Well, it has been 30 months since Charlie came into our lives and made Nick and I parents. Hard to believe we are now mommy and daddy to a two-and-a-half year old little man. And, oh, what a little man he has become. Here is all you need to know about Charlie at two-and-a-half.
-For the longest time I was concerned with the fact that Charlie was a late talker. I worried that he would never catch up. Well, Charlie has certainly proven me wrong! Not only has he caught up, but he is also ahead in some of his developmental milestones for communication. He talks non-stop and is constantly amazing us with the things that he picks up even when we think he is not paying attention. For instance, he came downstairs the other night after his bed time, and I had a program about babies on the TV (because I don't get enough in my own life). Nick and I were talking while Charlie half watched the TV. It was mentioned that the family in the show was going to Waco, TX for an event. A few minutes later, Charlie turned to me and asked if they were in Waco yet. His little ears hear everything, and he is just soaking up so much knowledge every day. We have definitely entered the "why" stage. He used to just ask, "What's that?", but now we have graduated to wanting to know every last detail about why something is the way it is. His speech has developed beautifully, but he still talks like a toddler and misuses pronouns and speaks in the third person. Currently, we are working on using "is" in place of "are". For example, "Where are he?" Charlie has a lot of funny phrases that continue to crack us up: "Oh well!", "Oh dear.", "Carlie do it.", "For a little while?", "Just a little bit?", and "Wait a minute."
-Charlie has grown to be a real animal lover. He always wants to read books about animals and talks about them all of the time. His favorite animal right now is the elephant. Nick and Charlie watched "The Jungle Book", and ever since then he has been fascinated with elephants. He also likes barnyard animals. He is particularly fond of the cow. There are three barns near our home, and we always look to see if a cow is inside. Lastly, Charlie is a big fan of cats and dogs. He has fallen in love with Samson and always wants him to be around. Too bad Samson would much rather nap than tag along with us all day. For the last few weeks, Charlie has been asking for a cat. I have told him that we can not have a cat because it would make me sick. Apparently he is willing to take the risk, because he keeps asking. I bought him a little cat figurine the other day in the hopes that it will be substitute for the real thing.
-Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. I do not understand what it is about the vacuum cleaner, but Charlie loves it. He does not want to turn them on because they scare the ever living daylights out of him. He just wants to pretend to vacuum. He also likes to have all of the vacuums out at once and knows their names: Shark, Dirt Devil, The Big One (Dyson). I don't think I will ever understand the vacuum fetish. I just hope he is this into cleaning when he is a teenager.
-Charlie continues to be a picky eater. He would live off of carbs and dairy if we let him (okay, so would I, but it's my job to make him eat healthy, right?). He has not eaten veggies in a year, unless you count a few bites here and there that usually end up being spit out once he realizes that it is healthy. I have tried pureeing veggies and adding them to foods, mixing small pieces into sauces, dips, etc. He does eat fruit but tends to like one fruit at a time and then gets burnt out on said fruit and won't touch it again. Meal times are always a challenge, and I am just hoping that the multi-vitamins that he gets every morning are filling in some of the gaps in his diet. Even though he may eat like a bird, he is growing and putting on weight. He is now wearing 3T clothing.
-If Charlie does not do something with music in the future, I will be shocked. He just lights up when music is playing and loves to dance. This really is not anything new, but I feel like it deserves to be mentioned because it is still something that he loves so dearly. Currently, his favorite song is "Old McDonald". We just started a music class, and I am looking forward to our special time together, just the two of us, each week at music class.
-One word to describe Charlie would be cautious. He is not one to run into a situation without fully assessing it first. This is especially true when he is in an unfamiliar setting. He is one of those kids who acts one way at home and totally different out in public - Goofy and loud at home and shy and reserved in public. He often hides behind me or covers his eyes when meeting someone new. This is hard for me to understand because I am not shy and love meeting people. Nick, on the other hand, is like Charlie and takes time to warm up to others. I had planned to send Charlie to preschool this month to help with language and socialization, but because of the anxiety that he has been exhibiting in new situations, I have decided to hold off until he is three. Instead, we are continuing with playgroup, taking music class, and having as many play dates as possible.
-Now that he is such a big boy, Charlie has become very strong and coordinated. He runs, jumps, climbs, throws, catches, and kicks very well. We have thoroughly enjoyed doing all of these things in our new backyard and spend as much time as we can out there (when it is not too hot). I am looking forward to the fall when we will be able to spend some quality time outdoors.
-With age, Charlie's imagination has really taken off. He comes up with the most creative stories and enjoys pretending. His favorite imaginative play activities include Playdough, drawing, cooking, and playing doctor. My mom always jokes that when I was little all I ever wanted to do was "tend". It looks like Charlie inherited his vivid imagination and love for pretending from Momma.
-Over the last 7 months, Charlie has had to make the transition from baby to big brother. He was only 22 months old when Jack was born, and it was a tough transition for everyone. Despite the occasional bouts of jealousy and rough play, Charlie has turned into the best big brother. He adores Jack and always wants to know where he is. His face lights up when I bring Jack into his room in the morning, and he can't give enough hugs and kisses to his little brother. Of course, Jack thinks that Charlie hung the moon, and I believe that fact is just starting to sink in with Charlie. Today at lunch, Charlie did something that made Jack laugh. He then sat there doing anything and everything to keep Jack giggling. And just the other day, Charlie came up, gave Jack a hug, and said, "I love you bigger than the sun, the moon, and the sky, Jack." Jack is lucky to be loved by someone with such a big heart!
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