I’ve been scrolling through past posts lately to try to get a picture of what Austin was like when he was at Wesley’s age. It was just about the time I started this blog, and, despite the best of intentions in using this as my own version of a scrapbook, I’m not finding what I’m looking for. No clear picture of Austin’s antics at the time. Bummer.
The boys are a trip right now – and both changing so rapidly. So here they are, right now:
Wesley is finally talking. Finally. Suddenly, in the past week, he has a teeny tiny vocabulary – “Moma” and “Daddy” (said with perfect diction, I might add), “Dah” for “duck,” “Bawl” for “Ball,” “kee-cue” for “thank you,” “Hi!” complete with the perfect little hand wiggle, “ni-nigh” for “night-night,” and “ aw-see” for “Austin.” He also confidently – and constantly – names his favorite body parts – eye, ear, and nose, with the occasional attempt at teeth.
It is such a relief to finally have some communication from him, besides his usual “uuuuh….” with an outstretched arm. Not that the “uuuuhhh” doesn’t happen the majority of the time…but at least it is occasionally interrupted by an occasional “Moma? Ball!”
While the speech has been slow to come around, he is doing really well with his little puzzles and blocks. He can make quite the tower, if I do say so myself…and his is an expert at his little Melissa and Doug shape puzzles.
He is also a little peek-a-boo master, one heck of a climber, and quite the little dancer – when we wants to be.
He has also picked up on his brother’s habit of dragging a chair into the kitchen during dinner prep, attempting to “help.” He is loving imitation these days, from vacuuming to chopping veggies. If only he was slightly more developed in his fine motor skills…
I am loving the chance to watch his little personality develop. He is more and more fun each day!
He and Austin are starting to start to play together a little bit. Wesley will be my helper when it is time to find Austin in a game of hide & seek – not too hard, as Austin can’t stop giggling when it is his turn to hide.
Aah, hide and seek. We can’t escape it these days. Austin wants to play constantly, when he isn’t asking to make a paper airplane, attempting to glue something, or…pretending check his email. He has no clue what that means, but he loves to sit up at the desk and type away on the keyboard that isn’t connected to anything.
He continues to say the funniest things – his is such a little man. Phrases like “I don’t prefer that” and “Actually, lets try this…” are not uncommon, and every day he amazes me with a new version of a grown-up phrase tumbling out of his toddler mouth.
He is too much fun right now. Fascinated by Christmas lights, completely enthralled with Santa (I hear him singing “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good so be good good good good…”), and he is constantly, shamelessly, singing his little “there’s a bathroom on the right” versions of songs. Shamelessly.
He is still a cuddle bug – much more so than his brother. His first words in the morning are “can I have my warm milk and then snuggle in and watch a show?” He still starts every morning, and ends the evenings, with a sippy of warm milk. And I love it – the smallest hangover from his baby days.
If only he hadn’t moved on to the TV addiction stage. He asks – all too frequently for my liking – to watch a show, and it drives me nuts. There really isn’t that much TV in his life (we only have netflix and DVDs, so the TV is never passively on), and sometimes it is necessary for all of us to have him chill for a bit with Bob or Thomas. But with Austin, one (of anything – not just a show!) is never enough. And although this drives me nuts about him, I also know it will serve him well in the future – Persistence! Perseverance! Determination! Ironically, these keys to a successful future also play heavily in the toddler designation as “annoying.”
He is such a people person, remembering names of folks he has only met once, and completely comfortable introducing himself to them and then asking them to play hide and seek with him. Then, weeks later, he’ll ask me about “Sarah who was at Great Grannas and played with me” and I will have to think (HARD) about who he is talking about. A persistent, determined little salesman.
These two are a blast right now. An exhausting blast.
Thank you for enduring my time capsule – Austin 3 years 4 months, and Wesley 19 months. To be opened again next December 
