In the last month one thing I have noticed over and over is how strong, fast, and coordinated our son has become. A year ago, Joshua could walk - slowly, and only on even surfaces. I remember the first time he tried to walk on our deck, which has a slightly rough texture. He swayed and reached for our hands like he was walking across a boat on a choppy lake. At that very moment I realized how delayed my 2.5 year old son really was!
Fast forward to today and the changes are truly astonishing! Yesterday we went to the track and he ran 300 meters straight - fast! I had to trot to keep up! Joshua told me, "See mommy! I fast like my brother!" I have also watched him climb ladders at the park with ease, climb UP the big slide in our backyard, and jump on his trampoline high and fast, for many minutes at a time!
He is also becoming physically confident and daring! Joshua road his trike as fast as he could today, downhill, giving mommy a heart attack! It was marvelous! He has tried to hop on one foot, somersault off my bed, and slide down a banister. I found him on top of the counter today, considering whether or not to potty in the sink, just for fun! Because Joshua has worked so very hard to be strong, coordinated, and daring; I am THRILLED to discover him trying these stunts! (Don't tell him though!)
His language development is astonishing. His vocabulary vast. He is working on using the word "I" but her prefers "Joshua." Today he said something like "Joshua did it!" I asked him, "What?" with a silly grin. This has been our secret reminder that he needs to rephrase and use the word I. He laughed and said, "I don't like I, Joshua like say Joshua!" So, he clearly knows the correct grammar!
Food wise, he is becoming less picky. The texture of many fruits is still hard for him, but he has continued to add fruits to his likes. He also loves all juice, so I expect more fruits to follow. Joshua does not like candy much. He will open candy and pretend to like it, because Brenna does, but it normally ends up in the trash. He also struggles with really cold or spicy foods. His absolute favorite thing is "puppyroni pizza!"
Emotionally, Joshua Gubs has "aged" so much! I can not believe how much time I have recently because he has become so capable! He is now able to go out and play with his siblings and NOT return detached from me or super needy. He comes to me to check-in, I do not have to be thinking all the time about how long it has been since we interacted. Earlier , it was like he would "forget" he had a mommy. If I let him play too long without interacting Joshua would either reject me when I checked-in OR become so very clingy and needy. I had to constantly monitor our interactions to help keep his "love cup" full. Now he can do it himself. Some days he needs me a lot, others not too often - but he knows how it feels to need me and seeks me out. This may be for a hug and snuggle or for a quick "mommy look at me!" - but the bottom line is he can do it FOR himself! In fact, he is doing so well that I am able to tell him to wait a minute! Joshua now knows when he asks for attention, he will receive it consistently, so he can respond to wait with confidence instead of feeling insecure.
Joshua also reads my voice and eyes masterfully! He knows immediately from my body language and tone of voice whether my words are teasing or warning. He understands the power of eye contact. When he want to be sure I am paying attention he says, "Mommy peak at my eyes!" and then waits until my eyes are on him before proceeding!
This month I have been able to leave Joshua with his "Krissy babysitter" and totally relax! I have gone out with my husband and friends on several occasions without a nagging pit in my stomach, wondering how Joshua would do the next day.
Joshua is also learning to depend on daddy. Tonight he fell and got hurt. Daddy rushed to comfort him. He cried into daddy's shoulder until the owie was gone, even though I was nearby. Yeah Joshua and Daddy! My favorite time of day is when Chad arrives home from work. Joshua sprints to the door, throws himself into daddy's arms and yells, "I MISSED YOU!"
Another change has been verbally questioning why a stranger would talk to him. This is music to a momma's ears when once her boy would ask if he could go bye-bye with kind looking strangers! This week a sweet older lady stroked his curls while telling me how much she missed her grandson who is the same age. When she walked away, Joshua said, "Mommy, why lady touch Joshua hair? Joshua no I like her touching me! Only mommy, daddy touchie me!" Joshua now knows who he knows, and he is very cautious of new faces. It takes several interactions before he will even say hello, but once he feels safe, he is very friendly and talkative.
Being home 11 months feels awesome! At nap time today Joshua summed it up well. We were getting settled onto our shared pillow and he grabbed my whole face between his hands and said, "Mommy I love you soooooo much!" I responded, "Oh Joshua, I love you soooooooooooooo much!" He topped that with, "I love mommy more!" I sighed (a sound he loves) and said, "No way! Mommy loves you the most!" He giggled, wrapped himself tightly into my arms, and was sound asleep in minutes.
Life does not get a lot better than that!
Thank you God for choosing me to be Joshua Gebeyehu Chad's mommy.
