The Boy - Month 21

Spencer has now reached the mark where it doesn't feel right to say he's 1 1/2 but yet I don't want to say "he's almost 2" and it seems odd to be using months. While technically I suppose he is almost 2, and he looks like he's 3, I don't want to rush it!

His receptive and expressive language skills continue to explode and amaze us. I think where we have seen the most development is in his receptive language skills. He is interested and able to follow simple instructions and shows excitement when he accomplishes a task. He can be a great helper during clean up time, so long as his desire to dump things doesn't take over once the items have been cleaned up. It is so fun to ask him a question, watch him processes it, and act upon it. His expressive language skills continue to grow as well. It has been months since we've counted or tracked his growth in this area. Mostly I think because we are having fun teaching him to say words like "exactly" and "thirsty".

Actually, he's taken to saying "oh really" and "exactly" all on his own at perfect opportunities, mostly because it has become clear that those are words or phrases that are used rather regularly in our home. As far as the "thirsty" goes, we have given him examples of many options like drink or cup to indicate that he was thirsty, instead of the incessant grunting. And, well, thirsty is what stuck and I have to say it is rather cute.

He's also known for apologizing before he does something that one might apologize for. Hopefully some day he'll avoid the action that warrants a "sorry". But, for now, it is really cute. When he wants something he will either ask for it by name, grunt, or reach out his hand and say "please". And by "please" he really means "give that to me now or I'll continue to say please loudly and stomp my feet until you do". His other latest is that we can ask him a question and he'll say "ummm" followed by a pause and then his response. Ummm yeah, the ummm will need to go. But for now it is fun to watch him process his thoughts.

We seem to have gotten into a morning routine with him that has been fun. It reminds me a lot of our cherished mornings with the girls when they were younger. He'll wake up in the morning and climb into bed with us. I'll usually get a "Mooooomma" from him. The first thing he does is request the "remote". You can hand it to him but he'll hand it right back and request his choice of "movie". He may also request some "milk". Then he proceeds to get all situated. He'll find a pillow, lie down, and get all cozy and comfy with a bit of cute drama added for good measure. He is the king of the house, afterall. Once he's settled, he'll hang out with us and give us a bit of time to get the day started at our pace before he's off and running. It is quite enjoyable!

It is official; the boy can climb out of his pack-n-play. I'm a little shocked, actually. While he does have excellent climbing skills, he's not shown interest in climbing out of the pack-n-play or his crib. Not to mention, his size is somewhat of a hindrance. Not any more! The day after his 21m birthday he showed Grandma that he could escape. He was supposed to be napping, and he did have an excellent nap. But instead of hollering for someone to get him, he took matters in his own hands and successfully escaped. The really funny part (to me) is that Grandma has an abundance of nick knacks throughout the house, and that room was no exception. He checked out and re-arranged everything before making his public appearance with an arm full of stuff. I'm not sure that Grandma was very happy about this.

Other physical accomplishments include somersaults and walking down the stairs like he's all grown up. He just walks right down like a big kid without holding on to anything for support. If he's in a big hurry, he may take the tummy route. But more often than not, he's walking down big and tall.

The boy is obsessed with Paci's. He could get a box of new paci's and he would be in pure heaven! We recently bought several new packages on clearance with the intent of stuffing them in his sock drawer until we needed them. No such luck! He saw them and absolutely needed to open them, all of them. The Paci to him is much like the girls' blankies are to them. Very much a comfort item! Naps and the bedtime routine go best if you've got at least 3 or more Paci's in his possession. He's got to have one in his mouth and one in each hand. Optimally, he's got one in his mouth, three in one hand, and two in the other hand. He then rotates them as we rock since clearly they all serve a different purpose.

The boy loves condiments! Though, due to some allergic reaction, we have to be careful on what condiments he has access to. Recently more splotches have appeared on his face after he's come in contact with something that maybe he shouldn't. We have yet to figure out the ingredient that sets him off. Ellie also has an infrequent mild reaction to some of the same things. Oddly, his absolute favorite condiment has got to be sour cream! He will eat the stuff by the spoonful, and request more. Would you like some potato with that sour cream sir? Thankfully sour cream is on the "approved" list!

As he grows, he continues to remind us so much of the girls at his age. He is fixated with water. If he hears water running, he's always right there. Both girls have a love for water, but it was really Ellie who was entertained for long periods of time while standing at the sink pouring water from cup to cup. Spencer will beg for a chair so he can "help me", which means that he wants to help Carie cook. He'll stand at the sink, pouring water, and feeling part of the action.

He chews on his straws, so much so that they are chewed closed, the same way Ellie does. He tries to open things with his teeth, the same way Ellie does. He loves to dump and pours things, just like Ellie did. He is a climber and his height really is an advantage to him! He is so tall that he can reach nearly anything he wants to, which equates too much relocation of objects in our house. If he can't naturally reach it, he wastes no time in obtaining an object that will help him reach it, just like Ellie did/does.

While there are so many things that recently remind me of Ellie, as I watch Spencer, there are so many ways in which he reminds me of Abby. He has a passion for books the same way Abby did and does. He's showing nurturing tendencies that remind us of Abby. Mostly though I think my reminders of Abby are in his physical attributes. I look at him and am reminded of her.

The boy thinks he is hilarious. He truly is a character and loves to make people laugh. He loves to act like the big kids and he mimics the big kids whenever possible.

And last but not least, his passion in life continues to be balls... especially basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, and soccer balls. Anything that is round in nature is a ball and he must seek it out. Just recently the girls were talking about birthday party ideas and we were discussing how they might like to celebrate their birthday. Then I reminded them that before their birthday comes Spencer's and after Spencer's party we would have their very own party. Abby then voluntarily informed me that we should do a "ball" party for Spencer. Great idea, Mommy and Momma were just discussing the same thing ourselves. That is how much he likes balls.