What Creighton is Learning

Creighton is 2 now. Which means it is time to start learning new things.

One thing that he has learned lately is to listen. Whenever Creighton hears almost ANYTHING, he will cup his ear, get a serious look on his face and say, "What's that?" Then he will point in the direction of the noise, cup his ear, and press his fingers to his lips to tell you to "Ssshh..."so he can hear it better. At our house he is usually hearing a car/truck/motorcycle, a train, or a dog barking.

Creighton loves learning new noises and trying to imitate noises that he hears. He says, "choo choo" and "vroom vroom" for vehicles. And he knows "moooo" and "woof". He also tries to cluck like a chicken but it just seems as though he is choking on something.

We are encourgaging AS MUCH talking as we can around here. When Creighton had his 2 year check-up the pediatrician was a little concerned that Creighton wasn't saying much and not yet putting two words together. So we have been working on it a whole lot and Creighton is learning to talk much more often.

I won't list all of the words that he can say because it is becoming quite the long list but some of his favorites are: please and toons (cartoons) and heavy. He is a great helper and likes to help mommy. But often things are to "heavy" for Creighton to lift on his own and he grunts, "heavy, heavy".

Creighton likes to sit in the largest part of the grocery cart and stack all of the groceries into piles. Then he hands them to me in the check-out line. On Monday we went to 4 stores and at the last one he saw a display of chips and he screamed, "chips, chips!" so he got to have a bag of chips because he had really been a trooper throughout the long morning.

He also likes to help clean all areas of the house except for his own bedroom and when his toys are scattered in the living room, kitchen, basement, stairs, bathroom, etc... His favorite chore is to unload the dishwasher. He likes to put the silverware in the silverware drawer. He attempts to lift out bakeware and then grunts, "heavy, heavy". I am grateful that he is learning to be such a helper.

I am embarrassed to admit Creighton has learned a nasty habit from his mommy. BITING HIS NAILS. Everyone that sees him biting his nails has the same reaction, "Is he BITING his nails?!" Apparently he is the first 2 year old they have ever seen to do that. Yikes. Not quite sure what is worse- biting his nails or sucking his thumb. We have attempted in the last few weeks to stop the thumb sucking. Of course, it has not worked.

A few months back I bought Creighton a froggy potty. NOT because I intended on potty training him immediately. Only to start talking to him about it. Creighton does like to sit on the froggy potty. But even more than that he likes his bear, Mr. Bear, to sit on the potty. It might be effective for Creighton to learn to use the potty by him teaching his bear to use the potty. Creighton's daddy has also taught him to say "potty" words. So now Creighton usually makes an announcement that he is about to go or that he has gone. He also lets us know that he is "stinky".  I am sure that official potty training will begin shortly.

(Creighton doesn't like his picture taken while sitting on the froggy potty.)

However, please don't ask me how the potty training is going. I remember when my sister-in-law was training my niece and everyone would ask her at every family gathering, "How's the potty training?" and she was so sad to have to say things like, "not going well..." "we took a break.." "not yet..." I totally get it. People often ask, "Is Creighton talking more?" I use to have to say, "not really..." "a little..." It is just a reminder that you are working super hard and not seeing any progress!

If I put a strap and buckle on the potty I am sure that he would ALWAYS be on the potty.

Creighton loves buckles. Car seat buckles, high chair buckles, booster seat buckles, shopping cart buckles... you name it. He always INSISTS on being buckled in. A few weeks ago we retired the high chair and got Creighton a booster seat. He just has a fit if he isn't buckled in. But he is a smart little guy and has learned to buckle himself in anywhere. (I'm pretty sure his motto is, "Safety First!") But we have learned that at most restaurants the high chairs have broken belts and that DOES NOT make him happy. He is just distraught about it.

But he has also learned that hugs and kisses make everything better! He gives fabulous hugs and most of the time for no reason at all. He will come up to me and throw out his arms and say, "hugs!" and squeeze me real tight. He gives good kisses too. But lately his kisses have been real wet. He has started kissing like Callie... with his tongue. And he blows raspberries on mommy's arms, neck, cheeks, legs... really any exposed skin. His favorite time to blow raspberries is during sacrament meeting because he always gets many giggles from those sitting near us. 

Everday he is learning something new. It is just amazing. So grateful I have been able to be stay-at-home mommy for the past two weeks and spend TONS more time with my sweet boy.