Time Marching On

Robin continues to be a boy wonder. There are times when I'm frustrated and it doesn't seem like he's learning anything, but keeping a list of things I want to post helps me to see how much he's really accomplishing.

He totally cracked me up a few days ago. He had some toilet paper tubes he'd intercepted from being tossed in the boring old recycling a few days prior, and while I was sitting at my computer, he came into the room with one of the tubes over his hand. He handed me another one, and when I took it, he pressed his fingers together to make his hand as narrow as possible, and inserted his second hand into the second tube! He just wanted my help getting the second one on! He's starting to play in more imaginative ways, which is so cool!

Robin is an old pro at walking now. He can even go backwards! He looks like he's warily backing away from something every time he does it, which is funny. He is also trying to walk down steps instead of backing down them--which is a big danger right now. We have to stay very close to him and hold his hands while he tries, because if we don't, he could easily pitch headfirst down the stairs (yikes!)

When I take him for walks through our neighborhood now, he usually walks for at least part of the way. I usually bring the stroller along to help once he gets tired. He can go a pretty impressive distance; though, of course, he stops to look at/play with things along the way. I took him out in his wagon for the first time yesterday, although I made the mistake of going too far for his first time in something new. It started out great, with him riding in the wagon. Then he wanted to walk do he did that for a fair distance, but then he started wanting to go in the street or back the way we had come, and I finally had to put him back in the wagon--which he no longer wanted to do. Eventually I gave up on trying to keep him happy and just went as fast as I could back toward home. Add to everything the fact that it was cold, and I had a very cranky (okay, hysterical!) baby on my hands by the time we got home. Note to self: when doing something new, keep the initial attempt short! Today, though, we went for a short walk, just around the block, without any vehicle to pull/push him in. He made it about ¾ of the way before needing to be carried! (And he might've made it farther if the final stretch hadn't been uphill! Perhaps I'll go left instead of right next time.)

Robin can now get himself onto the seat of his truck by himself, and walk it across the room! He can also get himself into his rocking chair and rock by himself! Gross motor skills! His aunt gave him a Little People farm set for Christmas, and I have seen him place one of the little people into the tractor a few times now: spatial awareness and fine motor skills!

He's been fascinated by zippers for a long time now (No, Robin, you shouldn't unzip people's pants!!!) but today I was totally amazed: when I got him out of his crib to start the day, he had unzipped his sleep sack (wearable blanket) about ¾ of the way! I guess he was ready to get out of bed and get his day started!

Robin's still not really talking, although "Mama" definitely means "Mama" now--he'll say it as he comes looking for me! And one thing that is very nice is he's finally started doing the signs for "more" and "all done." After he finishes eating the food I give him, I tell him I think he's all done, but I'll give him more if he tells me he wants it. If he doesn't do anything, then I'll repeat "all done" and clean him up. Occasionally he'll sign "more" and I'll give him a bit more food, and occasionally he'll sign "all done," so I know he's ready. I'm SO glad he's figured those out! ("More" still technically means "food" to him, but at least we're making progress.)

The result of pasta for dinner and a cookie with black frosting for dessert.

Robin likes to have control when he eats (I know it's best to avoid power struggles, but sometimes meals turn into them these days) so a few weeks ago I handed over the reigns of his cup.

I used to use an open-top cup and just offer it to him between every few bites, but now I just fill up the sippy cup at the beginning of the day, leave it on his tray, and put it back in the fridge between meals. It took him a while to really get the hang of it (he used to put it in his mouth but wouldn't lift it up to get the fluid to the spout) but now he's doing very well, and I think he's drinking more, too. He was practicing drinking from and open-top cup by himself yesterday too--in the bathtub. And by that, I mean he was filling up a cup with bathwater, putting it to his mouth, and drinking some of the water as he poured the rest on his face. Oh my....

I flipped his carseat around to face forward last week. "They" say it's safer to keep him rear-facing until he reaches the maximum rear-facing weight of his seat, but he was running out of leg room and I thought he'd enjoy facing forward, being able to see what was going on, and not having the sun in his eyes whenever I drive north. He seemed a bit overwhelmed the first time or two, but now he seems to like it.