What Causes A Toddler To Touch Its Ears To Shoulders?

My grandson will be two in April.. He recently developed tics such as touching his ear to his shoulder on both sides and touching the middle of his head and sliding his fingers down his nose to hip lips. He also started resisting going to day care 2x/week, resists going to sleep, needier for his mom to play with him. The family has had flu or viruses for a few months. His father is traveling more for work. His mother has been the sickest ,recently diagnosed with bronchitis and she sees she has not been as attentive, something others have told she usually overdoes. She recently learned she is pregnant and has nausea which adds to her feeling overwhelmed. She worries now, of course, about how her son will react to a new baby. Please help us learn how to help this wonderful toddler.