I've known it for some time now, that the irrefutable moment will come after which I can no longer call Patch a baby. I may have avoided a few previous indications because it's a little sad when babies truly become thinking little people. Not overly sad, since they only get more interesting as they can think and talk more. But, still, more than a smidgen of sadness washed over me when I knew I had just witnessed the tipping point. Not a baby. Definitely a little kid.
I was able to put this moment off because Patch started talking a lot later than Wm. With no verbalization, I found it quite easy to pretend that he still was a baby, using his limited baby sign language and grunting. Whether from just being part of his own personal development timeline, or being a few months older, or having heard much more English-only for 11 months, or being in his playschool for two months -- his talking has recently skyrocketd. Case in point: yesterday, Patch said, "Let's go gala!" (gala = go around outside in Tagalog). Me: "Where should we go gala?" Patch: "Gala to the playground. Go get shoes!"
You'd think that would have been enough for me, right? But, no, I still deluded myself into thinking he was still my little baby Patch. Until this evening.
Wm was experimenting with the AC remote control, and Patch really wanted to try it out, too. Wm wanted nothing of his little brother interfering with his work, so when he finished setting the AC just so, he put the remote control back on the hook on the wall, which, conveniently, is just outside of Patch's reach.
Patch stomped around pouting for about one second and then ran out of the living room. We barely had time to ask where he went, when he returned from the bathroom carrying his stool. He promptly placed it under the AC remote, stepped up, and tried to take it down. At this point, Greg and I were flabbergasted, and Wm, never missing a beat, said: "Good idea, Patch!" Seems the big bro was so impressed at Patch's resourcefulness, he no longer minded Patch having a turn with the remote.
There you have it. I can't call a kid that stops pouting and crying and quickly finds a solution to his frustration a baby. No way.
(Greg's comment on reading this: Now, if only Patch would use the stool to go potty by himself...)
I was able to put this moment off because Patch started talking a lot later than Wm. With no verbalization, I found it quite easy to pretend that he still was a baby, using his limited baby sign language and grunting. Whether from just being part of his own personal development timeline, or being a few months older, or having heard much more English-only for 11 months, or being in his playschool for two months -- his talking has recently skyrocketd. Case in point: yesterday, Patch said, "Let's go gala!" (gala = go around outside in Tagalog). Me: "Where should we go gala?" Patch: "Gala to the playground. Go get shoes!"
You'd think that would have been enough for me, right? But, no, I still deluded myself into thinking he was still my little baby Patch. Until this evening.
Wm was experimenting with the AC remote control, and Patch really wanted to try it out, too. Wm wanted nothing of his little brother interfering with his work, so when he finished setting the AC just so, he put the remote control back on the hook on the wall, which, conveniently, is just outside of Patch's reach.
Patch stomped around pouting for about one second and then ran out of the living room. We barely had time to ask where he went, when he returned from the bathroom carrying his stool. He promptly placed it under the AC remote, stepped up, and tried to take it down. At this point, Greg and I were flabbergasted, and Wm, never missing a beat, said: "Good idea, Patch!" Seems the big bro was so impressed at Patch's resourcefulness, he no longer minded Patch having a turn with the remote.
There you have it. I can't call a kid that stops pouting and crying and quickly finds a solution to his frustration a baby. No way.
(Greg's comment on reading this: Now, if only Patch would use the stool to go potty by himself...)
1 comment:
It is indeed a bittersweet moment. Only gets more intense as time goes on.
Post a Comment