Two at last!

It's been a whirlwind of a month and we ended it a few days ago with your second birthday. When I look at you today I can hardly recall the same little man. Something about the past month has changed you, maybe it's the time spent with your daddy or the holiday to Vietnam or even the simple fact of your growth in maturity as you approached your second birthday. Whatever the reason, we've both seen changes in you which make our hearts burst with pride and bring a really big smile to our faces. You are growing up so fast at the moment, it's hard not to love this stage you're at. 

The post travelled Rohan is boisterous and cheeky. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the attention that was showered on you by the Vietnamese. We were all blown away by their genuine friendliness but it was definitely you who was at the receiving end of all the attention. At first this startled you but since your return home we've definitely noticed an added confidence in you and I can't help but wonder whether it had something to do with all the interaction you had with strangers.

You are really quite the parrot at the moment, mimicking our every word and astounding us with your recall of phrases and their accuracy of use. For instance, you recently blurted out 'Slippery little sucker,' at a coloured star on the kitchen floor which you were having trouble grasping. And in true mummy fashion punctuate your frustration with the word 'tricky' so that we know you're in need of a helping hand.

Your hand-eye co-ordination is getting much better and you're having more success building things with your Lego blocks, threading and using your play tools. You can take off your shoes too but you still need a hand to put on socks and get dressed, though you're quite adept at using zips. 

You use three of more words at a time now and indicate a desire to have something with the word 'like'. 

You had your first half day of childcare this morning after two orientation days and I think it might take a while for you to feel settled. I had expected this from the start but it doesn't make it any easier on either you or I. I just hope you know that we love you very much and that we see this as an opportunity for you to grow in your abilities and to gain confidence in new surroundings.You have definitely come a long way in the past few months and will seek out things of interest to you, as opposed to clinging to my side. You are even beginning to approach other children with less trepidation in social situations.

You definitely share your mum and dad's love of food and when I asked you about your day this morning you said, 'eat pasta' as though it were the highlight. The ladies informed me that you'd cleaned off two plates of the stuff during lunch so when we got home and I was tucking into my own lunch, I was quite surprised to hear you request, 'Like Ma pasta' and then steal a few mouthfuls with a cheeky grin.  During our time away you tried lots of new things, namely fruits such as mango, strawberry and coconut. You are really open to new foods and at the weekend joined daddy and I in yum cha where you consumed prawn spring rolls, steamed pork buns, soft shell crab and scallop and prawn dumplings as if they were old friends. 

We love your cheekiness, your energy, the way you approach everything with such zeal. A couple of months ago, I would've said I would be happy to see the back of toddlerhood but something truly amazing has happened in the past month and it's changed the way we all feel and interact with one another. I just hope we can hold onto the positiveness of the past month and use it to shape our attitudes for some time to come.

I for one, have a renewed faith in my ability as a parent and hope that it will enable me to approach the rest of this year and indeed my parenting journey with a new found determination and confidence.