Why does my nephew do these things?

My guess is that he learned this from someone perhaps and is trying that on others (you).

“by not showing me love like kisses and hugs and such looks at how I react with a smug look”

Hmm either he is a very observant child assessing reactions and behaviour..something that he picked up on and is learning.

He is almost two! Anything goes with a child that young. Enjoy the good things and don’t spend a lot of time trying to interpret other behaviors. He’s just a baby.

He’s 2!!!! He’s trying to make sense of it all and you’re key to the adventure. He is going to bounce every behavior he can muster off whoever is available to witness their reaction. Depend on it. And remember little kids have personalities as variable as those of adults. I have vivid memories of running the gauntlet of female mushpots all assuming I wanted to be smothered and gushed over.

Two-year-olds have good days and bad days just like grown-ups. When they are having a bad day, they do not know how to hide what they are feeling. You ever get up and feel so fantastic that you feel like hugging people and you feel great and want to share it? Well, kids do too. And other days you just got up on the wrong side of the bed and your feelings are all over the place. You feel like telling everyone to go away. You just want to be left alone. Only you are an adult so you muster through and try to suppress the need to tell everyone off. This is the time when they learn to assert their feelings.

He doesn’t like you. Ignore him more often and give him a reason to be interested in what you are doing. Let him come to you to inquire/observe. I had a nephew who just didn’t like me when he was a baby. I found if I picked up a children’s book and started reading softly he would come sit by me and want me to read louder. Things like that may help. Today we are close.

He’s still a baby & this is what they do, testing boundaries.
Bit like a puppy only less hair.

Why else… he’s only 2, it’s the stage when they start to adopt to their surroundings. Just be there for him when he’s in good mood. He’s trying to figure out what’s reality, who are people around him. He’s trying to understand emotional response.