Milestones...

I receive a monthly email from babycentre.ca reporting on the development of my child.  They started back when he was just a tiny little bean within me.  I don't always read them, but this month I checked it out, just to see what it said.  It was kind of interesting to see the milestones chart that came with it.  I don't really put a lot of stock into these milestones charts...I think they often have a tendency to make parents compare and think their child is better/worse than another child.  I did really enjoy reading it though, and thinking about some of the wonderful things that Rusty is accomplishing these days!  I won't say at which month he is supposed to accomplish these things, because I'm not for comparisons, but I just want to run down the list!  I'm not very good at keeping up in his baby book, but my hope is that some day he can read this blog to see how incredibly important he is to us, or at least I can read it and put some information down in his book!

Just a few of the milestones mentioned:

• Can use a spoon and fork:  Rusty is becoming very good at this!  We still often do finger food because it is easier, but he loves to try his fork and spoon.  It is still messy, but there is no problem with getting the food to his mouth these days!  He also used to turn the spoon upside down, but now puts it in the right way!
• Can run:  Boy can this boy run!  He loves to run!  He runs up and down our hallways day after day.  I love the little pitter patter of his feet.  One of the things he enjoys the most is if he has shoes on that make a noise on our laminate.  Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!  He looks down at his little feet as he runs and SMILES!
• Can wash and dry hands and brush teeth with help:  FOR SURE!  Papa started him on the hand-washing long ago and I think I have mentioned before how much he LOVES to brush his teeth!  In fact, he brushes his teeth multiple times a day!
• Can name a cat or dog when you point to it in a picture:  He knows many animals, and loves them...especially making their noises.
• Can point to an object that you name in a picture:  Rusty's favorite books before bedtime are a series that have many pictures in them.  We have read them hundreds of times, and lately part of our bedtime routine is to say things like "Rusty, where are the shoes?" and he points to them and we clap.  He knows so many items!  We bought a new book for him at Walmart yesterday-it has 100 items in it-and I can't believe it, but he knows almost all of them!  Not to say them, just to identify them by pointing!
• Names several body parts:  Rusty loves to point to various body parts, he knows a lot of them and can say quite a few.  He loves to say "nose," "mouth," and "eye."
• Can walk up and down stairs:  He can definitely do this and tries to do it on his own, which scares us!  We have had to teach him not to go down without an adult.  The up is easier, but the down just scares me!  He is so brave and thinks he can do anything...crazy kid.
• Can understand when things are wrong and think they are funny:  Rusty gets this!  He has started to even understand reverse psychology, which is hilarious!  We say "DONNN"TTT give mommy a kiss!" and he giggles and runs at me to give me a kiss.  I love it!  It is a GUARANTEED way to get kisses and hugs out of my munchkin!
• Can kick a ball:  Well, we know how he feels about this one.  Kick, kick, kick.  We kick the ball many times a day!
• Will throw away an object such as rubbish, in imitation:  Rusty loves this, especially with diapers.  He has learned to take the stinky ones out.  He likes to throw them to the bottom of the stairs for me to take out later, and today he was picking up paper scraps and putting them in the recycling bin!  Funny kid!
• Learns to jump:  Now, I just have to comment on this one.  Rusty loves to jump.  He has for awhile now.  I admit, I'm going to say the age on this one...the chart says that it is not even mastered at age 24 months.  I am shocked at this, and this is one of those reasons I don't put a lot of stock in these charts...I don't believe it.  I know a lot of kids that like to jump, and I'm trying to think back...I'm pretty sure it was before 24 months.  Regardless, this kid can JUMP!  He jumps all of the time.  He will just stand in the living room and jump, jump, jump. 

From what I can see, Rusty seems to be just right...for us!  He is very physical, and all things running, jumping, throwing, etc are big things for him.  He knows many words, but not a ton of them.  He understands everything we are saying these days.  My friend Sunny just wrote a post about how she has had to start spelling around her son and I had to laugh because we are at the same stage! We have had to start spelling many things because if Rusty hears them then that is all WE hear about!  He is also so funny in the random words and actions that he comes up with.  I know that part of them are things he learns at Nana and Papa's or Auntie Tara's when they take care of him.  Today I was changing a poopy diaper and said, "STIIINNKY!!!"  He grabbed his nose and laughed, and then grabbed mine and made sniffing noises!  Hilarious!

Some new words as of late, "Dora," "Boots," and "Swiper."  They sound like "Dooa," "Boos," and "Wipuh."  Yes, he does watch Dora.  Not a lot, but he loves it.  Thank goodness our days of "Night Garden" are over!  Today his Auntie Tara gave him some Dora figurines and he was in heaven...he wanted to nap with them.

Other new words are "hi" and "yes, please!"  The hi has been a LONG time coming.  He has been waving hello for forever, but would never actually say it.  Today, out it popped!  "HHIIIII!"  It was so adorable I made him say it over and over again.  As for the yes, please...well that is Auntie Lee Lee.  She took care of him this weekend.  We have been having him say please for a long time, but it was always sign language.  He wouldn't say the word.  She was giving him something and said, "Say YES please!" and he said, "Ses, seeease!"  It is so freaking adorable!  I ask him if he wants things all day long just to hear him say it!

Yep, our little monkey is doing just fine.  He is happy, healthy, and loads of fun.