20 months old

My oh my, the last month just disappeared into the ether.  Why does summer always do that?  Twenty months seems like a big milestone, even if it isn't really, ahead of the big two coming in Dec.

As I mentioned in my last post, Alistair is still not walking independently.   I had told myself that if we got to this point (20 mos.), we'd be seeking more help for him, but then he recently started making more obvious progress, notably impromptu standing on his own (something I don't think Mari ever did before she first walked in Mar.). He'll let go of what he's holding on to or just stand up from sitting, or even sometimes stand for a bit after we let go of him.  He is also standing (while assisted) with so much more confidence, strength, and good posture than before. It makes me smile, and sometimes cry...  

 

So I'm inclined to just let him continue on at his own pace, as he didn't crawl until Thanksgiving (11 mos.), but has been cruising for months, as she did.  He certainly watches Mari walk (and now run like a crazy girl) everywhere, but it doesn't seem to make him want to do it, so he's not frustrated.  I don't know if it's a confidence thing or what.  No one thinks there is anything "wrong" he's got all the pieces.  We're just trying to be patient.  And he climbs like a monkey, like when we went to the amazing playground in Southampton, and he was determined to climb up the biggest slide they had.

 

It's such a line between worrying about them and letting them just be the little people that they are.. You want what's best for them, and don't want them to be behind, but you don't want to push them too hard when they are just doing their thing. KWIM?

He's a sweet boy and has finally cut back on pulling her hair, sometimes now he just pets it, he can't help it, so we may actually be able to grow it out.

 

 

And my spunky girl, oh my spunky girl.  She's got her 16 teeth now and runs around like a maniac.  She did the cutest thing yesterday, I was carrying her month worth of diapers from the foyer to her wardrobe and turned around to find her on my shoulder (which she often is when I'm in her closet).  But she had a packet of wipes in her hands (they come with the diapers) that she needed to put on the shelf.  And then she proceeded to do the same with the other three, and of course the last two had to go in one trip.  Not necessarily developmentally advanced or particularly notably probably, but as much as she carries things around everywhere, this was one of the few times she was helping of her own volition, w/o prompting, and understanding that she was doing so.  Yeah, I teared up.  My big girl and helper.  Her next challenge, giving up her nuk.  We both may need to be sedated for that.

 

Doing yoga in the park in Southampton

(we finally got his hair cut yesterday, and he looks like a different boy)

 

So they are both very chatty and verbal, though they don't have more than a dozen real words (that I understand anyway).  I know that having them home is a slight disadvantage, hopefully offset by not being TV watchers (while this may be counter intuitive, both are shown in research studies to delay verbal development vs. the alternative).  We do read a lot and they listen to a lot of music, and sometimes, when I get tired of opera, to NPR. 

 

They love eating with utensils, drinking out of big kid cups, going to the library, and to see the ducks at the park and dogs at the market, but what seems to make them happiest is spending time with daddy.  We are all so lucky to have him. :)