Catching up on Amos

Amos loves his big boy Nemo cup--thanks Aunt Abby!



Last night for bedtime snack, Amos asked for every truck in view to be put on his placemat so he could play. It was quite a silly sight!

Last night we were at the Dorseys' house and Jason asked me to tell about Amos. My reply was, "Well, he's two, in every way!" I feel like there was a time that I could never imagine Amos being a two-year-old. It took so long for him to not be a baby and now, I can barely remember that phase. I know, I know, every parent says those exact words but somehow, I thought we were different. I'm glad we're not, glad to be blessed with great development and growth and excited to see this little person grow, explore and learn this year.

He continues to be quite creative and will spend the whole morning pretending if I let him. His new favorite is to dump out his duplo blocks on the couch and get all of his trucks out too. He gets his bulldozer going, moving blocks from one side to the other and putting them into the back of his wooden red truck. He loves this game and will do it for as long as you let him!

He has also discovered coloring books and how you can color in them. Yes, he also does like to write and color on plain paper, but it's neat to see him engaging a coloring book and making his own little masterpieces!

He is also talking up a storm. And he does so in a few different ways:

Gone are the nights when Nathan and I would have a dinner that would be quieter, with minimal interruptions. Amos now thinks that when Nathan and I talk, it's also time for him to talk, so he'll get going in his jibberish going on and on. Then he'll want us to join him. He usually wants Dada to be in on it, so he says, "DADA!!!" until he gets Nathan's attention and then looks him in the eye and says, "Dubash bugabugabugassstt nouff uff bagoosh..." and on and on. So we pretend to get what he's saying and then try to finish our thoughts to each other before another wave hits him. Oh and this is when we get him to take bites so he can't talk!

Another way that he talks is a continuation of what he's always done: sounds and signs. Yesterday after his nap, he cuddled in my bed while I finished emailing and he wanted me to come and lay down and play our sleep game. I pretend to be asleep by snoring and then I either surprise Amos and tickle him or he surprises me. So to get me to come over and play, he said, "Mama! uuuunnnccchhh shhhhhhhhhh," and patted my pillow. I guess it works--he gets his message across but it's getting to the point where I am the only one that understands him!

He is doing so well with talking, though. He is finally referring to him self as "Aa-mus" (soft A sound) and can say the entire HELP word, sometimes saying help, other times saying helm. Either way, we are extremely pleased. Getting him to say help was such a challenge and it's so great that he's finally mastered that one!

He's made up a new sign for drive which is to roll his arms and fists around and still uses signs for writing, hot, eat, and that he made up. He does use a sound and sign for bulldozer (the sound he made up always makes us think he's choking!!) and airplane. He is one smart guy. We are trying to get him to say shoes, up/down stairs and O's--right now they are all just ooohhs and to translate, you have to figure out the context. He also uses the same sound for anything with a motor so again, depending on the context, he could be talking about a lawnmower, big truck or motorcycle and in those instances, you just have to go down the list until he says yes.

The other amazing thing about him is his memory. He is really blowing us away with the way he remembers places. He remembers the Berends' house and can barely stand the excitement when he figures out we're going over there. He loves going to the church because it usually means, "Dada!!" who he loves! Recently we took Eli to get soccer shoes and while we were there, we played with a soccer ball. Last weekend when we went to the mall, he saw that store and said, "Shoes. Ball!" Of course, I was amazed. He also recognized the circle monument downtown and remembered seeing horses there. So...when we passed it on Monday, he made the horse sound and pointed at the monument. Pretty crazy!

He also thinks that any African-American person is Eli and says, "Eeyee" thinking it's him. He also says "Grr Dada" for any guy with silver hair! I think, since he really loves Eli and GrrDada, he gets excited, thinking that they are footsteps away!

On a sidenote, Eli has been great to have around. He is so kind and gentle with Amos, playing with him and occassionally holding him. Amos enjoys him too and we are constantly thankful for such a great fit and such an awesome opportunity to extend hospitality to Eli. We'll have him here as long as he wants, as he already feels like part of our little family.

So back to Amos. Yesterday, we went to a gymnastics class that had tons of families from our church in it and we had a great ol' time. At first, Amos thought I was going to leave him in there and hung on to me for dear life. When he finally saw that I wasn't leaving, he got involved and ended up loving the activities. He did some somersaults, rolling, sliding and kicking. He bounced on a trampoline and got closer to jumping! He also held onto some gymnastics bars and kicked his legs up to kick a balloon on a bar in front of him. They also have a balance beam, low to the ground, and he practices walking on that while holding my hand. All in all, it was a great class. It will be a great way for us to continue therapy with him and also, to get him more socialized--talking with other kids his age, learning to share and to take turns. I am excited to have a way to get out and about, too, talking with other parents and having fun.

So that's the update. I've probably forgotten something, but that'll do for now!