Observations from a new Parent of a Toddler: Approaching the 2-year mark

Babies are still big fat liars even as they get older

Literally, big(ger) than when they were born and fat… so chubbily cute that you can’t help but laugh through your frustration at how they do things like refuse to nap when they CLEARLY NEED TO NAP.

(Rubbing their eyes, yawning, unbelievably whiny and irritating.. all signs of requiring to nap)

They start wanting everything you have / want no matter what it is

Have food to eat?

They want some. Whatever it is. Then you try and offer some to them, and they refuse to eat it because it looks strange.

BABIES.

Cutting up raw vegetables to cook?

They’re there in the kitchen, mouth open, shifting from one leg to another (or stomping their feet) and making cute and sometimes not so cute noises that indicate that they are interested in what is on your chopping board even if it is raw onions or hot peppers.

Have a book in your hand?

They want to touch it, flip the pages, gum it, etc.

Have any piece of technology you are using to film them, take pictures or work?

They want it. All of it.

And all the other gadgets you have lying around too.

Baby Bun at one point had in one paw “his” iPod (an old one of mine), my iPod Touch which I use to organize my life, and he was making a grab while securing his current possessions-stolen-from-Mommy for my Kobo Glo ebook reader!

They are even more independent and cuter than you can imagine

Honestly. Still chubby. Great fat little thighs to nibble on and squeeze, or chubby cheeks to kiss until they swat you away with a chubby little paw.

They have personalities beginning to develop, and you start seeing if they are fearless, cautious, independent, dependent, etc.

…and with independence, they assert their rights to refuse to sleep

See point #1 about being Liar McLiarsons.

…however you can kind of assert your own iron-parenting-will and refuse to give in

Took me 4 naps and 4 tries to have Baby Bun learn that when Mommy says “time to nap”, it means IT IS TIME TO NAP.

I had to drag him back to his bed multiple times, endure shrieks like I was torturing him in the gulag, and tears streaming down his face all because he didn’t think he was in any position to nap.

Again, see point #1 about them being fat liar McLiarsons.

Now, I have managed to get him to at least go somewhat willingly to his bed to nap, I cover him with his blanket, give him his snuggly teddy bear and tell him: “Time to nap”.. and he will close his eyes to nap.

Bedtime is another story. I am still working on this one.

They are frustratingly different at daycare

When you hear daycare workers talk about my son, you would think he is the kindest, sweetest, most amazing child ever and they’re speechlessly amazed at how GOOD HE IS.

EVERY. DAYCARE WORKER has stopped me and said: Oh you’re Baby Bun’s Mommy? He is SO GOOD. He is so cute, sweet, and such, such, SUCH a good, adaptable baby.

Me: Are you talking about.. MY child? My shrieking, sometimes banshee-like dinosaur-noise-making child who refuses to nap, eat his dinner and get his diaper changed willingly?

They act like angels in different environments (e.g. surrounded by other children so they’re confused as to what to do and how to act), and since they feel way more comfortable with their parents (at home), they feel more comfortable enough to act up, act out, and shriek like a pterodactyl when they don’t get their way.

It’s like I am picking up the demon-sized version of my toddler at daycare. He’s an angel there, and a demon (sometimes) at home.

He is incredibly helpful at this age

I’m encouraging this. It takes forever, but I have him help me close the doors, pick up things, recycle papers, push the laundry basked to put away his diapers and he even hands hangers to my partner while he is doing his clothes.

I am really, REALLY encouraging this. I hear this Helper Stage doesn’t last long. We’ll see.

He understands more than I think

This morning was terrible.

He was whiny and wanting me to play with him and do stuff but I was trying to just brush my teeth and it was becoming very, VERY annoying with his constant, grating whine.

I turned, I looked at him, sternly said in a very firm voice:

Can Mommy just brush her teeth? In silence? SILENCE? SI-LENCE? Can you be quiet and patient?

I kind of didn’t expect it to work and expected to have to haul him off to go “be with your father, I can’t look at you right now”…

He actually stopped whining, looked at me, and waited 5 minutes without a single peep (he whimpered here and there but I just gave him THE EYE), and he patiently-ish, watched me brush my teeth and floss.

After I did all that, I leaned down, gave him a huge hug and a kiss and went to play with him, explaining that sometimes Mommies need to do things and it is not all about Baby Bun all the time.

He makes your heart melt even if was only 15 minutes ago that he was driving you mad

Even though they’re super rude and sneeze right in your face without covering their mouths or cough into their food before trying to feed it to you, they are incredibly heartstoppingly sweet.

I miss him terribly when I am not with him.

Then when I am with him, sometimes I have to hide in a closet to calm down.

(True story.)

.. but 90% of the time, I am trying to enjoy this stage. I know it will not last long. I am trying to soak up all of his babyness as much as possible and to think that one day, he will no longer be my chubby little toddler, but a full-grown adult.

OMG. I’m going to turn out to be one of those heinous mother in laws where no woman is ever good enough for him.

I hope not.

Or.. maybe I do hope so 😉