Brendan Thrives

Brendan is growing up so fast and is just under 35 lbs now. He's getting big! I am pretty much blown away daily and at loss for words in describing his vibrant personality. This kiddo is very verbally advanced for his age and we are told so in public all the time. He is a little sponge and has an amazing memory too. At any given time I can stop reading to him and he has the words to the story or song memorized. I am also proud to report he speaks Spanish and will run around singing "Abuscante amigos, to Rescue my friends" from one of his favorite TV shows Go Diego, Go.

Yes, he is all toddler and our house is never clean anymore. It's not uncommon for the boys (Brendan and Reese) to be running or scooting through the kitchen. Brendan enjoys reading, playing outside, swimming, going to the park and for walks, 'driving the car', looking at photos, and helping mom cook. His favorite game is hide and seek. At his age he will cover his eyes and think he's hidden- mom and dad's closets also are favorite places to hide.

The intelligence and his ability to understand things is advanced beyond most 2 year-olds. He recently stopped telling people he's 18 mo old and now will answer with 2. While running errands I noticed he picked up an employee's name from another employee saying it and remembered it. Suddenly, he goes what is Chris doing? and I'm like Who's Chris? And the other employee pointed to the guy on phone who's name Brendan happened to pick up. Sure enough name tag said Chris. I have no idea how he picks things like this up all the time seemingly from no where but he pays attention.


I wonder if he is gifted based on the way he likes to learn. He will read a picture dictionary, same stories over and over (fiction and non-fiction) and have it memorized. He seeks out information on his own and directs his own learning. I think the first time we left Brendan for the weekend we realized just how smart he is. While in Mexico in April/May Brendan got on the phone and told us everything he did at his grandparent's house in detail and so clearly. Lou and I were just both taken aback that he could annunciate so well and understand we were in Mexico playing in a volleyball tournament.

Now I don't know if it is all toddlers, or just mine, but this kid negotiates. He totally wants to negotiate vitamins, dessert, amount of time in time-out, pool time, etc. He's not quite ready to use the potty yet but we are talking about it.

He's a pretty amazing kid and I don't know how I got to be such a lucky parent. I just have to keep up with him...Lou was joking the other day how he's going to be smarter than us soon.