To my dear little Sebastian Jaya,
Well, the big news is that a couple of weeks ago, on the 20th April 2018, you turned 2 and a half years old. I can not believe that I am writing “2.5 years old!” – how can you be two and a half years old?! Ohhh my little man, time is going way too fast for me! It’s bittersweet and each milestone is wrapped up in so many emotions that pull on my heart strings…and I just want to slow down time. But I can’t, so all I can do is try to soak up every little moment with you as time passes us by so quickly.
I’m still taking a photo of you each month on the 20th, as difficult as it is becoming, as you just don’t want to stand still EVER! But I love this little tradition and so I will continue on until the day you refuse to stand and pose for a photo for me.
And just as time passes us by so quickly, the seasons also pass us by way too quickly. Sadly Summer has ended, however the days have still been beautiful warm sunny days. I’m doing all I can to hold onto those summery warm days but they are slowly slipping away from us, as Autumn weather sneaks in, the nights are becoming cooler, Autumn leaves are beginning to shower the streets. It won’t be long before Winter will be upon us and that leaves me thinking that we still need to get you some gumboots as I just know you are going to want to jump in all the puddles {just as you should!}.
One last Summer tradition, on Sunday 11th of February, we went along to the St.Kilda Festival and wandered around. We had decided that you should experience your first festival ride, and it wasn’t until we were actually at the festival and wandering around the rides that we spotted a little kids train ride and knew that was the perfect ride for you! It wasn’t quite as we expected though; along with all the other toddlers sitting on the ride waiting for it to start up, you burst into tears and began sobbing…it was the saddest moment…until the ride eventually started up and you began to experience the train ride going around and around the track…and then there were cute little smiles at the end of the ride. We thought that it had all ended well, you were happy with the ride and had smiles in the end, until we went to walk away and you decided that you wanted to go on the train ride again. It then ended in tears and a huge tantrum. Yep. Aside from your first ride, the festival was good, we wandered around Luna Park and you led us down to the beach, which was really nice to escape the crowds as it was a lot quieter. We had some lunch down the beach and then caught some of Dan Sultan live on the Main Stage before we headed home.
And of course, Easter has come and gone. My favourite time of year and I think it’s fast becoming your favourite time of year too, Sebastian! You love chocolate… just as much as your Mama and Dada. It’s also a small opportunity for us to be together as a family – you adore having Dada home with us. We had a lovely Easter long weekend just hanging around home mostly. Good Friday we hung at home in the morning eating hot cross buns {of course!} and went on beach walks in the afternoon sunshine, it was such a lovely day.
Easter Sunday, we spent the day with your Gran and Pop-pop; which included an Easter egg hunt and a delicious roast lunch and the Easter Extravaganza created by your Dada; a Tim-tam cheese cake! It was a really nice day. Easter Monday, we had a second Easter egg hunt for you at home, so much fun! It was a cruisey day of making train tracks that covered the entire lounge room floor, long naps and eating Easter eggs! Perfect, really!
We’ve also been filling our days/weeks/months with lots of afternoon-sunset beach walks – taking advantage of this perfect weather before it disappears. You can’t get enough of going on walking adventures around our village and we walk everywhere.
We still go to the park as you still love the swing. Just the swing. But the beach has definitely been our favourite walk of late, we usually walk down to Fitzroy Street and then turn down the back streets behind the old Gatwick Hotel {which is currently being transformed by ‘The Block’!} and walk down to St Kilda West Beach where we walk along the beach back up to Catani Gardens. You love playing around the gazebo in the gardens there on the forefront.
And once a week we still try to go and visit your Gran and Pop-pop for the day. It’s so good for all of us! You love all the extra attention you get from your doting grandparents and I know that you fill their hearts to the brim with joy and love. You make us all laugh, in the hardest of times. I truly believe you came to us to make us smile and laugh and you’ve done such a good job so far, my little man. Thank you for being you; a cute, cheeky, funny, adoring little man.
Earlier this year, we also started a new routine of going to the library, we try and get there once a week to return and borrow books, and sometimes we go along for Tiny Tots Story-time. You love going to the library, although you usually go straight to the toys rather than the books. You do love your books though and you have story time twice a day {before nap time and before bed time, as we’ve always done} and you read books to yourself too. I still love finding you in your room sitting quietly on the floor reading books, you’ve been doing this a lot lately.
One book that I picked up one day from the library and borrowed, very quickly became a favourite of yours. The book was; The Rain Train by Elena De Roo and Brian Lovelock, and you loved it so much that we decided to buy it for you. Little did we know that buying The Rain Train was not going to be the easiest feat, it appeared that it was very difficult to find {new copies of the book were totally unavailable world wide} so we opted for a second hand copy of the book and even that was not so easy to obtain but totally worth it as you adore that book. You must have had it read to you a hundred million times! 😉
We’ve also been trying to do art everyday! This is something I started in Summer in the new year and I’ve tried to continue to provide opportunities for art and sensory play every day for you. You love it. You get very excited and animated when you do painting and you pretty much request to play with the Play-Doh every single day.
You still love music and dancing. You love all types of different music too. Sundays are for playing vinyl and you absolutely love it. You dance around the lounge room happily and help Dada choose the next album and put the others away. I LOVE watching you dance – you move like you can feel the music in your soul. You also have a dance that resembles a ‘corroboree’ dance – oh my gosh, it’s the funniest thing. It’s obviously all in the blood my little man as there’s no one that taught you to dance like that. You love singing along to all your favourite songs on the iPad and having access to all those youtube videos and songs too – you’re learning them word for word by listening to them over and over again.
Oh, and that brings me to ‘language’ and of course as a Languages teacher I’ve paid close attention to your language development. Your language has really taken off now, Seb, with lots of new words every day! So proud of you! I’ve been keeping notes on your new words but it has now got to the point where it’s getting difficult to keep up with all the new words you are coming out with now. You have well over 100 words. You can say and recognise numbers 1 – 10 plus 18 and 20 {just these last few days you’ve started learning your numbers 11 to 20 and you are so focused on it!} and you also know all of the letters in the alphabet, apart from a few, which you get a bit mixed up. 😉 I’m not sure if I’ve told you or not, but I didn’t talk until I was 3, and I don’t think that I wanted to. So, I feel so proud of you and your determination to talk and the perfectionist in you that wants to get every word correct in your mind before you say it out loud and your need for recognition when you do say it. I can almost see your mind ticking over, trying to absorb everything. And you have so much to tell us, but you must have patience my little man, all in good time.
Your language development is not just in English, you’ve been spending time learning Indonesian through the ELLA {Early Learning Languages Australia} Apps and you have learnt lots of new Indonesian words, you’re getting pretty good at your Indonesian numbers and colours. THIS makes my heart very happy, Sebastian! My little man learning Indonesian through digital resources, which I actually worked on! Yep, my heart is pretty happy right now!
And pretty much every single day I will find you like this…playing trains on the floor. This is where you are truly happiest, Sebastian.
With much delaying and agonising over the inevitable next steps for us…I’ve completed one kindergarten application form for you. I was supposed to do it in January, so yep just a few months late. And, yep, just one application form so far. I know I need to book us a few appointments for kindergarten tours and such but… Oh Sebby, I can’t even stand to think about you going off to kindergarten and being out there in the real world where I can’t be right next to you to protect you from EVERYTHING. Oh, this is all going to be so very difficult… for me. You’ll probably be the brave one when the kindergarten days are upon us…I’ll be the one trying to hold back ALL the tears. Anyway, I really don’t want to think about any of that, I’ll just keep telling myself that that is all years away and we don’t need to worry about it just yet.
So, my little man, we are heading into the last six months before you turn three. To be honest it’s a bit scary as we all know how fast six months can fly by so for now I’m trying my best to focus on the moments of now and not think too far ahead.
This is two and a half.
This is cheeky games to make us laugh.
This is trains and planes and moving wheels.
This is a frustrated toddler with all the feels.
This is adventures, curiosity and all the fun.
This is growing taller and hair long enough for a man-bun.
This is jumping on beds and playing hide and seek.
This is counting, letters and wanting to speak.
This is wanting independence, tantrums and real tears.
This is dealing with emotions and new found fears.
This is lots of hugs and kisses, and happy giggles.
This is early mornings, long days and toothbrush routines with The Wiggles.
This is singing and dancing and loving applause.
This is your Mama wishing time to slow down and press pause.
Because this is my baby turning into a little boy.
This is building blocks, race cars and lots of art.
And this is your Mama sitting quietly over here…with a super grateful heart.
We love you so very much my little Sebby! You’re just the cutest, funniest little man and I love you dearly with ALL. MY. HEART. My little side-kick…I don’t know how I ever lived without you by my side!
Bring on the next six months of adventures!
Love always, Mama xxx
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