rice and spring rolls. Literally, the whole way through the meal he made his 'mmmm' 'yumm' noises - he couldn't have been happier!  

- We took Reuben swimming at Mill House (the first time he's been swimming for 8 months, and the last time was in Cyprus - so quite a different experience). When we first went into the pool, he screamed and just clung onto us for ages. But as time went on he really got into it, he loved jumping in off the side, being passed from mummy to daddy, he even went on the massive slide with both of us and loved it! By the end of our time in the pool he was too confident! He didn't want us to hold onto him anymore, but to play with the floats all by himself. We're going to take him a few times in the next few months and then hopefully start him on swimming lessons when he turns 2. 

- Reu has got into building things. He loves stickle bricks and mega blocks and he spends a long time building big towers. He's quite protective over his creations though, so occasionally I need to intervene if another toddler tries to pinch/knock over his masterpiece. He would easily get frustrated with them and shout 'mine!' or start crying. It's fairly understandable I think. 

- Reu also loves colouring with felt tips (occasionally on the furniture), painting and sticking things.

- He's getting good at problem solving too, he's really improving at jigsaws, shape sorters and putting the train tracks together. 

- He talks away all the time. In the car the other day he was babbling like this, 'mummy, daddy, pops, nanny!' He said this sentence to me yesterday, 'mummy, daddy gone!' Which was true, he had disappeared into the garden. He likes to finish the sentences in books, especially 'A squash and a squeeze' and he likes to do the same in songs. He's getting pretty good at saying 'please' ('peas') and 'thanks', although only when it involves food! 

- Reu can say 'I ruv ooo!' ('I love you'). This is the best milestone ever. 

- He's getting pretty good at actions (head, shoulders, knees and toes, and the like). And spinning around is his favourite dance move. 

- Reuben loves slides. He close going down head first, he loves the water slide at the leisure centre, he especially loves climbing up them barefoot! He giggled so much when we put his socks on and he couldn't grip the slide with his feet so kept on falling down. 

- Reu really recognises people now. At play group he gets excited to see toddlers and mums that he knows. The other day we taught him to say 'Athol'. He said it once. Then two days later Athol was in our house (although Reu didn't know this because I had just gotten him up from his nap). Amazingly he heard Athol's voice and recognised it instantly, and shouted 'Athol' and immediately tried to escape my arms to go and find his little friend. 







Tuesday 19 January 2016

Reu aged 17-18 months

- Reuben has started speaking. He's mastered animal noises and 'mama' 'dada' type words, and now he repeats words I say for actual things. 'Car', 'ball', 'go' 'bye!' And 'Poop' are amongst his favourite.

- Reuben is obsessed with Thomas the tank engine. He loves reading his Thomas books, he loves wearing his Thomas t-shirts, he loves playing with Thomas toys, and he is thrilled with his new Thomas slippers and Thomas advent Calendar.

- Reuben has a special friend, bunny. Or as he has called him 'Dee'. He loves snuggling bunny, playing hide and seek with bunny and playing 'sleeping bunnies' with bunny. Reu makes bunny do the actions, including going to sleep and hopping up and down. It's very sweet.

- Reuben just loves animals! Pictures of animals, videos of animals, real life animals,he  thinks they're amazing.

- Reu loves autumn. Mud, puddles and crunchy leaves are a big hit. Cutely, Reu sometimes picks up the leaves and then reaches up to the tree branches (which of course he can't reach because he's tiny and the trees are very very big) and he tries to reach up to attach the leaves back on again.

- Reu and Athol are good buddies. Reu giggles lots when Athol chases him, and they both love cuddles when Athol rugby tackles him to the ground. Then it all starts over again.

- The little man has become much more independent recently, he wanders off at play groups and gets on with his own little thing. He likes collecting all the bean bag creatures and putting them in the shopping bag and then walking around with his bag. He's far less likely to tumble or put toys in his mouth these days. My baby is getting big and he doesn't really need me anymore. Although he does still bring toys and books over to me to show me what he's found :)

- Reu enjoyed Christmas (although he was a little bit ill for some of it). His speech really progressed over the holidays and he learnt some special Christmas words, 'choc choc', 'copter' 'tree' 'claws' and 'box'.

- Opening the windows in his advent calendar was a source of great excitement to Reu, although he showed uncharacteristic self control when it came to leaving the next chocolate for the next day. He would open all the windows he could, then shut them all again, and then push the calendar away and say 'bye!' Maybe he loves delayed gratification like his parents.

- He was thrilled on Christmas Day when he went into the living room and saw his presents including a Thomas the Tank Engine scooter. He exclaimed 'car!' When he saw it and immediately climbed onto it.

- We went to visit the Lintotts for a few days over New Year. He absolutely adored Owen, and would grab books and hop on his lap in expectation of a story. He copied what he did too, including a naughty trick - shaking his plate with all the food on it to watch it jiggle about!

- While we were in fressingfield we went to the play area and Reu went on the swing, we were all saying 'weeee!' and then he started saying 'poop!' The more we said 'wee' the more he said 'poop!' it was very funny.

- On the poop front, Reu started to hide behind his chair and read a book while doing his business. He would often tell us what was about to happen.... Perhaps potty training isn't too far off.

- Our boy is absolutely full of fun and energy. He doesn't do things by half measures. When he sleeps he sleeps (for 13 hours at night, and 2 hours in the day, praise God for the respite!) when he eats he eats (he doesn't get all those comments about his weight for no reason) and when he plays he really goes for it. He's an inquisitive, sociable, happy little thing. He's also strong-willed, strong and fairly wild. He's everything I've been told a little boy should be, affectionate, energetic and clingy! He is very jealous when I'm around other babies.... Something to work on.

- I love him more than words can say and he brings me more joy then I ever could have imagined. All that being said, I've never need God's grace more or needed sleep so much :) where do they get their energy from?