Mommy's Big Buddy

Iain Pitman-March 2011
Pitman Photography

Oh little boy! I find it so hard to believe that your SECOND year of life is drawing to a close! You are on the home stretch and we're counting down to your second birthday! Sometimes I think you must only be turning one-I just can't believe that you're big enough to be two! But on the other hand, I simply can't remember life without you! Has it really only been two years since we met you?!

This paradox is pretty characteristic of you right now! You are the most polite child in the world...and the rudest! You are the sweetest boy ever...and the most difficult! You pick up on things in an instant; one time and you know a word, a phrase, an expression...and it takes you million repetitions to learn the lessons we try to teach you! The things that shouldn't be a big deal can be disasters, and the things we think will be difficult happen without a ripple! I guess this paradox is what defines the "terrible twos"; the year of stubbornness, difficulty and testing...but also such time of discovery, cuteness and wonder!

Your words continue to grow daily; you are now putting full sentences together, that the casual observer (not just your mom!) can understand! It's amazing! You know how to ask for what you want, and even to tell us what is bothering you. You can answer (and ask) questions, and carry on a conversation! You give us actual (correct!) information when we ask you things! It's so neat to see you communicating! You know how to say "Please", "Thank-you", "You're welcome" and "Excuse me", and use them in context, unprompted. Your favorite phrase lately is "Mommy's big buddy." As in "Look! Mommy's big buddy is running!" and we are quite happy that "Big Buddy" is taking the place of your other favorite persona: "Baby Iain".

Your favorite thing to read this month has been your Bible stories. It's quite amazing the things you can remember when we ask you about them. You can tell us who made the world, who the first people were, what they did wrong, who built the ark, what Joseph dreamed, where he went, what his coat looked like, (he's your current favorite!) what battle Joshua fought, what happened to Daniel, just about every detail of the crucifixion and resurrection, and a whole lot more! While I know you don't really understand all the things you repeat, it's still such an encouragement to me, and I'm praying that these seeds will sink down deep into your (incredible!) memory! We've also been making weekly trips to the library to get some new books for your repertoire, and it only takes a couple of reads before you have them practically memorized!

You still love to play outside, although the past month has not been conducive to this! Oh spring...please come soon! Whenever you get out there though, golf is your favorite activity. We've also been making good use of the basement, and you've had a blast "being in the band" with Mommy and Daddy and anyone else we can coax to pick up an instrument and play along. You love to be a helper; in the garden, with the dishes, the laundry, cleaning etc. And you are getting to the point that you're actually helpful! You can pick up your toys and books, get things we need, put things away and even entertain your brother unaided!

You continue to broaden your eating horizons! This month you tried (and liked) rice (it's your current favorite food!), quesadillas, a carrot (yes...just one), and egg casserole. You still love your customary drink of Ovaltine for breakfast, but can usually be prevailed upon to eat some toast too. Lunch is usually a grilled cheese and some apple slices, and dinner is (a variation of) whatever we are having. I long for the day that you'll eat all the delicious food we make, and realize all you've been missing out on! Eating is just NOT a priority for you though-we have to convince you every single meal that it's worthwhile to stop playing to eat. I am still amazed that a boy who plays as hard as you do can have so little interest in eating. Where do you get your energy from? I fear you are getting too skinny.

Sleep continues to go well; you rarely fuss before bed or naps, and although you occasionally wake up in the night, you almost always go right back to sleep. 9pm-9:30am is customary, but sometimes a bit more or less. Naps are about 2 hours, and if you get less sleep than this, you wake up quite grouchy!

We lost a bit of ground this month in the potty training arena. You flatly refuse to use it. Who knows why? We'll be working on that more as it gets nicer outside. I envision the pant-less boy running rampant in the yard, conquering his potty fears. We'll see! We also lost ground in the "being friendly to people that aren't your parents" area. For whatever reason, you've been quite clingy, and want picked up a lot. But, you don't like going to other people (even your Aunts and Uncles!) and can be quite rude. It's very frustrating for Mom and Dad! You seem to be a bit more jealous of Liam this month too; when we talk to him you say "Oh...Hi IAIN!" and try to steal the attention back. I guess that's what parenting's all about, right? One step forward...two steps back!

Even with all the ups and downs that come with an (almost) two year old, you're still the sunshine in our life! You brighten our day with our sense of humor, keep us entertained with your stories, and makes us happy with your love and cuddles. We love you so much Big Buddy, and we wouldn't trade you for the world!