13 Months

Grant is all kinds of busy these days. Here are some of the things that are keeping me on my toes!

• He's walking like a pro, and even starting to grasp the concept of running and jumping.
• Loves climbing up and down stairs and cries if anyone gets to go downstairs without him. He drops to his knees pretty much wherever he is, then sticks his leg out behind him with hopes it will find the stair that may (or may not) be there. He says, "down" as he goes down each step.
• He thinks "go" really is a magic word that will allow him to do anything in the world (like open the garage door)
• He signs "all done" quite proficiently, including when he's ready to get out of his car seat even though I'm just barely putting him in it.
• As soon as he hears the train outside, he throws his hands up in the air and says, "choo, choo!" (well, it's more like, too too!)
• He can say cheese, shoes, and juice, though all of them come out dooss. He knows what each one is, though, and when we get to the picture of shoes in a favorite board book, he has to stop the story, sit on the floor, and grab his feet. He doesn't like to eat much cheese by itself, but mac and cheese is his new favorite meal.
• His favorite toy this month was his harmonica, which he plays energetically and dances to, though his toothbrush takes a close second. No, on second thought, his favorite toy would have to be my spray bottle--he loves to have the water squirted in his mouth, and he'll carry it around and suck on it ALL DAY.
• The very day I taught him what eyes were, he picked it up and hasn't stopped saying eyessss ever since. He points them out on people, in photos, and in books. He also knows where his hair and teeth are because we brush them, but ears and noses are still a bit of a mystery.
• He finally started giving us hugs and kisses again after quite a cold display for several months. Now he gives me a huge kiss on the cheek, then immediately follows it up with a slap on the face. I was so shocked the first time it happened that a laugh escaped my mouth, and now he must think it's a game.
• He is starting to understand things I tell him, even without gestures. If I say, "Go find Daddy. He's in his bedroom," Grant doesn't even hesitate. He knows people, rooms of the house, and the names of many of his toys. This one has been a huge blessing for me!
• He likes to spin himself in the middle of the floor, and he switches directions every so often, which probably allows him to do it longer without getting sick.
• He's learning "The Hokey Pokey" (though watching Mom and Dad is still more fun than actually doing it).
• He was a picky eater in early January, then must have been going through a growth spurt, because he nearly ate us out of house and home during the last few weeks. After seeing him eating animal crackers all morning one day, I discovered that he'd been stashing them away in a cupboard he could reach. Very resourceful little squirrel boy.
• He has always had gigantic hands, yet he's always infatuated with the tiniest things (like a piece of lint on a toy). That trait hasn't changed at all in the last seven or eight months!
• He still loves making animal noises. Favorites: dog, bear, tiger, lion, cat, horse, frog, and sometimes baby sounds.
• He loves to stare at himself in mirrors, and will hold entire conversations with himself in the car as he gazes into the plastic mirror in front of him. He is his own best friend.
• He went through a phase for a few weeks where he would let us lay him down for bed without fussing in the least. It was bliss, but it didn't last long.
• He has discovered that he is tall enough to reach the high drawers in the house. Hence, here are the things I have constantly strewn about the house: toothpaste, makeup (though he keeps the blush brush near him at all times), brushes, combs, hair elastics, pencils, markers, scissors (I remedied that one quickly), gum, rubber bands, silverware, papers, sticky notes, measuring cups, rolling pins, tupperware lids, cookie sheets, bread machine pans, towels, underwear, socks, crayons, and occasionally the plunger. Sigh.
• He still loves to ride his birthday horse every single day, but the requirement is that Mom or Dad sings the William Tell Overture the entire time. Then he gets off, pets the horse, and feeds him imaginary food out of his hand. He also loves when we sing that song so he can make his animal crackers run around on the table or floor.
• He signs more about 217 times a day, and milk's sign is now just putting his thumb and first two fingers together instead of making a fist. Where did he come up with that modification?
• The things that drive us the most crazy would have to be his fascination with all things button, because he turns off the tv or changes the channel about a million times (or he pulls out the exposed plug), and he has broken our surround sound box because he's pushed the power button so many times. Sigh. We've done all we can to make it impossible, but he finds the buttons no matter where they are! Maybe someday I'll be really glad that he's such a technical guy...