Nineteen months

This month we have had fun watching Michael ramp up his energy level (while we try to keep up). He will run through rooms and down the sidewalk yelling the whole way, he likes to spin in circles until he falls down, and he loves jumping up onto the couches, ottomans, and day bed (the one we are trying to get him used to sleeping in, at least at naps). He also has been asserting himself more with preferences -- he likes to pick out which pair of shoes he will wear for the day, including one afternoon when we found him wearing his formal shoes that he insisted on after nap! He pretty much will never let you feed him -- has to do it all by himself.*

He hasn't really added any new words to his vocabulary, except maybe "flower," although he's really trying. He tries to repeat a lot of words we say, but they don't usually come out any differently than words he already has ("Snoopy" sounds pretty much like "baba" as far as we can tell - ?), so we just keep emphasizing the syllables and figure he'll work it out eventually. He has added some new signs, though -- now he can sign "airplane," "ball," "bird," "book," and "shoes." I thought it was great when we were at a store a few weeks ago and Michael followed an older girl around (maybe 8 or 9) for a few steps, then signed "girl" to me. I didn't know he got that distinction! He continues to be a very helpful little boy, too -- he'll get my tennis shoes for me instead of my sandals when we go for a walk.


I like seeing how Michael studies things intently to learn. We got a new DVD player and when I was trying to show Elizabeth how it works, Michael came over and crouched down right in front of her, studying the new machine and the buttons I pushed to figure it out himself. I couldn't help but laugh -- so much for keeping that a mystery for any length of time! Aunt Amanda got Michael a book on being a big brother and that is his new favorite book. He asks to read it several times a day and pays close attention to every page. Hopefully with that, and spending time around his cousin and some new friends, he is getting to understand a little more about babies.

*Of course, after I say this, at dinner tonight he pitched a fit about *not* feeding himself, and wanted us to do it. I guess contrariness is another trait typical of this age!