Yes, we still have another child (and pets, actually)! Lydia's been hogging the blog posts of late and I told Abram today that I'd do a post for him too.
Abram is 29 months old. From about 24 months to about 2 weeks ago, I was really struggling. His little will had really started to come out, with a vengeance, and for some reason I was surprised! I know everyone talks about terrible two's and I guess I was just hoping (praying) that I had that perfect child that would always obey the first time, listen to my every command and never throw tantrums with foot stomping (something his daddy apparently excelled at when he was 2).
This has not been the case.
I kept trying to explain things away because of all the transitions that were happening in our family. New baby, moving to my parents, moving to new house, changing from crib to bed, potty training...the list seemed endless. I realized that much of my frustration was not due to Abram adjusting, but rather, ME, just plain-old-stressed-out, adjusting to all those transitions and doing TOO much! I realized that I needed to slow down and play alongside Abram, include him in the chores that couldn't be ignored (laundry, dishes, meal prep), and really focus on TRAINING my child to behave how God (and I) would expect him to behave. I realized this because...
I started rereading "The Ten Commandments of Child Discipline" by James and Ruth Lyons, a book that my Aunt Jeanne gave to me, that I refer to as the "how to spank book". It's a quick read, and it is very helpful in explaining why spanking is the best discipline, but when to spank and when NOT to spank...and how to go about doing that. I read this when Abram was 14 months old and at the time, I didn't feel it was quite relevant yet. But now it has become QUITE relevant. THEN, I heard about another book, "To Train Up A Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl. After requesting it from the library, reading it cover to cover, and having Curtis read it, I'm ready to buy it to keep in the house as my "disciplinary bible". The authors are Amish and take their disciplinary methodology straight from the King James Bible (spare the rod, spoil the child). Since reading that book, I have felt so much calmer and self-assured in my ability to handle my son and anything he throws at me. Don't get me wrong...he'll still frustrate the daylights out of me at times...but I feel so much more in control of MYSELF, which in turn has completely shifted the way I respond to his misbehavior. I think his behavior has improved because of this and I'm enjoying his company more...which is how it SHOULD be!
So, now that I'm enjoying Abram's company again, I'm noticing all the really cute things he's doing! His vocabulary is really growing by leaps and bounds. I know he almost ALWAYS understands what I am saying to him (which is helpful in discerning disobedience) and I can ALMOST always understand what he's trying to say to me. I think this language barrier leads to much of a toddler's frustrations...not being able to communicate your needs clearly can be extremely frustrating! He can speak now in fairly complex sentences/concepts. The other morning, after eating two eggs scrambled and a piece of toast, I asked if he wanted anything else to eat and his response was "More egg, more toast....please." He will often try to correct Lydia when he thinks she is doing wrong. "No, baby, no touch, doggie (me, kitty, toy, mommy, etc). Frequently asks "where daddy go?", "go Pappaw's house?" "ride my bikissle (that's how he pronounces bicycle...so cute!)? Just today he was doing better adding the "gran" to grandpa, rather than "pappaw", which I feel like we've been working on forever!
He is SUCH a helper! He wants to help with everything, and most of the time we let him! He loves to help us in the kitchen. He drops the fruit in the juicer to make juice and breaks the eggs and stirs them to make scrambled eggs for breakfast. The other day he helped me assemble the lasagna and then tore up lettuce and spun the lettuce spinner to make salad. He helped Daddy make chocolate chip cookies in the stand mixer and we've mixed up pink lemonade several times recently. He also loves to "wash the dishes"...which is mainly just playing with the water in the sink. Last week I'd pulled something out of the clothes dryer and left the door open. A few minutes later I look in and Abram is pulling out the rest of the clothes into the hamper and then he pushed it down the hall to the living room, where I always fold the clothes. Today he picked up the branches and leaves that we trimmed off of the shrubs and pulled them to the field/brush pile or put them in the trash can. He ALWAYS wants to help if it means being with his daddy or his grandpas...he's a little shadow.
We finally hit a stretch of weather warm enough (and dry enough) to go swimming! We had practiced putting on Abram's new "puddle jumper" several times, dry runs if you will. He was VERY opposed to wearing them and cried and cried. Well, once we got him in the water and distracted long enough, he forgot that he didn't like them...rather quickly. First he was jumping off the side and before we knew it, he was going off the diving board!! Now, he shoves those skinny arms into that puddle jumper himself and asks me to buckle it! He LOVES to swim! So glad for that!
I've upped the ante on potting training. He would have good days and bad days in his cloth diapers/pull ups...but he didn't seem to be bothered by wet/soiled diapers...so I've put him in underwear! He has had a few pee accidents...one major poop....but for almost a week and a half he's been in undies while he's awake and he's doing really well. He can definitely tell when he's wet/soiled and takes himself to the bathroom. He still isn't INITIATING going to the potty...I always tell him to go try. He only gets a chocolate bit or an M&M (his fav) when he has dry undies ("Dry diaper" or "Dry 'wears") now, rather than getting them for peeing and pooping in potty. I think we'll reach our potty training goal of September, so he'll be able to go to the next class level at church on promotion Sunday. I sure hope Lydia potty trains faster when the time comes...I feel like Abram's been "half-trained" forever!! He is getting to be a big boy though. He weighs right around 30# (50% percentile) and he's 37 1/2" (75-90% percentile). He's definitely tall...just look at those legs dangling down! I wonder where he got those!
(The day after) Father's Day! Abram and Lydia are so lucky to have such a good daddy!
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