Months Twenty-Nine and Thirty

April 11, 2022

Titus,

Diapers and potties have loomed large this month. Between you announcing you’re stinky, us asking, and your brothers observations we seem to be constantly discussing it. Beyond that, you’ve figured out how to get your diaper off. In or out of your crib, or otherwise. We seem to be getting closer and closer to potty training. You disappear about the same time each day into your playroom and shut the door. A few minutes later, you pop out to announce that you’re dirty and grab your basket of diapers for a change.

Overheard on the monitor sometime after 9 PM: “Daddy! Diaper change!” We’ve flipped your sleep sack backwards now so you can’t just unzip it and take the wet diaper off yourself. You are sleeping dry through the night now on occasion. Potty training is coming soon, whether we want it or not.

If we mention (or if you decide) it’s time for a bath, you head right for the bathroom. Without intervention, you will get all your clothes off, sit on the potty, and then climb right in the bathtub. You like to have a bath at night more than almost anything else. Titus: “I’m going to have a bath.” Dad: “you don’t need a bath tonight”. Titus: “Mommy, I have a bath?” Dad: “Getting a second opinion?” Titus: “Yeah!” This, all the way to melting to the ground in the hallway because you can’t have a bath.

The kitchen stool has created significant risks for us and rewards for you. Every time we turn around, the stool is out in the kitchen being used to access the counter or the fridge. From bread to cereal, to milk, you know where we keep it all and aren’t shy about doing it yourself. Since the stool is stored in the pantry, it gives access to all of those shelves as well. We an empty pack of gum and wrappers on the shelf one day. After establishing with your brothers that they weren’t theirs, we found one chewed piece of gum and 5 more pieces in the dog’s dish. It appears you know how best to dispose of the evidence. The only thing we have to keep locked up is that stool.

You stole the stool on multiple occasions, but on one you climbed up to the counter to get a piece of candy out of the upper cabinet in which it’s (not, apparently) hidden. In the process, the salt spilled out on the counter. As you later described it to Daddy, “Salt everywhere. Mommy clean it up!”

You love to run errands with Mommy. You know that there are always errands to run and can’t wait to go when it’s time. You finished your breakfast one morning and announced to Daddy, “I’m going to Target and the bank!” Not sure if you actually had heard Mommy talking about it that morning, but it was on your schedule. You also like Walmart, the grocery store, and Costco. “Errands with Mommy!”

Everything we say we hear back from you at some point. You are paying attention to all the little details and copying those sayings and expressions exactly. From our instructions to your brothers to things we teach, it’s all echoed. As Mommy was coaching Seth on basketball in the car one day, you piped up about every third sentence with “yeah! Uh huh!”

Your brothers have been trying to teach you basic math. You know 1+1 is 2, but just apparently through repetition. Seth asked you at the table “what’s 4 plus 4?” Through a mouthful of spaghetti, you replied, “Full of food!” We call you various nicknames, and always get the reply, “No, I Titus.”

At some point this month you decided that you could do the hoverboard just like your brothers. You hopped right up on there and went from standing and balancing to rolling all around the basement in a couple of days. Mommy just came down the stairs one day to find you rolling around. Back and forth, over bumps, and spinning, it’s all there. Daddy even found you driving around on your knees. It’s nice to be short, with that low center of gravity.

It’s been a rough couple months for sicknesses, but you pretty much roll through them with a smile, most of the time. A couple tummy bugs generally result with you on a towel on the living room floor next to a bucket, watching something to keep you still. Describing this to Nana over FaceTime, “Threw up in bucket! Watched mouse!” Later you had about the worst croup we’ve seen, and we ended up having to bring you into bed with us to try and get you to sleep. You spent an hour rolling around talking to your bunny, saying “hi” to Daddy. At about 2 AM, you found Daddy’s hand slapped it, and said, “Gave Daddy high five!” Sorry, dude, we are not co-sleepers.

The end of the month was quite eventful. Grandma and Grandpa came to visit, which was lots of fun as always. Mommy and Daddy came in late from a date (thanks for sitting, Grandpa and Grandma!) and found you wide awake and kicking the wall in your crib. “Hi Daddy! Grandpa put me to bed!”

In addition to that, Daddy broke his wrist and had surgery on it. Every time you saw Daddy in his splint for the first 5 days, you said “Daddy crashed?” or “you crashed?” Thanks for the reminder, little man.

You have learned and grown so much the last two months. Every day you are more independent and want to do everything on your own. Fortunately, you are still Mommy’s little snuggle buddy and need her every day. Keep learning and growing, but always need your Mommy.

Love,

Daddy and Mommy