22 months

At this age, we have discovered that Sachin is a little reflector of us in some ways. Most notably, the phrases that he likes to say over and over. You realise that after all this time of talking, talking, talking to him, it all went in.

His absolute favourite phrases are:

Um... I know! - I laugh nearly every time he says this, and then ask him what he knows. 'Pobably' (probably), he replies.

See you again soon! - I didn't even realise we say this.

Mummy/Daddy help you! - for when he needs help with something.

Oooooh...did it! - when he's done something difficult/that he's proud of.

Happy Daddy day! - Left over from fathers day, he still likes to say it every other day. At least.

Show Mummy/Daddy - whatever he's built or found or is proud of.

(I'm afraid all of those exclamation points are necessary - everything is said with such flourish)

The kid loves to talk. All the time. He loves to roll the words around in his mouth, laying in bed talking to himself, singing to himself too (this kills me with how cute it is) until he falls asleep. He can now sing three nursery rhymes all the way through. His singing voice is the best.

When we're out, he introduces himself to people. 'Name Sashin', he says, pointing to himself. He then points to whoever he's with, and introduces them. This is my family, he's saying.

Of course the words he can't quite say properly are the best. My absolute favourite, and one that will be forever etched into my memory, is COCKODEVIL (crocodile). Amazing. He can't pronounce L yet, and so in that common toddler way, he pronounces it Y. Yeyyow (yellow) and Yiyon (Lion). Nogurt (yogurt) is another favourite.

For an absolute bizarre and unknown reason he calls ants 'ittle panfers'. He lies on the ground, sees them coming and shouts with excitement, 'ittle panfers!'

He likes to talk on the phone. He used to just listen, but now he'll answer questions. He'll tell you what he's doing, or who he's with.

The most amazing development really, is his ability to state his opinion and more and more, tell us what he's feeling. He now says 'Sachi tired'. If you ask him what he wants to eat, he thinks about it, and then tells you. It is normally something that involves cheese. Or pasta.

He has also started to say no.

In the shower the other morning:
Me - 'Is it getting cold in there?
Sachin - es (yes)
Me - Shall we get out then?
Sachi - No!

We give him a choice about as much as possible, which (I think) helps him feel like he is making his own decisions, not that we are always telling him what to do. He chooses what he wears, and tries to dress himself as much as he can. He loves dressing up it turns out, and will put on one thing, run to the mirror, look at himself with a smile before declaring 'pretty!' or "handsome!' He especially loves anything of mine that is sparkly.

He is using more sophisticated language all the time, joining more words together. He just pulled off his longest sentence to date, pointing and declaring 'Daddy's shoes are over there!' He is also starting to talk about himself in the first person. 'I'm hungry', he said yesterday.

22 months really is my favourite age.

At 17 months

The last time I wrote a 'Sachins new tricks' post, he was 9 months. Wow, time flies. Reading that back it's so hard to remember the time when he seemed so big. And in retrospect he seems so wee. So here's a little insight into our life now, with/as a toddler.

These days, the conversations between Sachin and I are becoming much more two way. He has started asking questions. ALL THE TIME. A few weeks ago, he started pointing wildly at various things around him and suddenly came out with, 'Whats 'at?'

After months of us saying this to him (and answering the question too), he has turned the tables. I started by answering with exactly with it was he was pointing at. A few weeks into this game, and he still asks, even when he knows what he's pointing at. So now, in answer to this question I'll say, 'I don't know, what is that?' and he'll often reply with the correct answer.

We've now progressed on to other sentences too, 'What's this?', 'Who's that?' 'Who's there?'. His use of the th sound is still coming, so it becomes 'whas is?' and 'whos at?', but it's still very clear what he's saying.

Sachin: (Playing with the bedroom door, opening and closing it)

Me: Knock knock.

Sachin: Who's there?

Me: Shocked Face. He'd never said that before!

We also have other basic, two way conversations. His favourite goes like this -

M: Where's X, Sachin? (X can be me, or Nana or a toy, as long as he can't see them.)

S: X gone.

M: Gone where?

S: Hidy! (Hiding)

Then he goes hunting around for them. It's my favourite.

He has so many words now it's hard to keep track. The repetition is something he loves. He loves to hear the names for things, and having a go at saying them. Some words he can say brilliantly, and others not so much (but they are the cutest!)

Words that are clearly spoken:

Mummy, Daddy, Nana, Emma (Aunty), Baby, Hello, Hiya, Bye-Bye, Go, Gone, Boo, Nice, Car, Tedted (favourite teddy) Teddy, Jojo (toy), Ball, Bucket, Pea, Cheese, Eye, Hair, Toe, Heart, Circle, Star, Tickle, Up, Down, No, Turtle, Door, Bubble, Pop, Ta (thank you), Key, Apple, Kettle, He, Box, Tea, Purple, More

His own versions of words:

Noe (nose), Mou (mouth), Getti (spaghetti), Asta (pasta), Soon (spoon), Kni (knife),  Gaga (grandma), Titang (triangle), Outsi (outside), Ba (bath), Cumber (cucumber), cookie (cooking), Bickit (biscuit), Hidy (hiding), Carra (carrot), Bo (boat), Cugar (colour), Boo (blue), Gee (green), Uto (he says this all the time and we are clueless as to what it means!)

The best word though is - Nomnomnom. This is basicaly an all encompassing term for food! If you say, 'Sachin, are you hungry?' He often just replies with 'Nomnomnom'. Likewise, if he's eating, and approves, he'll normally say, 'Nomnomnom niiiice.' Honestly, it kills me with cuteness.

Learning the word no was a big deal for him. He is starting to grasp that not only can Mummy and Daddy say it, but he can too. The last week or so, if you're trying to do something he has no interest in, he'll say 'No', accompanied by a wagging finger, in this tiny stubborn voice. Pout implied!

His very favourite thing in the whole world, are circles. He loves to say the word and draw them, and is a little bit obsessed about it. He grabs crayons and paper anytime he can, and will shove the pen in your hand and bark 'Circle!'. He's started to draw them himself too, but still loves to watch you draw them. We taught him other shapes in the hope that he'd spread his shape love around. He can correctly identify circles, triangles, squares, stars and triangles from drawings. He's just started this week, to learn colours.

He still loves his books. He knows what two are called by sight, and requests them. He loves being read too.

At least once a day, he'll run into our bedroom, and you'll hear a little giggle while he waits for you to follow. There he can be found, sprawled out on our bed, waiting for us to jump in.

His hair is no longer a mohawk. Instead it's a bit crazy round the edges. Bed head at it's finest! I have no idea how to cut a toddlers hair. Tips?!

One of my favourite things to do, is to give him noodles and watch him go. He loves them too.

He loves to choose an object, say 'Ha! (hat) and then put it on his head. This is normally followed by 'Mummy/Daddy/Emma/Nana ha!' And we have to wear it too.

Bath time is the best. He would play for hours in there if I let him. I love getting in too, before he gets too big to share a bath with Mummy.

And I mentioned how beautiful he is too, right?

As every new month/week/day passes, we insist to each other, 'This is my favourite age!' Don't get me wrong, toddlers are hard work. Along with the new independence and personality, comes he own ideas about things. His own thoughts on what he wants to do and doesn't want to do. If you're not on the same page, let the screaming commence. He likes to test you, and somedays, if you were to eavesdrop into our house, all you would hear is 'Sachin, no!' When I hear M or my Mum saying this to him repetedly, it's comical. When I'm the one saying it, not so much.

But watching him become this person, it's amazing. So yeah, 17 months is my favourite age!