The one about strong & smart

Reed is so smart and so strong!

At his 18 month appointment we told his pediatrician about all the milestones and abilities of our toddler. He was so impressed that he half joked that he should be asking the 3 year old appointment questions!!

Reed has so many words now, that there's no point in trying to count. Plus, he will learn a new one any chance you give him. I just have to tell him what it is and ask him to repeat it back.  The next day, I can ask him again and he'll remember it. He can identify all 26 letters of the alphabet, you can point to words on signs, t-shirts, books... he knows all the capital letters.  He has an alphabet puzzle that he started working on at 16 months.  He knows that saying "please" will guarantee that he'll get what he wants, and takes advantage of that all the time.  His ability to learn just blows me away.  Anything we want to teach him, or anything he wants to teach himself.  At church last week, he methodically removed the pens from the holes in the wooden pews and re-inserted them over and over and over. When he started it was hard to make the target, because he was holding the pen at the very end- then he got better and better. 

When it was mastered, he moved on. Watching him play with his race track is the same thing. He focuses so hard that it seems our house could come falling down around him and he would probably move the bricks away so he could continue dropping cars down the ramps. That is some impressive concentration. He must have got it from his dad, because I can only get in that zone when I'm painting :o)

His strength is another thing to applaud.  He watched his dad do pull ups a couple of months ago and insisted to be given the opportunity to try the same thing.  Reed started hanging from the pull up bar and was able to hang longer and longer. Now he grabs onto the beams at the playground and even lifts his legs and swings himself back and forth. He cracks himself up!

I can't say he's lacking in any area. Verbally he's brilliant. Intellectually he’s a genius. Physically he's Hercules. Socially he’s charming and suave. Emotionally he’s compassionate and aware.

Not only is his ability to learn impressive, but his desire to do so is sensational. 

  

So far, Bryce is on the same track.  Mike and I are so involved with our boys, Reed’s teacher told us to keep “doing what we’re doing” and his pediatrician said “continue doing whatever it is you’re doing, because it’s working”.  I don’t really see how people could not do what we’re doing. I don’t feel like its work. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything that I’d rather be doing, to spend time reading books to Reed and singing songs to Bryce.  I don’t feel like it’s a “daily grind” while my children are learning and soaking it all up.  Its fun and I enjoy spending time with my babies.  I enjoy being away from them, too! Don’t get me wrong. That’s why I love being part time. I think it makes the time that I spend with them a much better quality time. The challenge is to stay ahead of Reed and not let his learning stall. To keep pushing that gas pedal and throw new things at him every day. The applause is what keeps him going. He loves to please!

Bryce is easy to get a smile out of. Sometimes he'll just be sitting there by himself smiling at nothing- I'd like to take credit for it, but sometimes it's just not in response to anything I did!  But if I do want to make him smile, I just tap his nose or his cheeks.  His eyes light up and his grin widens into a joyous smile!

He's starting to sleep better, he still wants a bottle every 3 hours, but sometimes he'll sleep for 3 to 4 hours. He is in the office next to our room for now. We want to wait until he starts sleeping through the night before we move him in with Reed. 

I can't complain much. Mike's been helping me out in a big way, staying up later when Bryce won't fall asleep when we're ready and letting me go to bed early.  He also takes one of the night wakes, we divide them into First Shift and Second Shift.  Plus, he's the one who gets up in the mornings when the boys are ready to start the day. Sometimes that's 5am. I love him for knowing how much I love my sleep and giving me extra time in bed here and there.  We both know that he functions a lot better on lack of sleep than I do.  I did it for a while, but I don't have the endurance to keep going.  Things begin to fall apart.  My memory, then my patience, followed by my logic and my coordination.