Full of Imagination and Sweet Smiles

I have been amazed by our little man over the past couple of weeks. He was an angel on our Christmas vacation in Spokane. He LOVED playing with all his cousins and seeing his Grandparents. He knows everyone by name and still brings them up at random times, including the Sagen's "Doggie." He'll talk about "Bam-pa, hug?" during meals, calls auntie "Tawa" throughout the day, and always brings up a cousin while he's playing. 

While in Spokane, I talked with different family members about things I can do to help Thayne with the upcoming addition to our family, and I really appreciated what Jill and my Dad said about encouraging his independence in the small things and pointing out the advantages to being a Big Boy. They recommended letting him take on the activities that he's capable of, like putting on his own socks, and letting him do things with Daddy because he's a Big Boy. So this past week out of desire and necessity, I've been more mindful of letting Thayne be more independent and he is loving it. He wasn't too happy at first when I wouldn't carry him up the stairs (I have a hard enough time on my own these days), but was very cooperative and even a little proud when I held his hand and helped him walk up like a Big Boy. 

Thayne is an awesome little helper. He'll help me put the blocks in the basket, stack the books on the shelf, and get the bean bags in the box. When he finds anything that might be garbage, he'll show it to me and throw it away when I ask him to. When I hand dirty clothes to him, he'll put them in the washer, and then he'll help me transfer the wet clothes into the dryer. He loves to "help" me sweep and pulls out his smaller broom anytime he sees me with the big broom. I've started sweeping only when he's asleep.

I love watching him play. He's starting into imaginative/creative play. The other day he was playing with a mixing bowl while I cleaned the kitchen and at first he was using the bowl like a drum (he loves his book "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb" from auntie Jill), and then a couple minutes later he was "swimming" across the floor with his tummy on the bowl. His favorite independent activity that surpasses even playing with blocks, is coloring. He is constantly finding "color" (pens, pencils, crayons, anything that makes a mark on paper) and looking for paper to use them on. He draws swirls and loops and if he's using a coloring book he'll try to stay in specific areas such as eyes, or a shirt.

He's experimenting with facial expressions and voices it is hilarious to watch. I'm working on catching some on camera.

His favorite phrase lately is "uh hoed dat" which translates to either "I hold that" or "you hold that" depending on the circumstance. He'll point to things asking, "uh hoed dat" or hand me toys while he's playing asking me to "uh hoed dat" mostly with blocks so that he can build tall towers and worry less about them falling over. While watching "silly mon-ders" ie Monster's Inc the other day, he started reaching towards the TV saying "uh hoed dat!" whenever furry monsters would come on the screen. And then when the little girl was crying he became very sad and, again reaching for the screen, said, "uh hoed you!" It was very sweet.

He is such a sweet boy and I am getting excited to bring home a new baby while he's in this stage. (I'm desperately hoping it lasts until she comes!)