Finding a voice, tantrums and germs
For the longest time, I just could not wait to discover what Lucas's little voice would sound like. It's one thing when he's shrieking or squealing, but what would he sound like when he started expressing himself in words? We're finding out, and it's such a delight.
Lucas has been going through the terrible twos a little early, and it seems to rear its head whenever we have to make a transition from one thing to another -- like from going outside to inside. It has been a little better for the past two weeks, but goodness, there were some days there when I wasn't quite sure what to do with him. I even called the pediatrician about it, and he (not a nurse!) called me back. I got a lot of helpful tips about reinforcing positive behavior and NOT, under any circumstances, reinforcing negative behavior, as well as a little theology thrown in. Being the good Reformed person that he is, he threw in a little Augustinian theology about total depravity. Honestly, there are days when I think I get what Augustine was talking about.
The other reality in our lives right now is snotty-nosed little kids at day care who pass their snotty noses on to Lucas -- and sometimes to us by extension. He is on his second cold since starting day care a month ago. Others, including more seasoned moms and my husband, are much more rational about this than me, explaining to me that immunity-building is a rite of passage for all children, whether it happens now or in preschool or in kindergarten. I, however, am very irrational about it, convinced he is going to be sick every day for the rest of his life, convinced his little cough we hear from his room at night could quite possibly be the Plague, and convinced he is never going to be the same because of the trauma he is experiencing from being sick.
And then God punches me in the stomach and smacks me across the face all at once when I look in the obituary section of the newspaper and see a photo of a baby looking back at me, and I think what those parents would give for a runny nose. Now I'm teary eyed and sober as I write this, thanking God for my snotty-nosed little guy.
- The first animal sound he mastered was the owl (HOO HOO) I am not sure where he picked it up, except perhaps from my favorite book Oh, The Wonderful Sounds Mr. Brown Can Do. Now, he has quite a repertoire, which he unfortunately does not perform when you most want him to. Cat is OW, cow is MOO, sheep is BAA, lion is a loud scream of varying sounds depending on the day, duck is ACK ACK, and there are others, but the one that just gets me every time is dog --- he cannot say WOOF WOOF so instead he blows air twice -- like the sound you would make if you were trying to sound out a W and nothing came out! For Halloween, I am hoping he can be either a doggy or an owl so he can show off his immeasurable talent!
- We took Lucas to a very lame Fourth of July parade this year which basically consisted of every kind of emergency vehicle imaginable driving down the street and sounding its siren as loudly and as often as possible. Since, then Lucas has been obsessed with emergency vehicles. When you ask him what a fire truck says he will without fail tell you -- and his eyes get round as saucers when he does. The other day we were going to the grocery store and Chad pointed out a cop to me. From the back seat, Lucas made his siren sound. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to have to pull over.
Lucas has been going through the terrible twos a little early, and it seems to rear its head whenever we have to make a transition from one thing to another -- like from going outside to inside. It has been a little better for the past two weeks, but goodness, there were some days there when I wasn't quite sure what to do with him. I even called the pediatrician about it, and he (not a nurse!) called me back. I got a lot of helpful tips about reinforcing positive behavior and NOT, under any circumstances, reinforcing negative behavior, as well as a little theology thrown in. Being the good Reformed person that he is, he threw in a little Augustinian theology about total depravity. Honestly, there are days when I think I get what Augustine was talking about.
The other reality in our lives right now is snotty-nosed little kids at day care who pass their snotty noses on to Lucas -- and sometimes to us by extension. He is on his second cold since starting day care a month ago. Others, including more seasoned moms and my husband, are much more rational about this than me, explaining to me that immunity-building is a rite of passage for all children, whether it happens now or in preschool or in kindergarten. I, however, am very irrational about it, convinced he is going to be sick every day for the rest of his life, convinced his little cough we hear from his room at night could quite possibly be the Plague, and convinced he is never going to be the same because of the trauma he is experiencing from being sick.
And then God punches me in the stomach and smacks me across the face all at once when I look in the obituary section of the newspaper and see a photo of a baby looking back at me, and I think what those parents would give for a runny nose. Now I'm teary eyed and sober as I write this, thanking God for my snotty-nosed little guy.
posted by Alyssa at 10:12 AM
1 Comments:
The other time we hear a little of his voice is when he's done eating. He looks up at us, palms heavenward, and says in his sweet birdy little voice, "Aw gaw..."
Kills me every time.
Love you.
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