Curls Curls Curls

You were born with a head full of hair (much to my surprise – although I don’t know why I was surprised since both Dad and I had hair at birth) that was brown and extremely soft. I was thrilled with your hair because I have always loved the feel of soft, new hair on a baby. In the beginning your hair was brown, and although you didn’t have much new hair growth for many months, we all noticed how it began to lighten up significantly over time. By Christmas time (when you were 8 months old) your hair was light blond just like your cousin Makenna’s.

Around age 10 months or so, your hair really started growing in at a rapid rate. It was still light blond, and we noticed that it began to look wavy as it grew thicker. By the time you turned 1, your hair was looking so curly! Of course, I thought it was so cute and refused to cut off your precious curls. When you would go outside during the summer humidity, your cheeks would get so pink and your hair became so curly that it looked kinky like a perm! (I guess you inherited my hair, because mine still does that all the time.) Your dad and brothers, and especially your MeMe, couldn’t believe how curly it was. The comments made by strangers that noticed you in public places went from “Look at those beautiful blue eyes!” or “What a happy baby he is!” to “Wow, he’s got such gorgeous curls!”

Around age 14 months, your Dad (and Grand Daddy) was getting frustrated that I wouldn’t cut your hair. They thought you looked a little girly. I finally decided I would be OK with getting your haircut. But the night before we were going to get it cut, you and I went to your buddy Jack’s birthday party (son of Kevin and Jennifer Ward). We were visiting with some of the partygoers outside, and sure enough, your hair started to curl from the humidity. Jack’s dad, Kevin, noticed your curls and began to exclaim how precious they were. He along with many others were shocked that we would consider cutting off the curls. So, of course, that made up my mind – I again refused to cut your hair.

I admit even now (you are 15 months) that your hair looks a little unkempt on most days, especially when it flies out over your ears. But as long as it’s not in your eyes, we can always comb it over and keep those lovely curls at the end. Who knows when I’ll take the plunge and agree to a haircut? Your Dad says that you’ll grow up and see pictures and resent me for not cutting it sooner. Your Uncle Ben says that you’ll be a “double threat” with those big blue eyes and curly hair. Your MeMe says that you’ll never look the same after your first haircut. But I’ve realized that the honest truth is your haircut will make you look like the big boy and toddler that you’ve become, and you’ll no longer be my baby.

Terrible Twos...At Age One

I was so blessed to have you, Connor, because you were SUCH an easy baby. Most people, especially your MeMe, couldn’t believe that a rotten kid like me would grow up and give birth to a happy, easy-going child. Like a “textbook” baby (according to The Baby Whisperer), you only cried when you were hungry or hurt. Everyone who met you was amazed by your laidback nature. You never experienced stranger anxiety (everyone was your buddy!) and you always took everything in stride.

So imagine my surprise when you turned 1 and all of a sudden you were becoming whiny, fussy, and strong-willed! (Ah, so maybe you’re the child my mother said I deserved after all!) I couldn’t figure out if it was the pain from your molars (they started coming in around that time), ear trouble, or just pure frustration on your part. We tried to help you learn sign language to ease the communication barrier. But even during a June 2007 visit from your MeMe and Grandaddy, they noticed that you seemed to be entering the “Terrible Twos” a little early!

With the transition to your sippy cup, you seemed to get pretty ticked off easily. One of your favorite toys was the computer mouse, and we often had to take it away from you because you would bang it so hard that it might break. But as soon as we admonished you or took something away from you, you were a mad little boy!

One of the funniest things to see was “precious, laidback Connor” throwing his little temper tantrums! You started doing this soon after you turned 1. When you got mad, you would throw yourself down on your butt and whip your head forward towards the floor as you cried and screamed. Every once in a while you would throw your head forward so forcefully that you would actually hit your head on the floor! One day I got a call from the daycare that you had thrown your temper tantrum and gotten a carpet burn on your head – ha! I hope one of these days that I’m lucky enough to catch it on video!

Through all of this, the phrase “Terrible Twos” struck me as odd when in reality, the “Terrible Twos” start so much sooner than age 2. But a co-worker of mine made it all clear for me when he said, “No, the phrase ‘Terrible Twos’ really refers to a terrible two year period that begins at age 1 and continues until age 3.” Ah-ha! Now THAT makes sense!

No More Bah-Bah

Dr. Pope told us at your 1-year checkup that you needed to be off your bottles and formula by 15 months. Well, by that time, you LOVED your bottles and you were a pro at saying “bah bah” as soon as you spotted your bottle or if you ever wanted one.

My first task was to switch you from formula to whole milk. I did this gradually by mixing them in your bottles. After a few weeks, maybe a month, you were on 100% whole milk and you even drank it straight from the fridge.

In mid-June (you were approx. 14 months old) we decided to attempt the switch to the sippy cup. By then, you were drinking other liquids out of the sippy cup, but not your milk. Dr. Pope had warned us that you would probably resist but that we should go “cold turkey” and you would drink it when you got thirsty enough.

So we sent you to daycare without your bottles and started the process. Sure enough, you refused to drink your milk. By the time I picked you up that evening, you were MAD about the whole thing! When I tried to give you the sippy cup of milk that night before bedtime, you lost it. You screamed and cried, the whole time saying “Bah Bah!” with a pitiful look on your face. But we wouldn’t give in.

Over the next couple of days, you started taking your sippy cup every once in a while. But each time, you wanted to let us know that you mad about it! Many times you would take the sippy cup and forcefully throw it down, but eventually you would yank it back and start drinking. It’s almost like I could hear your thoughts, “Fine! I’ll take the sippy cup, but I am NOT happy about it!”

It took you a good 2-3 weeks before you were willing to consistently take your milk in a sippy cup. Even 1-2 weeks after we first made the switch, you were still crying and whining about it. Poor little guy, you just hate change so much.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

With all your signing, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the signs you knew (as well as your “interpretation” of the signs!) Around May or June, we started noticing that you would make an unfamiliar sign with both your hands, where one hand was forming the letter “L” and your other arm was outstretched and pointing in the opposite direction. We had no idea what you were saying.

Then one day I visited you during lunch at daycare and I noticed the DVD that was playing on the monitor. It was a video of kids singing and signing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” song. I finally realized that the unfamiliar sign you’d been doing was your version of trying to make the spider crawl up the waterspout!

But the funniest thing about it is that you truly LOVE that song. You started getting more temperamental around age 13 months where you would whine and throw temper tantrums, but all we had to do (which is still true) is start singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song and immediately you become quiet and start doing the signs. I was actually visiting you at daycare on another instance, and the DVD was playing at a different point where they show pictures of animals. When I tried to leave, you got upset and started crying loudly on the floor. But before I walked away, I noticed that the DVD had switched to the Itsy Bitsy Spider song. Sure enough, you bounced right up and walked to the computer screen and joined in with the song! It was like you had completely forgotten that I was there!