You're half way to three now kid!
So it’s been a wee while since my last little Ru bear update around here and yesterday marked him officially being two and a half years old (13 is the lucky number kids!) so I thought I’d write up a little update. I figured yearly ones would cut it now but you wouldn’t even believe how much he’s changed since turning two. The main change is in his speech, but even his motor skills and other things, he’s incredible! It’s a little bit of an update on his development as well as what he’s getting up to, what he's loving lately and what has changed in the last 6 months for us...
He’s talking!
So up until January, Reuben was a bit of a mute. There was one word in particular he could say very clearly and loudly, and that was “hiya” - anything else was more or less just baby babble. He started nursery in January and I think being around other kids his age everyday has really brought on his talking. Not only that but he’s obviously being encouraged more to speak and communicate with adults that don’t know him very well (as they won’t understand his baby babble!) and of course with the kids too. I can’t express how proud I am of him, I’ve always known in the back of my mind that he would get there when he was ready with his speech. But I still couldn’t help feeling a tad worried that he was lacking so much and just refusing to try and speak at all. Within the last 4 months he’s become a totally different child and he attempts to say every word, even if it doesn’t sound like it, which is incredible. He isn’t really talking in sentences yet but he can say a lot of words very clearly, and he will try and learn new ones every single day! He’s even started saying numbers and showing how many fingers for the number, as well as saying the colours of the paints he uses when he’s painting. He also loves singing, especially the fireman sam theme tune! He’s so clever and I can’t wait for him to start talking even more over the next 6 months 
Starting nursery...
So as I’ve mentioned above, Reuben started nursery in January. From the first term after turning two, he’s entitled to 15 free hours so it would have been stupid of me not to let him go. He loves being around other children and they do so many things at nursery that I just don’t have time to do with him at home. They’ve got an amazing outdoor play area with loads of little cars & bikes and a mud kitchen, there’s so many activities for him to do there like singing and dancing, they read to them, they teach them new words, colours, numbers... I could go on! He goes to such a tiny nursery but I like that about it and you can see how much he’s come on since starting there just by watching him. He hasn’t learned colours or counting from me as I don’t do it often enough. I’ve always felt so guilty for not dedicating enough time to sitting and doing things with him, juggling so much by working from home and raising him alone, so I always knew I’d send him to nursery as soon as I could. He absolutely loves it and thrives there.
Still in nappies...
So I bought Reuben a potty a couple of months ago but he’s not really interested in it at all. I know he’s at the age where you should start the potty training stuff, but I honestly don’t think he’s ready. He’s only JUST started talking, so he’s not really able to communicate that he needs to use the potty, I don’t even think he knows what it is exactly. I’m hoping to try and get him potty trained this summer but I’m not in a rush if I’m honest, I’d rather wait and it be easy than force him into it before he’s ready and it be a nightmare. One of the good things is that he’s starting to be aware of when he’s got a full nappy and he tells me if he’s pooped and needs a nappy change - so that gives me some hope that he may be ready in a few months. If anyone’s reading this with an older child, I’d love to know how you knew when they were ready to be potty trained and maybe any tips you might have?
Things he loves...
At the moment he’s obsessed with paw patrol, it’s the only thing he ever wants to watch (sometimes he alternates between fireman Sam but more often than not it’s PP) so I’m thinking about throwing him a paw patrol party this summer! He doesn’t turn 3 until October but it gets cold at that time of year in this country and I’d love for him to have a little half birthday summer party in the garden with a paw patrol bouncy castle or something. Is that weird? Who cares, you’re only little once right?! I keep looking into paw patrol toys too but Jesus, they really add extra figures on to the price tag just because it’s branded don’t they?! He’s still obsessed with his cars, he has more little ones these days than the larger baby sized ones, and he will just sit and play with them for hours by himself. He’s the sweetest. He loves standing at our window and watching real cars drive past on the main road too. I really want to take him to watch some race cars or something as he’d be completely in his element - anyone know of anywhere?
He's a chocaholic like his mama...
He definitely takes after me as he is obsessed with all things chocolate... and biscuits! He used to be an amazing eater but not so much these days annoyingly. I used to cook him all sorts and he’d eat anything but now he doesn’t touch his dinner most nights. I’m seriously hoping it’s just a fussy stage but at the moment I’m trying out new things by hiding veggies in stuff you know? He does love his fruit though so that’s something!
Terrible twos...
We do have some weeks where I’ll be like “god the terrible twos are real this week” but on a whole, Reuben actually isn’t that badly behaved. I’ve said this a few times before and feel like I always jinx it, but he’ll have a tantrum here and there, he’ll run away when told it’s bath time, he’ll touch the tv when he knows he isn’t allowed to, help himself to biscuits... just the normal misbehaving that little kids do, you know? It’s never anything major. I do feel lucky and it’s one of the reasons I never want a second... I imagine I’d get the total opposite of the chilled child I have with Ru! But yeah, he’s not perfectly behaved 24/7 but his general behaviour isn’t that bad at all. If he’s screaming and having a melt down in public, I’ll be stood there wanting the ground to swallow me up whole, but afterwards I’m like meh, whatever. No biggie. I did find him a little hard to handle when we went away to Edinburgh but he's never like that at home so I've no idea what got into him! I'm guessing it was just a behaviour change because we were in an unknown place.
Relationships...
So you’re all probably aware already that we live back at home again, we’re still in the process of looking for a house but we’ve been at home for over 6 months now. It’s not the ideal situation by any means but it’s doable for now whilst Ru is still small and it’s been lovely watching him build close bonds with my family. He’s so much closer to my mum and my dad, as well as my brothers and sister. He’ll just go hang out with them all in their rooms and he’s okay being left alone with them if I need to go out. He still hates me leaving him but it’s not as bad as it used to be due to him being much closer to everyone. He’s also now seeing his dad again every week for a couple of hours, and it’s early days but there seems to be a relationship starting to build there too which makes me happy for Ru. He’s totally a mummy’s boy still as you can imagine, but it’s good for him to build bonds with others.
My little helper...
Ru is such a little sweetie and he will help me wherever he can, he’s got the biggest heart. From little things like getting the change mat out and lying on it when he knows he needs a nappy change, to helping me unload the shopping and put it away. He puts his plates in the dishwasher when he’s finished and he’ll put empty packets and things in the bin instead of giving it to me to do. He loves helping me put things in the trolley when we're in the supermarket too (sometimes things I don’t even need haha) but it’s lovely. He actually gets my clothes out for me sometimes when I’ve just come out the bath, they’re not always the right ones but it’s adorable all the same. I'm soaking it up whilst I can as it might not last for long!
I've never laughed so much...
I think someone needs to invent a comedy show that’s literally just a load of toddlers because I’ve never known anyone to make me laugh as much as Ru does. Two year olds are just hilarious aren’t they? Most of the funny things he does are just the little things in the everyday but they really me chuckle. Some of them include:
- Getting the tv remote and making my mum turn off what she’s watching so he can watch paw patrol
- Gestures where he wants certain toys moving like his toy kitchen with his hands! He can’t express with words what he wants us to do yet, so he just does it by waving his arms about and I think that’s what makes it funnier!
- The other day he actually shouted at me for not strapping him in his car seat (I wasn’t driving I just hadn’t got around to it yet!)
- When he copies things I do like he’ll try and use my makeup brushes on his face, or he’ll get the brush out and attempt to do his own hair with the spray I use
- He shouts “fire!” when my mum puts her steam mop on (we can thank fireman Sam for that one!)
- He also shouts “DOOR!” when someone knocks at the front door lol!
- He loves to shout “SHOO!” if he sees anything come in our garden like a bird or a cat
- He hates mess, so he’ll make a fuss if the carpet needs hoovering by pointing and shouting at the mess!!
- He puts his boots on straight away if the word “garden” is mentioned
- He has plates that are divided by sections and every section has to have something in it or he gets so annoyed
- He's a massive bossy boots and will shout "HERE" and point to the seat next to him until someone sits with him
I just want him to stay this age forever, he’s the best ever honestly. I can’t wait to read back on these updates one day as these are all the funny little things that you forget about!
I can't think of much else to report really, I think I've covered most of it. I'm so glad I decided to write this because I do actually really enjoy coming on to my own blog and reading all of the older posts to remember what he was like at different ages. I hope they're all still here when he's old enough to read for himself.
