I’m not sure anyone could have prepared Randy and I for the fun we’ve been experiencing with Jordan this summer. We LOVE watching him grow, explore and develop his own little personality.
True, some days this stubborn, driven, independent little man is starting to test his limits, but boy does it encourage us that he is going to be focused on what he wants to do in this world.
Becoming mobile has created a new outlook for our little mister. It doesn’t matter where we are he wants down to go, go, go. It’s one thing to let him crawl around at the mall play ground, which followed with some serious hand cleansing, but it’s another when afterward he motions that he wants to crawl through the mall hall.
I distracted him by asking if he wanted to dance. Jordan loves to dance. When we ask him if he wants to dance, he looks for the hand to outstretch our arms and attempts to create moves throughout the room. All the while the room is filled with laughter and giggles.
When we stop he searches for the hand again to start our little waltz all over again. I’ll admit dancing with the stars will not be calling any time soon.
Mister independence also has shown an interest in giving direction. I wouldn’t be surprised if the airport calls us in the near future. Jordan seems to know where he needs to be and will point until he gets to his destination. We usually have to ask where he wants to go or what he wants, and eventually we get there.
Another activity we love to engage in is making the classic peanut butter sandwich. No, we haven’t attempted the taste testing of the actual sandwich, but it’s our own human version.
Randy starts with a little dance while Jordan and I move in as the peanut butter and the bread and end in a little hug for a tasty sandwich. Oh the giggles could not last long enough.
Meal times have also changed around the Pollock house. We have entered the realm of self feeding. He’s trying new foods all the time. He enjoys chicken, broccoli, cream of wheat, bananas, ravioli, and the list goes on.
There haven’t been a lot of foods he has expressed dislike to. In fact he gets so excited when he takes a bite that he does a little dance.
For Randy’s birthday this year, we had our first trial of using finger paint. The little Picasso and I took a trip outside in nothing but a diaper, cloth to sit on, a box of wipes, finger paint, and a small canvas. Our little man ended up with some belly painting. Hiding the evidence from daddy before he opened it on his birthday morning was a challenge.
We have also enjoyed teaching our little man some new tricks. He has officially found his belly by lifting up his shirt, as well as his hair, eyes, nose and ears. I’m not sure where kids find favorites such as a binki, blanket, teddy bear, or even ball, but our little man has found a love for ears.
Whether it’s a human, little toy elephant, little friend, or his blanket monkey, he somehow has come to find that where there’s one there are two. I love when he creeps his little fingers around the other side of my head to find the second to hold on to.
Our favorite of all of the identified body parts has been showing us his muscles. He loves to flex with a boyish intense grin.
All in all we’ve had an amazing second summer. We are so excited for what fall may bring. Who knows – maybe teeth.
Read more about Megs’ and Randy’s journey of raising a child with spina bifida through her blog, Labor of Love.
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