Xander:
- Loves to sit in my lap and read books
- Is fascinated with animals and can do the sounds for a monkey, cat, dog, cow, fish, elephant and owl
- Shakes his head "no" when asked any question, even if the answer is actually "yes"
- Can (usually) correctly point to his head, belly, ears, eyes, and nose when asked
- Loves putting his shoes on to go outside
- Loves playing hide and seek and peekaboo, especially with Daddy
- Runs everywhere he goes
- Thinks it's hilarious to throw toys at Casper
- Loves to watch the goldfish swim
- Loves to copy facial expressions
- Is afraid of loud, unexpected or unknown noises
- Can't resist pushing every button and lever he can find, even though he knows it gets him in trouble (the washing machine is a favorite - many loads of laundry have been turned off halfway through)
- Finally lets Daddy put him to bed!
- Is very interested in trucks, busses, and cars, and likes to "vroom" his toy cars around
I think our little boy is going to be a cautious introvert. He is slow to try new things and sometimes has to be coaxed. He is not super adventurous, although he does get into plenty of mischief. He does NOT like to be dropped off at the nursery at church or the child care at the gym, and he cries as soon as he sees we're heading that direction. He does OK with a babysitter at our house though. He thrives on routine and he can be shy with new people. When he is comfortable and at home, he loves to giggle and play games and be silly. He dances to music, plays with his puzzles and cars and balls, and loves to go on walks. He is usually very sweet and good natured, though he is a normal toddler who sometimes cries and whines when he doesn't get his way.
He still talks mostly in grunts and baby sign language,but he understands a ton of what we say. He signs "please," "thank you," "help," "water," "dog," "diaper," "milk," and "all done." His speaking vocabulary consists of "light," "fish," "hi," "dog," "Dada," "Mama," "uhoh," "poop," "car" and "wubby." A couple of those words he has just started saying in the last week, and many of them are hard to make out if you're not me. He just started saying Mama and it makes my heart so happy. And also it's dangerous because it makes me want to give him whatever he's asking for!
He is still quite picky in his eating habits. At any given time he will only eat a handful of foods, most of them uncooked. Right now it's peanuts, fruit, guacamole, fish, and scrambled eggs. The eggs are a new thing and I am THRILLED about that. But usually when he starts eating something new he stops eating something old, so it all evens out in his world. I always try to give him a balanced diet, and some of what we are eating to try, he just usually refuses to eat it. He will also eat junk food of course, but I don't give him much of that.) One day he will grow out of this, so I try to stay chill about it.
A month or so ago, Xander got a little bug and for a few days was pretty pathetic with a fever. And then I got sick, and didn't have much energy, so during that time we watched a lot of TV, especially Daniel Tiger. Well today he asked to watch Daniel Tiger by handing me the remote and saying "meow meow." Ha! (One of the characters is a cat who always says that.) I was simultaneously dismayed that he is attached to the TV now, and swayed by his adorableness.
Xander is especially skilled at making messes, getting into mischief, and being exceptionally cute. He is our pride and joy and we love him to pieces!
