He pulls out the chairs and climbs on the table. He pulls out his high chair and climbs into it himself - occasionally getting both legs stuck in one leg hole and panicking! At least once a day I have to pull him down from the climbing the outside of the stairs, and we recently pulled out his old walker for a friend who came over and it's his new favorite toy (which he climbs in every time he sees it) in addition to climbing in the bassinet our little buddy sleeps in when she comes over! I am amazed by what he figures out and everything he does. This kid is CRAZY! He's such a thinker too! He's figured out how to open the "babyproof" locks on the cabinets in the kitchen and he sits in front of his high chair two or three times a day staring at, turning over, and trying to figure out the clasps on the straps. And he's talking up a storm - using over 40 words and even putting two words together occasionally! I just didn't expect him to grow this fast and be this into everything! I feel like I should be doing more to teach him or help him develop and take advantage of what a smarty-pants he is, but this isn't me - it's all him. I'm supposed to be this great teacher lady and early childhood expert, but I feel like I see all these other toddler mommies doing all these educational things and busy bags/books and sensory activities - and we don't do anything. For last month other than a few playdates a week, I've sat on the couch trying not to puke watching TV and messing around online while Owen plays around me - then cuddles to watch Sesame Street - and plays around me some more. I just can't muster the energy to do much more than feed us both, keep the house marginally clean, and keep the kid from leaping off tables or eating crayons. (Hopefully with the coming advent of the second trimester - I'll get some energy back and be able to be a decent momma again!)
Other than the craziness of my rapidly developing toddler - who BTW is 32" long (85%), 26lbs(85%), and has a 90% head - he also has 16 teeth (and is acting like 17-20 might be headed this way)! I must be doing something right though, because this kid is sooo sweet! He cleans up after himself 80% of the time and the other day, I was in the bathroom and heard a soft crash, shortly afterwards Owen came running into the bathroom with two handfuls of veggie straws. He put them in the trashcan next to me and turned on his heels running back into the kitchen. He repeated that process two more times and when I followed him back the second time I found the pic to the right. He had dumped the entire bag on the ground and instead of running away or hiding he started to clean up his mess all on his own! I was amazed by my little man! This was, of course, followed by two days of a kid who has been pointing at things he wants and becoming so frustrated when I don't understand him that he screams and cries and throws himself to the ground. Along with great strides in development also come some great frustrations as his communication skills and other abilities just don't measure up with his rapidly developing mind! This kid really is amazing though - even when he's screaming at me and it's ALL I can do to not scream back because I'm just as frustrated as he is that I can't understand him. I just keep thinking "I know buddy, mommy wants to help soooo bad, but I have no idea what you want or need when you point at half the kitchen and say "dis" insistently over and over!"
We've been here in the Midwest for 5 months now and I think we're finally adjusting to life here. November was a hard month, but it definitely had it's highlights too, and I can't wait to see what December has in store for us!
