Mr. Independent

I feel like Sam has grown up a lot in the past month.

He has learned how to go downstairs (on his tummy).  He and Kate will stand at the top of our long basement staircase and throw a ball down and then chase it and bring it back up and do it over and over again.  It's a good activity to wear him out :)

Sam likes to move furniture.  He especially likes to move the kitchen chairs all over the kitchen, like to the counter top by the sink and then come stand on them next to me.  Or he will just climb up and stand on them and bang on the kitchen table.  The other night he stood on a chair by the silverware drawer and emptied the whole drawer one by one onto the counter.  I let him do it because it kept him occupied while I was making dinner.  I think he thought he was helping.  He tried to put them back, too, just not in the right slots :)  Sometimes he likes to "set the table".  Sam also gets out a towel and "wipes up" his mess when his drink spills.  It is cute.

Speaking of silverware, he often likes to try to feed himself with a fork or spoon now.  We often do the scooping or spearing and then hand it to him, but sometimes he wants to do it all himself.  He definitely doesn't want his food torn up into finger food anymore  - he wants the whole banana or sandwich half.  And you also can't eat a special treat without him noticing and yelling for some, too.  He thinks he is bigger than he is...

We have decided (I think) to try to get him to quit the pacifier.  So for the past week, he has only gotten it at his afternoon naptime, in his crib.  He is doing pretty well... I just hope he doesn't start sucking on his fingers when he is tired as a replacement, because that would defeat the purpose of the effort!

He likes to look at photos and picture books and point to people and animals.  He is starting to try to say words, although right now, a lot of them sound like "Ba!" (ball, banana, sheep's sound)  Others include Pop-pop, Ma-ma (grandparents), bow-wow-wow (for dogs, from the book Moo Baa, LaLaLa... which always makes me think of Cora because I remember seeing is was one of her favs).

If you ask him if he needs his diaper changed, sometimes he will pat his diaper covered bottom and say "Oh!"  Another independent task he has attempted is getting undressed!  He knows how to remove his diaper and unzip a jacket or p.j.'s.  Watch out for a naked boy running around! 

At his 18 month appointment, he was at about the 25th percentile for height and weight.  He seems bigger than that to me, but I guess that is just his round cheeks!  We have to watch his aggression, he wants to hit things or throw himself down when he is mad (don't we all?) He is pretty good natured most of the time, but he is LOUD when he gets upset.  When he's happy, Sam likes to sing and dance, rocking side to side... Best of all, he still gives hugs, kisses, waves, high fives, and bumps.  It is so fun to watch him grow!