Gabriel at 2 years, 10 months

It’s hard to believe he’s almost 3 years old! Baby C is due about 2 weeks after his third birthday. It will be an exciting time for him, as my mom is coming to visit and he’ll be learning how to be a big brother. He has about two more months of being an only child, and I’m trying to spend more time with him as we head toward this transition.

We bought him a baby doll at Ikea that he’s been playing with. For the first five minutes, he was very sweet with the baby, holding it and kissing it. Then he remembered his dragon puppet he’d gotten earlier in the day. “I get dragon! Dragon eat the baby!” He ran off to get the dragon, and then was quite amused as he had the dragon puppet pretend to the eat the baby’s hands and feet. “Hmm so this is what it’s going to be like when he’s a big brother…” I thought. Fun!

Making pizzas. Really glad we bought the Kitchen Helper!

Language

His language has continued to develop quickly, and now we can really have conversations with him. He’s started trying to tell stories and recount the events of the day.

Last week he wanted to wear his new Batman pajamas to school. Our maid was trying to change him into his clothes, which included a t-shirt with a boat on it, and he ended up getting a time out from Duarte because he wasn’t letting the maid change his clothes.

On the way home from school, he was telling me the story. “Gabriel want Batman! Wa wa wa! Crying! No want clothes. No want boat shirt. Right?” He looked at me with a huge smile on his face and pointed at the boat shirt, as if this was the most hilarious story ever. He continued, “Papa say, ‘no time out!’ Gabriel crying. Wa wa wa! Want Batman! Want Superman! Right?”

Commonly used phrases:
– “No, Gabriel self.” (Gabriel wants to do it himself)
– “I go upstairs.”
– “I don’t want time out!”
– “No talk Mama.” (when he wants to be the one talking)
– “I eat pizza first.” (he definitely understands the word ‘first’ now)
– “I scared monkeys.” (which supposedly are under the couch and the bed)
– “No sleep!”
– “Mama tired.”

Learning how to eat ice cream from a cone.

Favorites

He’s still into dress-up clothes, sharks/whales, and puzzles. He also loves to read books. After nap time, if I’m home, he likes to come sit in my bed and we read books together.

We went to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for 6 days, and he really enjoyed seeing the sharks and other sea animals at Aquaria. He was so excited, he was just running from one exhibit to the next.

He also loves to go swimming, but now only in the “big swimming pool.” We set up his kiddie pool for him out in the yard the other day, and he started crying when he saw it. He already had his bathing suit on and was ready to swim.

He came back inside screaming, “No baby pool! Big pool! Where taxi?” He knows he needs a taxi to take him to a big pool, and it took about 10 minutes to calm him down and explain that he could only use the little pool that day.

He loves to snuggle in bed, just not sleep!

Difficulties

During the last two weeks, we’ve had difficulty putting him to bed. He hasn’t want to sleep because he claims he’s “scared of monkeys.” This had led to some difficult mornings as well, as he’s not getting enough sleep at night.

He’s gotten a bit more clingy with both of us. Still sometimes insisting that I pick him up or that I’m the one who gets down on the floor to put on his shoes. He’s now learned that if he sits on the couch, Mama can help him with his shoes, so sometimes he’s able to make amendments to get what he wants. Other times, when he just can’t get what he wants, he’ll have a super tantrum and we’ll put him in time out.

This happened the other day, when he wanted to turn on the bathroom lights himself, but he couldn’t reach from his step stool. He wanted me to pick him up, but I can’t pick him up in the evening when I’m tired. He just kept jumping saying “Gabriel self! Up Gabriel” until got hysterical. I just dragged him to the sink to wash his hands – which is why we were going to the bathroom in the first place – and then put him in time out. After that he calmed down, but unfortunately this behavior is pretty common nowadays!

At KLCC Park in Malaysia

Fun Stuff

He’s become very affectionate and even possessive of Duarte and I. One day when I went to pick him up at school, a couple other kids wanted to touch my belly to feel the baby. Gabriel came tearing over, “That’s my mama! My baby!” and didn’t want the other kids to touch me. Other days, he’s sweeter in this affection, like when he sees me and tells everyone around him, “That’s my mama!” Then he’ll give me a big hug and say, “I love you Mama!” Sometimes he doesn’t want me to leave the house until he’s given me a kiss.

Imaginary play has become a lot more involved, which is perhaps why the ‘monkeys’ are keeping him awake at night. He’ll often sit at the table during breakfast, just looking around outside, and pretending that something is happening. I have no idea what, but he smiles and moves his head around like he’s watching some spectacular scene.

He also loves to travel. He was so excited to go on an airplane to Malaysia. He understood we’d be traveling when he saw the suitcases, and he kept talking about going on an airplane, and a bus, a train and a boat. He even asked if we’d go on a helicopter! He loves watching the planes at the airport and has come to understand the routine of flying. Now he even gets impatient when he sees the drink/food cart go by and has to wait for it.

The third birthday is coming quickly! Does this mean he won’t be a toddler anymore and we’ll be living with a “pre-schooler”?