The Boy - Months 25 & 26

Spencer Rylan,

You are now 26 moths old! The past couple of months have been exciting, as usual.

Last month, the big excitement involved the potty. Well, for you, your excitement revolved around the word toot! You thought it was hilarious that you could make yourself toot - on mommy - while she changed your diaper. We went with it and taught you that you could go potty and poopy on the big potty when you "toot", and that you did. Very exciting stuff!

You're favorite books, hands down, have been the potty books. You want to read them "again" and "again" and "again". Whoever invented the Dora potty book was brilliant! Clearly we cannot escape Dora.

Other big changes involve your night time routine. Throughout your first year of life I was the chosen one (for obvious reasons) to put you to bed. Then suddenly after you turned 1, things changed (by your request), and Mommy was the chosen one. It was a good change and the two of you got into a great routine. Then again, suddenly, right after turning 2 things changed again and we are back to me accompanying you through your night time rituals.

Though, those routines have again changed a bit and it is working very well for all of us. Instead of us rocking you to sleep, as we had done through your first two years of life, you now put yourself to sleep. We still cuddle, read several books of your choosing you turn out your light when we are done reading, we collect your passel of paci's, and we rock for "5 minutes". Which really means that we rock until it seems time to lie down. In the beginning of this transition Mommy would come in after a bit of time and announce that it has been 5 minutes and tell you goodnight one last time. On some occasions your response would be "See Ya Mommy!” which totally cracked us up. More recently we cuddle, rock, sing if requested, stop singing if demanded, hugs & kisses, then you lay down with your teddy and paci's and promptly go to sleep. I have to say that I've never seen anything like it! This is not anything we ever experienced with your sisters!

I love watching you and listening to you. Of course you love the attention and the silliness mounts when you know you have an audience. Your big thing lately is making silly faces - on demand - by poking your cheeks with your fingers, sticking out your tongue, making goofy sounds, and walking stiff legged side to side like an overgrown monster. The word funny is a big part of your vocabulary and you find ways to use it regularly. But I also love that you are able to understand and tell us when you are sad or scared.

We've also been treated to this cheesy smile that has just cropped up in the past couple of weeks. So far you aren't able to make this face on demand - it is solely reserved for times when you are trying to get away with something, and you know it. As if this face will suddenly let you!

I love to hear your voice as you walk through the house looking for someone. We often hear "Momma/Mommy/Abby/Ellie, where ARE you?" I'll often respond by telling you where I am and then ask "Spencer, where are you?" You'll say "right here!" and point to yourself.

Counting - oh my counting. You must count everything! I love this stage when you know enough about counting to count yet the counting is still random. Tonight it was two, five, six, elleben. At which point we cracked up a bit and repeated the elleben and you said twelve. Two is the most important number and we must not forget that. You must have two of everything, and what that really means is that you need three. If there are big one's and little one's, you must have the big one's! We are just wasting our time if we think offering you a little one, of anything, will be acceptable.

We hear "get it" or "I've got it" several times a day. You must get everything! It could be that you want to exert your independence and get it yourself. Or it could be that you feel the need to torture the poor bunny rabbit who’s trying to find the escape route in the yard. Someday you are going to catch that bunny and it isn't going to be good.

My current favorite words/phrases are "Caterpillar" and "Bippity Boppity Boo".