Kianey Carter: My little chatterbox

Words! So many words!

My son is talking and I love it! And I hate it! Before you go thinking I'm crazy, let me explain.

He's 19 months and his language skills are just beginning. He mastered mama and dada months ago. Now he's on to cow, truck, airplane, dog and naming every farm animal there is. There are other words he can say, but right now, our farming and transportation books are getting the most play.

I love this stage. He's a sponge. He loves pointing at things and wanting to know what they are. He loves reading and being read to. Books are in every room of our house and throughout the back seats of our cars.

He wants to learn and as a parent this makes me think I'm doing something right. Seeing his mind work is so fascinating. The excited grin he gets when something clicks. "Oh the horse makes the neigh sound." "I hear the airplane. Oh there it is in the sky." His thirst for knowledge warms my heart.

I also hate this stage. Why? My son's independence and quest for knowledge breeds frustration when he can't explain to me what he wants. With his frustration come cries and tantrums. He doesn't know all the words he needs or how to say them. I never tried signing. I should have, but I didn't. He also doesn't want my help. He wants to do everything on his own. Everything I used to do for him, he wants nothing to do with. Dinner? He wants to eat it himself. Diaper changes? He'd rather run around naked.

I wish I could take all his frustrations away, but I know they are a part of the learning and growing process. I hope he's always frustrated. I hope this thirst for knowledge continues into adulthood and he always wants to know things and figure out how they work. I do hope the cries and tantrums end, though. They're not fun when we are out to dinner.