Dexter is making his opinions known on what he prefers. He points up at the freezer and says "cicle". I give him half of an orange popsicle. He sucks on it for a couple minutes and says "purple cicle" and hands me the orange one. I tell him that there aren't anymore purple popsicles (not true, just don't like wasting) and he starts screaming. He never gets a purple popsicle and he completely forgets about the orange one and just gets stuck in anger-mode.
I like to give him choices, but now he expects it. If I decide for him, then he opts to change that decision. If he can't change it, then he throws a tantrum over it even if it doesn't change the outcome. It doesn't matter what it is, the process repeats itself again and again. I suppose this is why it's the terrible two's. I've spent a lot of time picking him up and carrying him kicking and screaming lately. I'm not embarrassed by it anymore. If anything, I try to be as calm as possible and find the nearest exit. I used to think that I could calm him down, but now I know I can't. He's just irrational sometimes, so I just let him get it out - by himself. I put him in a safe spot and leave the room. I'll stand nearby to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. There's a certain point when he's ready to be comforted, but finding that point is never easy.
The other morning he was so crabby I just put him in his crib to get a break. I was in the closet when I heard a loud thud. I ran out to find him lying on his side on the floor. He was still crying, but the volume knob was turned down. It had jolted him out of his emotional upset and gave him something else to focus on. Babies fall out of their cribs all the time and it's usually right around - big surprise - 18 months. It's a right of passage.
On the other end of the spectrum, Dexter is doing some amazingly cute stuff. He blows us kisses goodbye. He says "thank you" and will repeat it every time you say "you're welcome". He tells me what color things are like his booster seat is now "green seat". He gives me hugs and the occasional peck on the cheek. When we go to the coffee shop, he gives people "fives" and greets everyone. This morning he said "good-bye chicken" to the painting of a couple roosters on the wall. He likes to run and he'll say " I run fast" as he picks up speed. He refers to himself as "Dester" and whenever he sees his reflection, he gives himself a big smooch. Earlier this week, he was eating breakfast and said "banana?" pointed in his bowl and said "in here" and then "happy". I guess that's kind of a sentence :)
He's a lot of fun and when it's good, it's great and when it's tough, it's really tough. He's teething again, so he's been getting a lot of Tylenol. I've been needing a lot of Tylenol too. We'll get through it soon enough. I'll be so glad when he has all of his teeth and this part is just a distant memory.
