The Fall
Drop off at school continues to be something Breck struggles with. I don’t know why this is since I can peek back through the window and he is already happy as soon as the idea of me leaving has fled his brain. So it has become a daily prayer on the way to school (as we pray about his day, his teachers, his attitude, his nap time, his eating – some days he eats everything in sight while others he refuses everything but snack-type food such as goldfish, animal crackers and teddy grahams). Our prayer has become that his heart will fill with joy from the moment he enters the doors at Primrose. He is in the infant 2 class so they are helping to develop his walking skills as well as his adventurous spirit. He loves being around other kids and just smiles or giggles as soon as they are near. I love coming to pick him up and seeing him running around with friends. His teachers tell me that he will go through the books and hand one to each kid and then sit down with his own book and pretend to read to them all. If he gets up and does something, the entire class (there are 10 of them) gets up and follows. Our prayer has also started to include that he will be a good leader and an example of what to do.
We have also included a prayer for obedience as we have seen some independent spirit exhibited. It’s hard not to laugh when he throws a fit because he will drop to his stomach and then kick his arms and legs out in spasms while whining. It was funny the first time or two but we soon had to work on his little temper tantrums. He gradually got better about them and by Thanksgiving we didn’t see him do that any more. We loved the weather in Texas this fall (we could actually go outside!). We spent many a night running out to our backyard and playing as soon as we got home from school.
Breck really developed his sign language after going back to school in the fall. He regularly asks for milk, food and more with his sign language. I love that he can communicate his wants this way. We traveled to OK to see family more than we ever have in years past. We had the Halloween party in October and then Thanksgiving in November and of course, Christmas in December. With every trip back, we continued to see a sweet friendship develop between Breck and Wake – though with a new little brother on the way for Wake, Breck soon dropped to his status of cousin instead of brother as Wake has called him since birth. As Breck became more mobile, the boys had the opportunity to play more and more – which was fun for both of them. Breck has a steady stream of favorite words – ball, momma and on occasion daddy though he likes to grin really big then call Brian momma. He usually dies laughing afterward like he knows he’s playing a trick on him.
He has really missed his Winnie Bear and I’m pretty sure Tigger misses Breck having a dog too. He can say Tigger perfectly and does so as he zones in on her and rushes toward her to play. He doesn’t understand why she doesn’t like him – poor thing (both of them!). This led us to the discussion of getting Breck his own pup. I thought this would take some time to convince Brian of – Winnie was a bit challenging as a pup – but after seeing Breck run to Tigger’s cage the second we got home and being so excited to see her (and then watching his disappointment when she wouldn’t have anything to do with him), it was decided that Bentley (a sweet 3-month-old Yorkie boy) would join us as a Christmas present for Breck.
We headed to Colorado and enjoyed an amazing time on our Christmas vacation there. Breck loved getting to discover a new place. It was unseasonably warm so we didn’t have much snow happening but it meant it was warmer for him to be outside too.
This worked out well because he is still too young to ski but keeping him inside the condo all day wasn’t really a plan either.
We took him sledding and he rode the gondola up the mountain.
They have a rec center with a great indoor pool so we spent time there playing too.
Other than that, we had a ridiculous amount of toys (presents he had received in OK the week before for Christmas) so the condo was packed with stuff! We bought Breck a basketball goal for Christmas and I think he liked it just a bit.
We picked up our new pup on the way back from Colorado since the breeder was in OK. I think Breck thought he was a stuffed animal to begin with because he was so quiet and easy-going. Soon those two began running around playing all the time. Breck has developed a game where he runs and Bentley chases him and jumps up at him. Breck loves it though it always ends with the over-eager pup eventually biting at his clothes which makes Breck cry. Does that dissuade him though? Nope! He turns around and starts the game all over again (after Bentley is persuaded to release).
Breck started out being very enthusiastic about food. I think this was in part because when you only know milk, you are willing to try whatever else there is. This was short-lived though and soon Breck became quite picky. He has issues with texture. He loves fruits and vegetables but still only wants the flavor of them (like in purees) and refuses the real thing – except for bananas. You would think the boy is a monkey (which is funny since that has been his nickname since he was little and every time I call him monkey, he makes the sound of a monkey). He detests red meat and only barely tolerates chicken in a chicken nugget form – only chickfila. He eats fish sticks like there is no tomorrow though. And he loves mashed potatoes. He has enjoyed a variety of healthy snacks at school and home. I think he is like his daddy that way – a snacky boy! We have continued to limit his sugar intake and one day I picked him up from school and realized that it was one of the kid’s birthdays so they had cupcakes. He was insane with the sugar. They said he gobbled that cupcake up so fast – probably afraid his mom would show up any moment and take it away! Our days at restaurants are limited because he just doesn’t like to sit still. He is hungry faster than they can serve us and over the whole ordeal before we have even had a chance to eat ourselves. Once in a while we venture to On the Border because at least the chips and salsa or tortillas and queso keep him busy from the moment we sit down. I think the day he discovered chips was a great day! We were a little nervous about him choking on something so big or with pointed edges but like with so many other things, he just took it in stride. Salsa that makes my eyes water he just inhales. Like father, like son, I guess.
The Spring
As winter subsided – and what a mild winter it has been! – Breck moved up to the next class at school. He is now with the young toddlers and it has been the absolute best thing for him. He loves it.
We still struggle with drop-off some days but lately, he has wriggled out of my arms the second we get out of the car and runs into his class. He always stops when I say good-bye and runs to me and gives me the biggest hug. I love that part of him growing up – he will just run over to me any time of the day and give me the biggest hugs or kiss on the cheek. I can hear him say mommy with the sweetest voice any time I am out of his sight and when he finds me, his whole face lights up. More mornings than not, I have heard him quietly saying my name over and over again over the monitor. I have seen him look at it on my nightstand and I know he knows I can see and hear him at night. He knows I just can’t resist when he calls for me in the morning – even though daddy usually gets him and they play for a while as they eat breakfast since he leaves before I do.
Breck also got his first haircut. He wasn't too thrilled while it was happening but he is one cool dude without the curly locks.
Check out his faux-hawk!
Breck had to get tubes in both of his ears in February and though it made me so nervous to have him under for surgery, it has truly been the best thing. He is a totally different kid! He talks nonstop and you can tell he hears better and just feels good. His vocabulary went from a few words to repeating everything you say. His regular favorites include milk, please, Papa (this works well since all three grandpas go by Papa), apple juice, outside, more (he says this with a little dance as he does the sign too – thanks to daddy’s encouragement), Bentley (though he just as often calls him Tigger), go and my new favorite, amen! We pray with him every morning on the way to school, before meals and then again before bed and all of a sudden he started slapping his hands together as soon as we say it was time to pray. Sometimes he even bows his head and closes his eyes too. And lately when we are done he will shout amen right along with me. Love it!Brian was surprised to find that Breck knew his animals. They would do animal sounds every time he read books with Breck and Breck would do the sounds but Brian thought it was because he saw the picture and recognized the animal from that. Then, one day, Brian just asked him about an animal and Breck instantly responded with the animal sound. He ended up going through several animals, even ones he hadn’t worked on him with very much, and he knew them all! At school they mentioned how surprised they were with how smart he is and how quickly he takes to things. Just the other day he started counting to three and recognized colors – and it isn’t even something we have worked on at home or school! I know, I sound just a little proud, huh?
We have made a transition from loving only Despicable Me to other movies such as Madagascar, Ice Age, Monsters Inc and Kung Fu Panda (this happened out of necessity on the 12 hour drive to Colorado - we couldn't handle a continuous loop of only Despicable Me). Now, Breck's love for Kung Fu Panda is quite cute. We got him a Po panda in his Valentine's basket and his loves that thing.
As far as food goes, he still tends toward the picky side. Some days he gobbles up pizza, other days he refuses completely. Chick-fil-a and fish sticks are still a staple in our house but other food he likes includes pancakes (he loves the Eggo minis), waffles (again, Eggo but the blueberry kind), blueberry muffins (he loves helping me make these), toast and really bread of any kind – especially Grams’ homemade bread, cereal (Special K vanilla almond is his favorite as I discovered when eating it myself and he took over my bowl and spoon), poptarts (a new development after seeing his daddy eat these for breakfast), peanut butter (we just tried this week), nutrigrain bars in apple cinnamon, apple juice (loves the juice box) and then his regular snacks (teddy grahams, cheez its, animal crackers, goldfish, Gerber grabbers, Cheerios and Wheat Chex). He is definitely opinionated about what he likes.
When we went to Colorado, we ended up taking a small chair and pull-up tray for Breck to eat with since we didn't have room in the car for his big high chair.
After using that for a week and also moving up in school where they use a small table and chairs for the kids, Breck has absolutely refused his high chair altogether. Really anything that seems babyish is rejected these days. We ended up buying him a small table and chair from IKEA so at home we could encourage this new independence.
They also don't use cribs in the big kids class and so we shopped online for a cot that is similar to the one he takes a nap on for 2 hours daily. I think this was the one thing I thought Breck would struggle to transition to – they just turn down the lights, play some soothing music and have the kids lay down on the cots. The teachers said they just pat their backs to soothe them until they fall asleep – and from day one Breck has slept for 2 hours that way. And what's even sillier to me – when he starts to get tired in the evenings, he will lay on the floor and pat his own back to instruct us what we should do for him. It's hilarious.
I can't believe we now have an 18-month-old little boy. He is sweet, easy-going and has such an infectious laugh. Of course, not every moment is magical but we try hard to keep in perspective the trials of growing up and really work to soak up these amazing moments. How blessed we are!
