Somebody is starting to look a lot more like a three year old than a two year old.
(Pictures are from a petting zoo shortly before we left Florida, hence the t-shirt!)
***Apparently these pictures aren't showing up. I can only assume it's a flickr issue as I've replaced them and nothing changes. Hopefully they'll show up soon!**
***Apparently these pictures aren't showing up. I can only assume it's a flickr issue as I've replaced them and nothing changes. Hopefully they'll show up soon!**
He's growing tall and lean, although he still has chubby knees and elbows and his hands and feet best resemble those of a St. Bernard puppy. We're going to have a tall one on our hands.
Seth has, if anything, blossomed since we've been here. When we first arrived, he was more clingy than ever, but as the days have gone by he has branched out, and while he's still more than a little attached to me, he is having a great time with everyone here and warming up to people a lot more quickly than he ever has.
Yesterday he ushered Jordan into one of the bedrooms and made her lay down, then said "Good night! I love you! Stay right there!" then shooed me out of the room, yelling "Go! Go!" before shutting off the light and running out behind me, where he waited for about ten seconds behind the door, giggling, before he ran back into the room and flipped the light on, yelling "Good Morning!"
He's blossoming, and while his speech is still behind where I'd like it to be, and he is still the most stubborn child on the planet and won't speak when asked, I see him coming out of his shell more every day. He's doing a great job going up and down the stairs and every day is like a mega physical therapy session for him. It's a joy to watch him boss us all around.
I tell people all the time that Seth has made me humble, that he has taught me that every single child needs to be parented differently, and it's still true. Ava and Jace were coming right along when Seth was born, and the same general theories and discipline worked for them both. But with Seth, I had to throw everything I knew out the window and start fresh. Not because what I did with Ava and Jace was bad, but because Seth is Seth and required a whole new approach.
I would never have chosen attachment parenting, although that may seem harsh. But due to a lot of Seth's issues as a baby, that's the approach I ended up using. Ava and Jace were much more independent, even as babies, and they thrived and were happy with a different approach. Evany is the most laid back baby in the entire world, and she doesn't have the same physical pull to be close to me at all times, although she is good for a great cuddle every so often. But Seth is often an extension of me. I know if he's not nearby he's probably getting in trouble. As weird as it sounds, I love that he feels secure enough here to sneak off and get in trouble. For a long time he never would have strayed from my side. His independence is growing. As is the list of trouble he has been getting into!
But even as he gets more secure in himself, he is a still a Mama's boy, just like Jace. He is amazing. I am in awe of the progress he's made and so proud of how he is so much like any other kid out there in spite of the things he's had to overcome. It would be easy for Seth to do things halfway, timid, unsure of whether he's missing something or hearing everything. But Seth does things full tilt or not at all. I love that he has a (very) high opinion of himself. I love that when he deigns to give a hug, he does it all the way, no holds barred, flinging his arms straight out to the sides before administering a fierce hug. And really, if what we teach our kids is to do things all out and mean it, both physically and mentally, I'm okay with that.
