Hanukkah Weekend

Ivo has rounded a developmental corner recently. It's been in-progress for a month or two but is in full swing now. He now verbally requests (demands) attention and interaction. If nothing's going on, he initiates idle chatter. It's the character and presentation that have changed. He acts very grown up. It's so cute and sweet and dear dear dear!

Ivo also poses for pictures much of the time and makes goofy faces. Ivo often asks if you are doing X when he can plainly see that you are. He also repeats the answers he's given to the question, "What you doing?" His speech, though often filler, is styled on our speech and sounds like how adults talk.

This grown-up-ness is occurring at the same time we're suffering through an unpleasant bout of regressive behavior. Ivo's figured out that babies have a sweet deal. So he's been putting fingers and toys in his mouth (GROSS, UNNECESSARY AND REALLY BAD-NEWS SINCE HE GOES TO DAYCARE!!!!). Ivo has also been vocalizing nonsense, loudly and somewhat incessantly (UNATTRACTIVE, ANNOYING AND UNNECESSARY).

We are hoping and believing that the babyishness is all a normal part of the push-pull, grow-away/grow-back stuff of life. We are treating him to an m&m when we notice him without a finger in his mouth - and this seems to be working. I really don't want him to 1) contract a disease 2) develop a lifelong, hard to kick habit cuz of wanting to assert himself/defy us. Yikes.

Ivo Overheard:

• "Mom. Mom. We need a talk, mom."


• "Mom. Mom. We need a talk about da pwoblem." What problem? "Um, I don't know. Just a pwoblem. I need a talk a you."


• "You talk a me? You need a talk a me."


• "You need a listen a me."


• "Mom. Mom. I got a question I need a ask you." Ok, sweetie. "Umm, what you doing?"


• "Look at me! You need a look at me!"


• "You looking at me?"


• "Check dis out, papa!"


• "What going on?"


• "What you doing, guys?"


• "I so strong."


• "NOOOOO!"


• "NO!"


• "NO! HHHHMMMMMM..."

Mostly Ivo's wonderful and I'm just writing this to help us remember. Today I was looking thru pics for Xmas - and I can see a change over the last couple weeks. He's been more reserved lately. Maybe a little exaggerated when he's "mimicking" what happy looks like. Maybe he's self-conscious... But seeing pics of happy happy Ivo was a nice reminder of more innocent carefree days.

Also Little Burl is SICK still. He seemed better on Thursday - and Friday fever. Is this all coming from 3 afternoons/week at daycare? Ivo so rarely got sick as a baby. Poor little B.

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On a much more festive note, we celebrated Hanukkah on Saturday night. We figure better late and sporadically than never! We made latkes and ate them with sour cream and warm apples. We had more today and will have our final night of the festival of lights on Tuesday. We don't have a menorah, but we'll light candles Tuesday night.

Ivo LOVED the latkes.