1) G is talking up a storm and using lots of 2-3 word phrases. One of my favorites is when he says that he's Mama's angel. I've noticed that his communication has become more deliberate rather than imitative lately. When I ask him a question, I generally get a response that makes sense. One day when he got hysterical at the hair salon because he didn't like the clippers, I said, "Why didn't you like getting your haircut?" He responded, "Clippers noisy."
2) G refers to himself frequently by his first name. It sounds like Gri Gri when he says it. This happened within the last month. Prior to this, he called himself, 'baby.'
3) Things that go are some of his favorite toys. He loves trains, cars, trucks, tractors, planes and construction vehicles. Since we've been building our house, he is able to name the dump truck, digger, cement truck, and fork lift. He recently had the opportunity to fly on an airplane which he loved.
4) Moving, moving, moving...this boy is always moving around. His energy is neverending! He loves the stairs as well as the playground equipment.
5) ABC's and numbers....G LOVES letters! He now can name all of the alphabet letters and enjoys stating the letters he sees on signs and people's shirts. G also LOVES numbers! He can count one through five on my fingers and when given objects. He also likes to count the stairs as we climb. He states the numbers one through ten in isolation.
6) Showers....G has never been a bath lover. He enjoys taking showers and has one each morning. When asked if he wants a bath or a shower, he will respond with 'shower.'
7) You're on candid camera....every morning when G wakes up, I give him his milk and he lies in bed with me and watches videos of himself on my phone. He has started requesting his favorite ones by name.
8) Puzzles are so much fun! G enjoys the chunky Melissa and Doug puzzles. He enjoys making a game out of where the pieces fit by saying 'no' to the incorrect spots and 'yes' to the correct spaces. He also enjoys taking turns with a partner during this activity.
9) Music maestro....G loves music and singing. Apparently he thinks that I have a decent voice and will say 'again again' when I sing to him. A lot of the songs I sing are made up, but he has some favorites. A recent favorite is the Marvin Gaye song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough.' He walks around the house saying, "Ain't No!" It's pretty funny.
10) No picky eaters allowed in this house :). G likes all kinds of food and I try to feed him a variety of tastes. He loves Mexican dishes especially guacamole. Other favorites include Zucchini Pie, peanut butter, pretzels, cheese, yogurt, fruit with oatmeal, eggs, turkey burgers, meatballs...there really are too many to name. He likes to dip his foods like chicken in BBQ sauce or 'barbie' as G calls it. G is a milk lover and calls it 'minnow' for some reason. He drinks 24 ounces per day and there's no getting between this boy and his sippy cup.
11) Manners are progressing....when G burps or passes gas, he says, 'excuse me.' When he is given something, he will say, 'Thank you, (person's name).'
12) Naps - G is still taking 2 naps a day which makes me a grateful mom. But, remember his didn't begin taking a nap until he was 7 months old, so I think he's really just catching up on sleep! He has his favorite crib comforts like soft blankets and his stuffed Lamby music box. He requests 2 blankets when he goes to sleep.
13) Colors - G can tell us if something is blue, green, yellow, red, or pink. Until about a week ago, he was calling everything red. Before that everything was blue. It's seems like his color accuracy kind of happened overnight.
14) Potty training - We haven't officially started potty training yet, but have introducing the potty chair. G will usually go peepee on it 2-3 times per day. I generally sit him on it 10-15 minutes after he's had his milk.
15) Empathy - Signs of empathy have been really apparent. G is able to identify other's emotions and when you ask him to do happy/sad/angry/surprised faces, he can. He is a caring little guy and when he sees a friend crying, he goes over and gives him/her a hug. It's really sweet to see.
16) Hooray for Gymboree! We are still attending Gymboree once a week. Griffin loves interacting with his teacher, friends, and other parents. He runs around like a wild man, and maneuvers the equipment with ease.
17) Social butterfly....G has always been a very social guy. This trait has continued. He readily engages with familiar and unfamiliar people.
18) Clothes horse....funnily enough, G enjoys picking out his clothes. He walks into his closet and tells me if he wants to wear jeans, khakis, or corduroys!
Having this little guy in my life is truly a blessing. It's so much fun to see him evolve into a wonderful person! Motherhood is the best gift I have ever been given.
