Turning toward two

First things first: like my new look? I got a blog makeover, which I won on my friend's blog. Thanks again Monique! I love the facelift. Now on to my post...

I've never much believed in the terrible twos. And I never thought I could get frustrated with this face
Turns out I've changed my mind on both accounts. The countdown to Lucas's 2nd birthday is on, just a tad more than 3 months away. And like a switch has been flipped, we have started seeing WAY more , feistiness, temper, and of course, the accompanying tantrums. You know, those ear-splitting, shrieking, throw-his-body-on-the-floor tantrums. So fun.

Him being my 3rd child, you might think I'm well-versed in 2-year-old tantrums. But really, I'm not!

Connor, having autism, had very classic autism behaviors at 2. He didn't talk - not one word, didn't point, didn't gesture, didn't ask for things or make his needs known non-verbally, nothing. He was very much in his own world. At the time, I just thought he was a really easy toddler. Of course, I've learned these behaviors are not ideal. But at the time, he seemed easy (on a side note, it's amazing to think of how far he really has come since then. It's remarkable, really.) So no 2-year-old tantrums for him.

Isabel, on the other, was about as opposite from my first experience as possible. She had well over 50 words at 14 months, and could have full conversations - with a huge vocabulary - at 18 months. I sometimes feel like she sort of skipped the toddler stage and went straight to preschool behavior. Of course, that brings its own attitude; 3 can be a frustrating age, but in different ways. It's more attitude, I think. But those frustrated 2-year-old tantrums generally were not part of her repetoire.

Which brings me to Lucas. I try to avoid using words like "normal," but there is, indeed, a typical developmental pattern little ones follow, of course with some variance. And I feel like Lucas is very much a typical going-on-2 year old, and it feels really new to me! He has a bunch of words, mostly first syllables. He has a ginormous receptive language, his expressive language is still filling in some gaps. I have learned to distinguish his no's, as in he answers every question with "no." A firm, quick, irritated-sounding no really means no. On the other hand, a long, drawn-out no that ends on a higher pitch than it starts really means yes. Confusing, maybe, but I've got it down. I think, though, this communication frustration contributes a lot to the tantrums. I just don't always understand his emerging thoughts/feelings, though I try with all my might. He speaks in LOTS of gibberish, which is cute, but not always very effective.

Ultimately, it is just so interesting to have 3 children, who have given me the experience of 3 different developmental communication abilities. It really is so fun to watch them each develop in their own way. And I have so learned -and continue to learn - that each age really does brings wonderful things, as well as challenges.