March 3, 2008: On the Brink of Two
As he approaches his second birthday, Ivan is changing at an accelerating pace and my memories of his previous phases are quickly deteriorating. Before I forget his second year entirely, here's what's been going on:
- About six months ago, Ivan was really into puzzles and reading, to the point that he would want to play/read for over an hour and "express his disappointment" if you didn't have the patience or stamina to keep up. He didn't respond or interact that much but looking back on it now, it seems like he was thirsty for information to absorb and process but held back until he he was better equipped to respond.
- Ivan loves his private parts! He discovered them about four months ago and learned their names ("Pee-PEE! Po-PO!") and how to point them out. After that he also enjoyed spending more time running around naked and for a while there, every diaper change was an enthusiastic presentation of his anatomy.
- Around the 22-month mark, Ivan began to communicate in earnest and has been a blast ever since. He had a vocabulary of about five words for months but in the last few weeks it has been increasing exponentially. New favorite words include suppe (for his favorite food), kakao (for his favorite drink), Elmo ("EH-mo," for his favorite Sesame Street resident) and bitte. His demeanor seems to have adapted to his newfound means of expression, so generally he's more outgoing, curious and willing to try new things than ever before. When he doesn't know how to express something, he'll try anyway, with a combination of a few words, hand gestures, facial expressions and a lot of enthusiasm.
For example, after he went sledding for the first time two weeks ago (which he loved, even/especially the wipeouts), he regaled us with minute-long accounts of our adventures, going something like this:
(pointing out the window to the sledding hill, nodding head) "Nana (his word for Ivan), Papa....Nana, Papa, Noni....Nana, Noni, Papa...."
(making a sled with his hand and simulating it going down a hill with sound effects) "Brrrrrrrrrrrrr..... (crash noise)"
(again, to reiterate, nodding head) "Nana, Papa....gaga, gaga, gaga... Nana, Papa"
Another of his communication combinations that we're less thrilled to see is his signal for a full diaper: (patting butt, grossed-out look on his face) "Blechhhh...."
- Ivan loves to do things now and tries to do everything by himself. He will also volunteer to do anything if you ask right. "Who wants to take a bath?" "Meeeee!!" "Who wants to clean out the garage?" "Meeee!!" This response is always accompanied by a wide smile and a raised hand, a response undoubtedly learned from his faithful teacher Veronika. He also knows his routines and is excited when he knows what to do next and how he can help, by fetching a stool (to make cocoa or brush his teeth) or turning out the lights (for the clean-up time song).
- Ivan is great at pretending now, including endless pretend scenarios with his sister such as being babies (needing milk, pretend crying while rubbing his eyes), cats (lots of meowing) and dogs (barking, fetching a ball in his mouth). He's also becoming quite the joker and enjoys telling me "Nooooo" when I'm pulling his leg.
In summary, Ivan is exploding into a totally awesome toddler, engaged with everything around him, learning in leaps and bounds, and willing to try anything. It's so much fun to be with him at this age and it's exciting to think about what's next.
Posted by papa at 11:45 PM