yusuf

these days, i watch yusuf and i feel like documenting every little thing he does- he amazes me at times, and i feel that if i don't record every moment, i will, years from now, forget how special this stage is in his life.

i have a feeling that i will say the same thing at every stage of his life, but since i have a moment right now, i want to write down some of this while it's in my head. more for his sake than anyone else's, so bear with me if this bores anyone who isn't as invested in the little guy as i am :)

lately yusuf has been impressing us daily with his knowledge of things that we didn't think he could understand. he is showing us that he can learn things at lightning speed and that he is eager to absorb as much information as we can give him.

i bought him some puzzles a couple of months before nooriya was born- ABC's and 123's and colors- and he would bring each piece to us and ask, "what's this?" we answered him each time he asked, and within days he knew his letters and numbers and colors. i don't know how he learned so much in such a short amount of time, but it taught me something about how much of a sponge he is right now. and how to take better advantage of it.

his imaginary play delights me as well. it's come a long way from pretending to eat from toy bowls and spoons. and his perception constantly surprises me- he picks up on things that i would have thought were too subtle for him to understand. the way i'm holding my phone, he knows if i'm about to make a call or take a picture. and the way he manipulates us with his crying or his smiles is something i cannot even begin to dissect- it's an art form, apparently, and he knows he's good at it.

who knew two-year-olds were so fascinating?