Kendall’s entered a new, magical phase. One where he chatters and talks in a language I can, most of the time, understand. It’s remarkable.
“Momma, read sounds,” means he wants me to read his book where I ask him what sound each picture makes.
“Momma, nigh night cookie,” means he wants me to lay my head on his stuffed Cookie Monster next to him while I try to get him to go to sleep.
Bedtime is when his language really comes alive. He’s a fantastic story teller (I’m told he gets this from his mother), and recounts the entirety Β of his day to me while laying there in bed in the dark, me with my neck cocked at an awkward angle so that I can lay my head on his Cookie Monster next to him. All I have to do is ask, “what did you do today?” and his brain starts firing and his mouth starts sputtering all the events of the day.
Admittedly, he always talks about the shows he watched that day because, I’m not going to lie, there is a lot of TV watching going on in this house right now. I like that he talks like he was a part of them, though, many times saying things like, “Go go get momma fof, watch out rocks!” Β That, roughly translated, means he helped Diego rescue the mommy sloth from the rocks, I think. I must add that he always punctuates his descriptions of adventures with Diego with a hearty fist thrown in the air.
He then talks about the big things, like going to the pool, and little things, like eating a pear for snack at 10 that morning.
A lot of times it takes me a minute to figure out what he’s talking about because the detail seems so minute, and I actually have forgotten by 8 at night that he saw a bug on the front porch that morning. Β It’s crazy what kids will focus on, what they will take away from the bigger picture.
My favorite night time conversation, so far, has got to be the one I had with him last week after a day when I took him to Chick Fil A for lunch. While we were there, I let him go play in the enclosed play area while I sat on the other side of the glass, kept an eye on him, finished my sandwich and quickly checked my email (it was right after I launched the #helpSam fundraiser). I looked up from my phone to see what he was doing to find him and another little boy on the floor. The other boy was crying, so I walked in, asked Kendall what happened, was met with expected blank stare, then told Kendall to tell the boy he was sorry and give him a hug. I really had no idea what happened and figured they probably just ran into each other, but I also knew there was a possibility that Kendall pushed him since that seems to be something he’s trying out these days. I very sternly reminded him we don’t push, and stayed inside the play area the rest of the time we were there, subjecting myself to the awful stench of toddler shoes, rubber floors and cleaning solution.
Later that night, during our bedtime breakdown of the day, Kendall recounted the following:
“Bok bok! Yum..” (Chicken was yummy)
“Play, slide.”
“Push, baby, cry.”
I interjected, “Kendall? You pushed the baby?”
“Baby cry. No, no. No push. Sowwy.”
I was so taken aback by his honesty. I, of course, told him pushing was bad, but I also praised him for telling the truth and for telling the baby he was sorry. It was one of those weird parenting moments where I had no idea how to react, but I felt incredible pressure to act the correct way because this seemed like a really important little lesson he was learning, right in front of my very eyes.
We went back to Chick Fil A for breakfast yesterday (I told you all already that I grow my babies on CFA). The whole time on the way there he kept repeating, “No push. No, no, no. I no push.” And he didn’t. I watched him like a hawk and he played very sweetly.
While he ran around the play area, jumping and swinging and sliding, it occurred to me that he is much closer to independence and childhood than the infancy he left behind. He’s learning lessons, he’s telling stories, and before I know it I’m going to have a full fledged little kid on my hands, one who asks questions and teaches *me* things. I can’t help but wonder how big he’s going to seem when we come home with the new baby in 7 months, how much he’ll have grown and learned by then, and how much that will be magnified by the tiny, helpless newborn.
Kendall is 2 years old/ I’m 10 weeks pregnant
18 comments
My eyes actually welled up reading your post. I feel like my own little guy, at 18 months, is getting so close to this level of independence, and soon he’s going to be talking more and telling me about his day, and doing all kinds of incredible things. I’m losing my little baby but I’m gaining a wonderful, happy child. Weird to feel so sad and happy at the same time.
Totally. Exactly how I feel.
I love that you openly admit the TV is on in your home. It seems so taboo right now, with studies coming out and lots of blog buzz, but I think no TV at all for babies/toddlers is pretty unrealistic. Honestly, I think it is WHAT people let their kids watch that is problematic. I grew up on Sesame Street and (I feel like) I turned out OK.
Also: This post is a great example of great storytelling, and I’m happy for you getting your appetite back. After my morning sickness, the sudden desire to stuff my face was the best. thing. ever.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who got teary reading your post π You brought me right back to when I was pregnant with my second, watching my first little boy growing bigger. Now I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old and am 26 weeks pregnant with our 3rd boy. I watch my boys much in the same way…in awe of the moments they are learning, and how my 2nd is teaching me all sorts of new things, and it’s like being a mom all over because he does things his older brother never did.
The twos are an amazing transitional age, and realizing when they turn 3 just how much they’ve grown in one year is overwhelming.
(Glad to hear I’m not the only one who grows babies on Chick-fil-a and ramen!)
SO sweet! I can’t wait until my little girl “talks” like that. It is so amazing to watch them develop. You can literally see their brains working.
I just wrote a post about how sad I am that my little girl is growing up so fast, but you just gave me something to look forward to. Thank you!
This made me teary! My little girl is 15 months and the new little things she says and does make me proud and nostalgically sad at the same time. I always say “this is my favorite stage!” and mean it every time I say it. It makes me nervous about having the next one!! Will I fully adore the newborn-awake every 1.5hours-nursing- stage the same way?
Thanks for sharing your sweet moments π
That is amazing,and SO sweet. Must have melted your heart <3 Our babies are growing up!
This is so sweet. Stop making me want to get pregnant again Jill! Why you always gotta do that to me Gah!
This stuff is all so exciting and it seems like one of those things that you anxiously anticipate, then these moments come and its like “Where the hell is my rewind button? And how did we get here?” I love it but its happening too fast.
::mommy pouts::
That was the sweetest post. And it’s amazing how honest kids are. Till they turn 4.5. Ugh. Anyway, good to know my kid isn’t the only one who called chicken bok boks. I blame her dad. π
*sniffle sniffle* I’m almost 8 weeks pregnant and have an 18-month old so I completely get what you mean.
Love. This. Post. Seriously may be one of my favorites yet! I bet it just melted your heart and made you feel so proud! My favorite was when he was reminding himself the next time. How precious!
Oh my goodness, will you stop talking about Chik-Fil-A? This is like the third or fourth blog entry that has referenced CFA. It’s like salt in the wound over here. You are killing me. We live 4 hours from the nearest CFA and my husband has even commented once that if he could bring CFA to Vegas, he would die a happy man.
Seriously, sweet story and glad to hear the pg is going well and Kendall is a sweetie.
Now go enjoy yet another delicious chicken sandwich with a lightly buttered bun and just the right amount of pickle.
Thanks everyone π You know, I didn’t start out to write a sappy, sentimental post. I was totally going to razz him for outing himself on the Chick Fil A incident, but I just couldn’t help myself. He’s growing way too fast. If I don’t blog it, I might forget it π
Oh, and Kim, don’t worry, I had another sandwich there today just for you!
This is so interesting. I love how kids develop differently. Ella has been talking for a long time but still can’t answer any question really, that isn’t yes or no. I do the same thing at bedtime, talk about our day, but she isn’t at the point where she adds stuff to the conversation. During the day, she does have this running commentary where she does her own play by play: “I get my shoes. I open my shoes. I put on my shoe. I did it myself! Look, Mommy, my shoes myself!” “I did it myself!” is one I hear a LOT. Even (especially?) when I help her with something.
Kendall is quite the sweetheart. So fun to read about all his little milestones. π
Awww! That story warms my heart, Lisa. What a doll.
This story is so awesome! I can’t wait for Nolan to tell me stories :0)
kids are so fascinating. my favorite question is always to ask kids what they did today cause the answers are always entertaining! π