Lil Man Updates

Ok, long overdue obligatory update post on the little one....

This past week, lil Max's 'language' has EXPLODED. He has learned upwards of 5 new signs just this week, and even vocalized a few new words -- at least twice! It is truly amazing to me how quickly things 'click' in their little heads, and how much they can pick up on...

Signs (new signs in bold): dog, cat, frog, fish, please, thank you, more, hat, milk, drink, eat, shoes, wash hands, all done, bird (this is one of his favorite signs, and he uses it properly to identify all kinds of birds -- ones he sees flying overhead on walks, the rooster in books, etc.), cracker, and cheese.

Words: pup-pup, more, mama, dada, thank you, Nina, Amanda (yes, I am counting the garbledness he says for this...because it is consistent), e-i-e-i-o (to sing Old McDonald, of course), and turtle.

Understanding: He is really good at pointing and grunting for those things he doesn't have a word or sign for. He also understands LOTS of words and phrases, and can follow two step directions, i.e. "Pick up your milk and put it on the table...". He understands when we ask him if he needs his diaper changed or if he is tired and wants to take a nap -- responding by either nodding, or heading for the stairs to go to his room. No fights!! (YET...) :)

Body Parts: head, hair, eyes (he blinks his eyes or points), mouth (points or opens and closes his mouth), ears, belly, be bo (aka belly button), arm, hand, and foot.

Cutisms: He is really into talking on the phone lately -- maybe because mom is always on the phone? He will pick up anything that resembles a phone and walk around the house with it up to his ear having a conversation in his own language. He even mimics the rise and fall intonations as if he is having a real conversation...it makes me laugh EVERY time without fail.

Snuggling: He LOVES giving hugs (and kisses, see earlier video of him with his Auntie Amanda), but especially to the cat. He will chase her around the house until she lays down and then he lays on top of her chirping softly. He really adores the cat, and the cat really doesn't care too much for the hugs or the high pitched squeals he emits as he chases her....but she tolerates the hugs well. He has also taken to hugging the dog lately, but has to wait for the dog to be in a laying down position in order to hug him...otherwise he is too tall! :)

Teeth: He's up to 10 teeth now, including the 4 molars I JUST FOUND this weekend!!!

Mobility: He walks/RUNS 99.9% of the time, only using his knee walk for times when we're playing on the floor. He is very confident on his feet and has also started climbing on lots of household items....

Helping Out: He is such a good helper for: closing doors, getting himself dressed, getting his coat, brushing his teeth, changing the TV channel, turning on/off light switches, losing my chapstick, etc.

Sleeping: He is such a great sleeper! Consistently sleeping 11-12 hours at night, and at LEAST one nap a day (we are working on the transition from 2 naps to 1) for 2-3.5 hrs a day (this is at home...daycare is a completely different story)...

He is such a sweet, social, happy kid. He has a great sense of humor, and is laughing/smiling at least 90% of the time. I love him SO much!

To end, here is a little video to share of some of his little antics today: