Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Two's are Coming! The Two's are Coming!

I remember back before I had children when I would say (in my all-knowing, soon-to-be-mama voice), "The terrible two's? They can't be that bad. I'm sure each age has it's difficulties." Uh-huh. Right. For every judgment I ever made about motherhood, Micah has been there to prove that I knew nothing. He is my teacher as I try to learn about this thing called parenthood.

My current lesson is that the terrible two's do exist, and we're getting a preview. For us, this is about testing the limits. Micah wants to be more independent (i.e. NO more highchair) and wants to do more, but gets frustrated easily when he can't communicate what he wants or when we say no when we do understand what he wants (i.e. a cookie for breakfast). When I say no to something, he will either melt down or follow me around for what seems like an hour saying, "MOM! MOM! MOM!! I want it!" I am learning that consistency is very important with Micah and I cannot give in - he knows how to wear us down.

Along with the tantrums and melt-downs, however, is the magic of watching him learn and grow. He is starting to do a lot of imaginative play (making us 'sauce' in his kitchen and bringing us a taste) and LOVES to climb. He also loves play-doh, although he still needs help with that. He is also aware of certain things - such as Starbucks. He knows that if mom gets a special drink, he gets a Horizon milk with a straw. (Micah really, really loves straws.) So, if we pass a Starbuck's, he will point and yell, "MOM! MOM! I want juice!" How's that for brand recognition? :)

His vocabulary is also starting to blossom. Some people questioned why he wasn't talking much, but we really never worried about it. He's 22 months now and has a way of communicating with both words and signs. His favorite thing to say (and he says it first thing when I greet him in the morning) is, "I want snack," while also signing for "eat."

As always, Micah still makes us laugh, a lot. He is a character - loves to be the center of attention, loves to make silly faces and loves to wear things that you wouldn't think of wearing. We think he's pretty amazing, even if the two's are coming.

Typical Micah-face.

Play-doh. It's like magic - stops a tantrum in it's tracks. What cookie? I have play-doh!

His Aunt Alisa taught him that play-doh makes gorgeous necklaces and headpieces.

Yes, that is my contact case. If you lose anything in our house, check Micah's kitchen first - you will probably find it in the microwave or the oven.

This is still making me giggle. Our dog pickle chewed a tiny hole in Micah's blanket that keeps growing (love that dog). Uncle Rob showed him how to wear his blanket, which he now loves to do. He walks around proudly with his blanket flowing behind him.

11 comments:

  1. Oh boy can I relate to so much here. Btw, I love the kitchen but the only ones I've found so far have been pink. Grrr. Where did you get that one?

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  2. Ash is getting a head start on the two's as well, and I'm completely with you that it's just astonishing to watch how much they grow every day. I had to laugh at the Starbucks story - we're the same way, if I stop he HAS to have a chocolate milk. Hard to argue with him when he's getting milk and mom's getting a sugar and caffeine filled drink :)

    Can't wait for the post unveiling Micah's sauce recipe!

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  3. LOL!!! Between the terrible 2's and the complete lack of common sense at 7, I frequently feel like I'm in a sinking ship. :0)

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  4. Everytime I mention to someone that Mari has started the terrible twos, they tell me the threes are worse! NO! And every time she gets in trouble she smiles sweetly and says Mama and makes kissy sounds. It's not working! She also learned this weekend to get out of timeout by saying she needs to go potty...fooled me twice before I wisened up. Maybe, by the time they are 20, we will have this all figured out!

    BTW, love the kitchen!! Mari needs to bring her play food over...she has about 500 pieces (even little plastic shrimp!). They could have a dinner date!

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  5. Ahhhh...hang in there! I think this is why God made them so cute.

    Starbucks? the kid has good taste :)

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  6. Haha! That is totally Nate. I'm glad I'm not the only one. One minute they're making you rip your hair out and the next they are throwing their arms around you and giving you kisses. My hubby is constantly emptying his briefcase or shoes with Nate's hidden stash. When Nate turned 2, it was AMAZING how rapidly his vocab and comprehension developed. I'm sure Micah will do that too and it's so COOL to experience!

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  7. Yeah, bad news...THREE is MUCH worse than TWO. A friend of mine said it best "at two they say no, at three they mean it!" The good news is that FOUR is great!!!!

    Good thing he is so cute..that will help : )

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  8. The 2s are an interesting age. It's one of my favorites - but exhausting. Our youngest is nearly 2 1/2 and the things that come out of her mouth! It gets better ... but just make sure to keep up on your sleep. :)

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  9. Oh how cute!

    I love that he recognizes Starbucks! Olivia did to by age 1and it always cracked me up. She always got horizon milk too. ;)

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  10. I love the blanket picture! That cracks me up!

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