21 Months

I can't believe another month has gone by, and as with any other month, I've seen plenty of advancements in my little boy's development, however subtle they might be to other people! One of the advantages of staying home with him is that I am able to witness every part of his growth as it happens. And it is so exciting and rewarding.

Colton's gross motor skills have continued to improve in the form of running and climbing. He has started opening our clothes drawers and using them as steps to climb up onto the dressers. He will use anything he can lately as a stepping stool in order to climb on the bookshelf, deck railings, even his crib. While I applaud his resourcefulness and sense of exploration, it also drives me nuts and makes me a little afraid that he's going to get seriously hurt. Besides climbing, Colton loves to run (away from us) and he looks hilarious doing it. He runs with his left arm swinging at his side and not gracefully, often tripping over his own feet. One of his favorite things to do now is also riding his Little Tikes ride-on toy up and down the hallway. He'll ride it out onto the deck every chance he gets.

I've noticed that Colton's receptive language has grown tremendously during the past month, where it seems like he really does understand everything we say. He is starting to comprehend simple consequences, too. The other night while sitting in the highchair, he was dangling his fork over the floor and Gregg told him that if he dropped it, he would not be allowed to have any more french fries. Colton thought for a moment, then put the fork back on the highchair tray. He has also added the words "okay" and "cheese" to his vocabulary and the phrase "no way". He's begun using "no" as a way to communicate that he doesn't want or like something. Before he went around saying it with no real purpose, and only when he encountered an object or room he knew he wasn't allowed to touch/play in. Gregg pointed out recently that Colton is imitating a lot of the words and simple sentences we use on a regular basis, though they aren't very clear yet.

Another exciting development is Colton beginning to engage us in play. Before he would mostly just play by himself, even doing some imaginary play. But now he'll hand us an object he wants us to use in his little play scenarios, along with running and hiding with the hopes that we'll go find him. He's not a very good hider yet though. He always starts giggling whenever we get close to his "hiding spots"! The nursery workers at church also tell me that Colton has started actually playing with the other children at various points during nursery hour. Last weekend, we decided it was time to get him his first box of crayons. As he scribbles with them on a piece of paper, I make a point of telling him which color he is using. I also have to remind him that crayons are not a snack.

I'm finding his behavior a little easier to manage these days, now that he's found some new ways of communicating his needs. That, and I have been praying for wisdom as a mom. I'm realizing that God fills in the cracks and gives me exactly what I need while I stay home to take care of my son. Hopefully I'll find some time to blog more often, something more than just the monthly Colton update... :)