20 Month Update

He's 20 months now and I forgot to plug in my camera, so I have no recent pics :(

His appetite has picked up a bit since the iron supplement (anemia can cause a lack of appetite, so that could explain a lot!).

He's still not really talking, but I think he tries sometimes. He says "gar" for "car" sometimes, but mostly "vroom, vroom." But he understand complex commands ("go to the kitchen and bring me the fish toy") and things like that, so I have no complaints. Otherwise, he says "dada," "mama," "ja" (yes), "na" (no) - and he shakes his head now, so that's good. I've taught him more signs because he just picks those up in a day no problem and it's easier.

I have to teach him to climb up and down stairs because he's really behind now.

He is amazingly gregarious and friendly. He runs up to other kids, smiles and waves, but they're always more shy. Our neighbour's sister sometimes visits with her 22 month old and they are equally friendly and get along really well. Together, they yell and bang on stuff and they get a big kick out of that.
I am impressed with how independent and self-assured he can be (not always!). When he is off in the park on an adventure, he has no fear to run off and explore. When *I* chose to leave him though, that's another story.

He loves wearing hats and my headbands.

His favourite toy seems to be a red MegaBlok car my friend bought him for his birthday last year. She also got him a blue one and a yellow dump truck and he likes those a lot, too, but he takes the red one to bed with him sometimes and holds it when we nurse. He spins the wheels until he falls asleep.

I bought new nursing bras this weekend because I hadn't since just after I gave birth. I hadn't anticipated nursing this long, but that was before I really understood the benefits and just how easy it *can* be. It's not always - especially now because to a lot of ignorant people, it's "weird" and I'm constantly being undermined by doctors who don't know *anything* about breastfeeding at all.

But back to him! He's super affectionate and luckily I taught him to give closed mouth kisses - no more of those goobery, messy kisses. I also taught him to blow kisses, so that's nice.

He dances A LOT, usually to African drum rhythms and piano music (he loves the CTV News weather music!) so I want to take him to the tam-tams when the weather is nicer.

He likes drawing, but he keeps eating crayons, so I have to watch him really closely (he's fast!). He has an Etch-a-Sketch and three Magna Doodles (and he can't eat those) so he uses those a lot. If only I could get him to eat *food* as much as crayons...maybe I need to make crayon-shaped food....