hearing and talking

Lyndon officially-- for real this time-- has 3 words!

"daddy," "dog" and "yeah"

It's anybody's guess whether "daddy" and "dog" will come out as "da" or as "da-da" on any given attempt, but he's using them all the time, and if you ask him to say one, he will give you one of those two sounds. "Yeah" sounds more like "yah" most times, but it definitely means "yes".

And (bonus language!) if you ask him to say "shoe", he makes a nice "s" sound; he often says something that sounds a lot like "outside" while pounding on the front door or pointing out the window; and he has definitely said "ah-dah" while signing "all done" several times now. All of these are pretty hit-or-miss, though.

The point is, he has 3 words by 18 months! Which means no speech therapy yet!

Of course, he came up with 2 of these 3 words on the day of his hearing test. The lady was like, "Why are you guys here?" and I had to say sheepishly, "Because, until yesterday, the only word he ever said was "Daddy", so they think maybe there's something wrong with his hearing. Or they did think that. Um . . . yeah."

For those of you who don't know, getting him a definitive hearing test has been a long, dramatic, emotional process. Apparently, there are audiologists out there who expect a 17 month-old to sit still and quietly while a complete stranger in a white coat jams too-big earbuds into his ears, then curses in his face when the machine breaks down (true story). Lyndon cried the entire time we were there, and I was crying by the end, too.

However, there are also audiologists out there who play fun games with speakers and light-up toys, hand out monkey flashlights, and blow bubbles. We got to see one of these at the children's hospital (on the day he added his new words), and it was amazing. By the end of the appointment, Lyndon was holding the doctor's hand. And, we had a verdict:

Lyndon has fluid in one of his ears, but it's not affecting his hearing in the slightest. So, if our pediatrician thinks we should call the Child Watch people after his 18 month appointment, it should be smooth sailing to get him evaluated.

And, if not, well, I'm more than okay with that. Three words is plenty for now.

mommy's little (big?) helper

Lyndon LOVES to help. He will do pretty much anything I ask if I tell him he's "helping". He has a few favorite chores, though-- mostly ones that involve taking things out and putting things in.

He loves helping me unload the dishwasher. Seriously. The kid once stopped eating his lunch because I started unloading the dishwasher and he couldn't stand NOT helping.

 

The silverware drawer is his favorite because he can easily pull out one. piece. at. a. time and hand them to me, (Don't worry; I take all the sharp knives out first.) but he's also started helping with the plates and bowls. Of course, I have to be on my toes for this, because if I don't take the plate from him fast enough, he will toss it on the floor. But that's only had to happen once, and I think not having to bend over for this task anymore is worth the risk.

He also has recently discovered the joy of fetching me things . . .

. . . like his changing pad and wipes. Funny story: he did this without me asking. I was prepping dinner, and I smelled something funny, so I told him that I would change him as soon as I finished up. He ran out of the kitchen, I assumed, to hide from the (usually) dreaded diaper change. However, a minute or two later, when I came into the living room, there he was, on his way into the kitchen, holding his changing pad and wipes. When he saw me, he carefully put the pad on the floor and laid down on top of it. And when I pronounced us "all done", he picked up the pad and wipes, and put them back in my bag by the front door.

Yes. It's true. I pretty much have the best child ever.

He also loves to help with the laundry (pictures forthcoming hopefully soon) and flushing the toilet after I dump out his diapers (don't ever expect pictures of that).

Are all toddlers this helpful, or is it just mine?

our staycation, part 2: the city

After our lovely day-long beach vacation, we went to visit some friends in the city. Adrian went camping with his former roommate and longtime friend, while Lyndon and I stayed with InDeeds and the baby. She keeps telling me how much there is to do in her city, but I didn't quite believe her until I experienced it for myself. Unfortunately, my camera died on the second day of our weekend adventure, so my pictures may leave something to be desired.

First we went to Storyville . . .

Lyndon had all kinds of fun playing with Legos and trains. We really need to get him some . . .

He also, despite the pouty face, loved sitting in this little chair. I'm pretty sure it was designed for stuffed animals, since it was a tight fit even for him, but he loved it. And no, that's not our teddy bear. That particular ratty (but endearing) toy belongs to Storyville. (Yes, I had to repress a shudder as I watched him snuggle his face into its germ-covered belly, but I could either test his immune system or break his heart. Guess which one I chose.)

 

"Legos and trains aren't just for boys!" says Papillon.

"Neither are awesome rocking boats!"

Then, we visited the duck pond. The ducks (especially the drakes) were apparently starving and not afraid to show it. We got attacked more than once, to the point where I had to beat one off with my shoe. (True story.) Between the vicious ducks and Lyndon's desire to leap into the pond, it was a busy trip.

The females were a little less gung-ho. A little.

Lyndon, however, was plenty gung-ho. He splashed and stomped pretty much the whole time we were there. (Love those Crocs.)

Oh, duck pond. How I wish we had one.

There was SO much to do in the city, so much to see. It was all free and open to the public-- unlike here, where the children's museum costs $12 per person and you have to put your name on a waiting list to attend library storytime-- and, as much as I don't want to live in the city, I have to admit, it has its advantages.

our staycation, part 1: the beach

For those of you who don't know, Adrian recently changed careers (and couldn't be happier about it). As of June 21th, he was officially done teaching middle school, and, as of June 27th, he was an employee of our alma mater. For those of you motivated enough to do the math, this means that, instead of having the whole summer off, he had 6 days (one of which was half taken up with the orientation for his new position). We also knew that he wouldn't be eligible for ANY time off until this winter at the earliest. So, very quickly, our vacation mindset changed.

We decided to embark on a "staycation". We set out to discover the joys of sticking (relatively) close to home, and it was a resounding success!

Day 1: We visited the beach, which is only a little over an hour away from our house, yet we don't go much on the weekends due to massive traffic jams and huge crowds. But a Tuesday in June?! Sign us up!

The surf was a little rough the day we went, especially when we first arrived.

Lyndon was mesmerized.

Then we got down to the very serious business of playing in the sand.

Kisses on the beach! Awww.

This is pretty rough for Delaware.

Lookin' snazzy. 6-9 month shirt and 18 month shorts. MckMama isn't the only one who mixes sizes willy-nilly.

Observing the waves from a safe distance with Daddy, until . . .

. . . Daddy helped him take the plunge. And he loved it! The water was pretty chilly, so I definitely didn't expect him to giggle hysterically and ask to do it again . . . and again . . . and again. He even enjoyed getting splashed up to his waist when the big waves came in!

Staycation, Day 1 was a ton of fun!

12 week belly shot: hello stretchy pants

I've been doing a little internal happy dance for myself and Tadpole all day today, because we've reached the magical 12 week mark! Yes, ladies and gentlemen (any gentlemen readers out there?), chances are good that the two of us are in it for the long haul now. Mmmmm, yay.

Morning sickness has been kept to a minimum, thankfully. I've had a few rough days, but nothing some rest, snacks, and midwife-approved herbal tea couldn't cure. I was seriously exhausted for a while there, but that seems to be lifting, as well. No longer do I pass out the second Lyndon is down and awaken 2 hours later with lines on my face. Nope, those days seem to be gone. (For now. Ask me again in December.)

Ok, so on to the fun pictures:

12 week belly shot (sorry about the fuzziness)

See the elastic panel on my shorts? Yeah. I have a feeling it's elastic-waist pants from here on out. I put on my normal jeans yesterday, then took them off and put them in storage in the guest room. There was just no way. Even the old rubber band-through-the-buttonhole-trick didn't help.

I'm kind of embarrassed to be in maternity clothes already, but on another level, I'm not. I was never one of those types to hold out as long as I could before making the switch. (The buttonhole trick was done out of pure budgetary concern last time.) I figure, if I can be comfortable and still look decent, why in the heck wouldn't I? I'm going to be uncomfortable enough a few months from now; why start earlier than I have to? Granted, last time, this attitude left me fairly tired of my limited wardrobe come 40 weeks, but we'll deal with that later. For now, it's elastic pants all the way.

Happy 2nd trimester, little Tadpole.

anniversary trip, part 2

This post is about something I like to call The Chair.

This chair.

This lovely red number belonged to my dad when he was a kid. My parents have pictures of him in it. They also have pictures of me in it. And, what do you know, for Lyndon, it was love at first sight.

He climbed in and out of it for two days straight, figured out how to turn himself around in it and make it rock.

I can't tell you how weird and wonderful it was to see him enjoy the very same chair at his grandparents' house that I enjoyed at mine. This thing is special. I'm glad he realizes it.

anniversary trip, part 1

We spent last weekend with my parents, down at their very farm-like home. There were big trees, cool breezes, and wide open spaces, a welcome change from suburbia. Since our anniversary was the previous Thursday, they took us out to a lovely dinner along the Chesapeake Bay.

There was a wedding going on right outside our window; we watched the whole thing from our table. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures (I thought it would be a little weird), but it was very fun to watch. The groomsmen wore color-coordinated Hawaiian shirts that matched the wild, tropical colors of the bridesmaid's dresses. It looked like someone uprooted a Bahama beach wedding and transplanted it to Maryland.

The food, of course, was fantastic, and when Lyndon got antsy towards the end, we took him exploring.

The current (very swanky) restaurant and hotel where we ate is built right next to an old railway station that used to take people from the cities down for a day at the beach. It's now a museum.

This whole scene was very surreal for me, seeing my husband and son wander around this place. I studied this spot as part of a history project in high school, snapped photos here for my senior photography class, and acted in a musical for the county's 350th anniversary that paid homage to this train and rehearsed right up the street. It was a true merging of old and new: the shiny hotel with the worn green benches, my little Lyndon with my past adventures.