Special Skills

Many parents are proud of milestones and accomplishments their children reach. Most parents enjoy watching their children learn new skills. We are no different.

But today we are not highlighting the fact that Sam learned to walk (we already discussed that), has a massive vocabulary (its growing but not massive), or learned to read (not even close). This milestone is discussed far less frequently. But to a boy who has been itchy since infancy, its just as important.

That's right, Sam has learned to apply his own lotion. He can flip open the cap, wipe his hand across the tube, and then rub his belly. Just like we've done for him him every day for over a year.

Can your 17-Month-Old do that?

Bye-Bye Baby Curls

I just don't think he looks like himself anymore. I think that his wild, untamed hair matched his personality. Its too clean cut, too neat. He'll have to smear a bunch of food in it to better suit himself.

But he does look handsome, doesn't he? We took Sam to a real barber shop - pole and all - in our neighborhood for his very first hair cut on Saturday morning. I was the only girl there. It took a while (10-15 minutes) but he did great for most of it. A little restless at the end, but I was actually surprised he lasted that long without getting fussy.

We saved two curls for his baby book. Now you can vote - did you like it better before or after?

BEFORE: Right after nap on Friday. Look at those curls, and that awesome bed head!

AFTER: He was showing Sam that the razor wouldn't hurt. Sam knew that - he plays with Daddy's every morning. We don't comb it to the side like that, I like it better straight forward.
And here's some of the process:

Separation Unanxiety

Remember last winter when I kept talking about how Sam had separation anxiety? He hated to be dropped off, hated babysitters coming over, hated anything that made him think we were leaving? Someone flipped the switch. All of the sudden, its gone.

I think the biggest reason is that we've started prepping him for what's to come. We tell him that we're going to church, he'll play with other kids while mommy and daddy do "boring adult things." We tell him that friends are coming over, but mommy and daddy will stay to. I tell him we're going to the gym, he'll play with some big kids, and I'll be back in a little bit to get him. Honestly, I think he understands.

Also, I think he has finally figured out that these places we take him have REALLY cool toys. Our church moved into its brand new building last week and Sam's nursery room (1 of 10 for children 3 and under) is full of brand new things. On Sunday he hesitated for 30 seconds about going in. Then they pulled out the little buggy car and he never looked back.

And let's talk about the Y...there are always "big kids" to play with. One day they took him OUTSIDE to a preschool-sized playground. Today they took him to the basketball court to run, throw balls, and ride cars. When I picked him up he was in the Cozy Coupe. I approached him, asked if he wanted to come home with me. He slammed the car door shut and shook his head no. I guess we know what's going on his Christmas list!

Some parents would be sad that there children were so indifferent to their leaving. Perhaps if it had always been this way I would be too. But after 8 months of tearful goodbyes and being paged out of church, it makes me smile.

Lately...

A few pictures to show you the types of things that Sam has been up to recently:

1. Forts and other Sam-Sized Spaces. He likes to squeeze into places that adults can't. He like to be "in things" and "under things."

2. Climbing. On anything and everything he can get onto. Its no wonder that one of his few words is "up," he says it frequently when he needs a boost.


3. Chewing. He was doing so much better about putting everything in his mouth, but he's slowly getting molars. So everything is getting shoved way in the back.

How about those slippers in that last picture? They were a gift from Chris's aunt and uncle. They're mooses. Meese? One moose on each foot. Either way, they're the right size for a 3 year old but Sam loves them. Also visible in that picture is his Buddha Belly. It comes out after dinner most nights. He looks about 7 months pregnant. Ha Ha.

Loved To Death

Meet Birthday Bear. Or as Chris and I refer to it, Creepy Bear. He was a gift to Sam from his Great Grandma Sivard. When you squeeze the button on his paw the candles on his hat light up, his head tilts about, his mouth opens and closes, and he sings "Happy Birfday" (yes, I intentionally spelled that wrong - the bear can't say his "th). The whole thing reminds me of those anamatronic characters at Chucky Cheese's - which makes him creepy to me.

But not to the under 5 sect. Ever child who has come over since Sam's birthday was loved Birthday Bear. Every single one has smiled and giggled and made him sing again. At first Sam would drag him over to us so we could make him sing over and over and over again. Then we taught him to squeeze the bear's paw - mommy and daddy no longer required. But he still dragged the bear around the house. Sat the bear in his chair. Loved the bear.

And there in lies the problem. Birthday Bear isn't a true stuffed animal. He has a hard case holding the electronics, wires, lights, etc. Banging around on the hardwood floor has been rough on the bear. First one of the plastic "flames" popped off exposing a tiny little light. Then he started singing with a strange accent. Then two more "flames" popped off. Then he started singing slower...and slower...and slower. And then it happened.

Birthday Bear died.

Mommy and Daddy tried to revive him, but it wasn't the batteries and we couldn't get to all the wiring without destroying the exterior. So Birthday Bear sits quiet, dark and still.

Sam doesn't understand why his bear doesn't sing to him anymore. He started bringing him to us again, asking us to make him sing. We have to tell him Birthday Bear is sick and we show him that even Mommy and Daddy can't make him sing. But he forgets and tries again a little later. Its sad.

So Birthday Bear must go away now. Don't worry, Sam will be fine. It will be an "out of sight, out of mind" situation. Its just too sad to see him try over and over to make the bear sing. Birthday Bear is officially the first toy that Sam has Loved to Death. I'm sure there will be more to follow.

The River

About a week and a half ago we returned from Sam's first trip to "The River." By river I mean the Ichetucknee...no I didn't spell that wrong. It is a spring-fed, clear, cool river in the middle-of-nowhere northern Florida. Chris and his family have been vacationing there since he was little. In 2005 his parents went in on a cabin with his Aunt and Uncle, so now we can go whenever we want. Theoretically. Because, you see, its a 12 hour drive from Houston. So while this was Sam's first trip, it was only my third. I went once as a "single" gal (Chris proposed our first night there!), once as a DINK, and now as a mom.

Great-Grandpa Hunniford was able to join us there for a few days - isn't it amazing that Sam gets to vacation with his Great-Grandfather?! Aunt Becky was there for a few days too, and she brought her boyfriend. We finally got to meet him! So it was a full house there for a few days, but the rule at the river is "the more the merrier!"

Here's what's wonderful about the river: once you get there, you're there. Literally. There are no places to go or people to see. You hang out, play games, float down the river, play on the beach, eat food, hang out, sleep, repeat. I wore nothing but swim suits, t-shirts and gym shorts the entire week. Ahhh. It is wonderful to travel to your parents place - fully stocked so you don't have to pack as much. And when the co-owners have a three year old, there are also age-appropriate life jackets, waters shoes and toys for our little man as well.

Our trips to the river are always relaxing and this one was no exception - it was just relaxing in a "we have a 16 month old" kind of way. Chris's mom did almost all of the cooking - including a yummy birthday cake for me! - and there was no laundry, cleaning, work, etc for either Chris or me. But we shared a room with Sam and he didn't sleep well. As soon as he stirred and saw us the night was over - which meant 5:30 eastern (4:30 Texas time!) on our last morning. Thank you, Grandma, for taking him so Chris and I could go back to sleep! And of course our peaceful floats down the river were punctuated by moments of tears and unease, but those were the exception rather than the rule.

Actually, once we figured out the best way for him to ride, Sam really enjoyed floating down the river. And what was the best way for him to ride? Not in the contained little boat that mommy took just for his comfort. Nope. Perched on the edge of daddy's tube, practically falling in the water was the place to be. I mean, why wouldn't my child who was terrified of water back in May want to splash, pour and drink the 72 degree water the whole time? Other than position, our keys to a successful river run were a simple cup and squishy ball. The cup allowed him to fill, dump and drink to his hearts content. He even liked to drink from the ball - dunk it in the water and then suck it dry.

**Quick note: Sam started getting molars on this trip (the two fingers jammed waaaaay back in his mouth were our first clues, the chewing on ice our second). The obsession with drinking the cold water was likely related. Although he drinks his bath water too, so who knows.**

At the end of the run is a little beach area frequently populated by the "redneck yacht club." Boats come in for the day to swim, with music, food, etc...and dogs. I'd say 75% of the boats bring dogs. Oh what joy for our little man! He played with all kinds of different breeds, but one stood out. At the end of our trip we met a tiny little lap dog (complete with life vest!) that played so well with Sam. The two of them played their own little game of hide and seek/peek a boo around a giant tree stump. I'm not kidding - without any initiation from any adults one would hide on the far side until the other found him, then they'd both run around, hide again and repeat. Ohh the giggles! They had people from two other boats laughing too!

Let's see, other notes from the trip: Grandma and grandpa got him a monkey stool which he now loves to sit on. Sitting on Sam-sized furniture is now an obsession for him. Watching him stick his tiny tush out in hopes of hitting the seat is pretty cute too. Is it bad if I giggle when he misses? Also, he learned quickly that "go" meant we were going to the river and knew exactly which vehicle to head towards. He was afraid at first, but quickly learned to love rides in the golf cart. He did NOT like being in the very back of the Pilot with Aunt Becky - he knows he belongs in a car seat in the car.

We can't wait to go back as soon as possible!Who taught him to do this? Not me!

A Man of Few Words

Sam has always been a very physical guy. He's always been more concerned with getting around than master fine motor skills or talking, and this has manifested itself in different ways over the months. Right now it means that he is a pro at climbing all over the furniture, but doesn't have as many words as some of his peers. He's making progress though. Here's a little update on Sam's communication.

Sam's Vocabulary:
1. Hi
2. Uh Oh
3. All Done
4. All Gone (he's uses 3 and 4 interchangeably, but only one at a time. this is an "all gone" week.)
5. Hot (we taught him this in relation to the open oven. he now remembers which foods have been served to him too hot to touch and reminds us when he sees them again. its also becoming his word for anything dangerous)
6. Up
7. Go

Non-Verbal Communication:
1. Waving. Sam finally learned to wave in the last two weeks. Yes, most kids accomplish this months before their first birthday, but we're still proud of his accomplishment.
2. So Big! When you ask him how big he is, he sticks his hands straight up in the air. If one hand is busy, he'll do it with just one arm. Pretty cute.
3. This Much! When you ask him how much he loves Mommy, he sticks his arms straight out to the side. My favorite, for sure.
4. Touchdown! Ok, I got this idea from a friend who taught it to her toddler. He now sticks his hands straight up in the air when I say touchdown :-)

Comprehension:
I've been told over and over again that this is far more important than his word count at this age. I have no fear that the boy's comprehension is just fine. You ask if he needs a no diaper and he violently shakes his head no. You ask if he wants a snack and he runs to the fridge. You ask if he wants lunch and he runs to his high chair. He observes everything that Chris and I do to figure out just how things work. Yesterday he stole my keys and reached them with all his might up to the door knob on our shed (where the outside toys are kept). We never taught him what keys are for. This morning he held an empty cup up towards the "through the door" ice and water dispenser on the fridge.

Creative Play:
This week Sam built his first fort. He intentionally knocked over his stuffed chair and crawled underneath it to play. We didn't teach him how to do that.

This really has nothing to do with communication, but its a fun story: Sam is getting tall. He can reach every surface in our house except the kitchen counter. Yesterday he got into the candy dish and started sucking on the Hershey kisses - through the wrapper. He kind of nawed the wrappers off to get to the chocolate. He cried when I tried to clean up the mess because he wanted more. He could care less about cookies and cake, but apparently chocolate is a different story.

It is so much fun to watch his little brain develop and I'm so proud of everything he has learned. Its fun to imagine what his stream of consciousness must be while he's getting into trouble or figuring things out. I can't wait till he can tell me all about it!