I've started referring to Ginger Boy as my little parrot. He will try to repeat pretty much anything anyone says to him. It's ridiculously cute to hear it come out of him. I can't even count the number of words and phrases he's saying these days. This past week he started stringing together five, six and seven word phrases. It's like he's really becoming a little person. He's thinking and learning and loving and growing. He can stop that growing thing though. Seriously. The more he parrots back, the more I realize that my baby is no longer a baby. That makes me a little sad. Ok, a lot sad. Which is why I still hold him and snuggle him before naps and bedtime. And also why he just stopped nursing two weeks ago. Almost twenty-one months of nursing. Go ahead and judge away!
A few of my favorite phrases that have come out of him lately are:
"No! Stay away Curly Girl!" (of course he used her real name)
"Dada done workin in da basement"
"My bawoon bwo (blow) away! Curly Girl bawoon POP!"
"Choo choo go fast! Weally loud!"
"I go a Maine. See papa n gaga."
"Ride papa trackuhr (tractor). Turn a wheel. Take turns."
"Go mama! Go mama! Wun!" (as I ran the half marathon!)
Then there's a few that aren't exactly my favorites, but they're coming:
"Bite a Curly Girl"
"Kick a mama" (as I change him on the changing table)
"Hit a Emmy" (the cat)
We're working on those. Though I have to say we are a bit relieved to see the testosterone coming through all of the tutus, necklaces and headbands that he always wants to wear like Curly Girl.
And now, about that Curly Girl. Wow. She has quite a strong personality! And strong vocals to go with that personality! She is about as assertive as they come. A characteristic that will serve her so well later in life. A challenge for us right now though. One good thing is that we never, ever wonder what she needs or wants or wonder how she's feeling. She lets us know all the time. So that's a bonus! Also an added bonus is that we never have a dull or quiet moment in our house. (But is that really a bonus?!) At least she still naps almost every day. And goes to bed at night with no fight at all. Definitely blessed by that.
Despite her bold personality, she is super sweet, smart as a whip, and is always asking amazing questions and rambling off new things that she learned from church or her Community Bible school class or from Super Why. She is like a little sponge! Just soaking up all of the information she's obtaining from the world around her and using it to ask questions and learn even more. It's good and bad. I have to watch every single thing that I say these days. She will pick up on anything and think about it and then either repeat it or ask a great question about it. Fortunately we haven't had anything bad come out yet.
Some of the amazing things she's come out with lately are:
"I was thinking about it and using my imagination and I think that when we go to Heaven, Jesus will carry us there. I don't think we have to take stairs. They would be really high stairs."
"Some day, I'm going to marry a nice man who loves Jesus. Then I can be a mommy. Right now I'm a mommy to my baby dolls."
"Ginger Boy, you have to go to sleep! I'm tired and I need my sleep!" (said through tears as he whined at bedtime)
"I don't want to die. I want to stay here forever. Am I going to die on a cross?"
Needless to say, I've got a lot coming at me each and every day. A lot of questions to answer and a lot of conversations to have. We are never ever bored. Ever. Always on the move and asking questions. Love this life I'm living and wouldn't trade it for the world. And yes, as soon as my head hits the pillow each night, I'm asleep :)
