12 month milestones

12 months old!

Mastered Skills
Imitates other's activities
Yes, Logan loves to clap if you are, do patty cake, and raise his arms to cheer.
Babbles wordlike sounds
He is "talking" up a storm, mostly "ga" and sometimes "ba" sounds.
Indicates wants with gestures
A new favorite activity of Logan's is the bite you when he is hungry.  At first we thought that he was biting because his mouth hurts, but no, he's letting you know he wants a snack.

Emerging Skills
Says one word besides "mama" and "dada"
Logan says a few things that might be words like "baba" for bottle and "hi".
Takes a few steps
He walks all over the place, especially in the last couple of weeks.
Understands and responds to simple instructions
Logan understands when you ask him to come to you and to open his mouth while eating.

Advanced Skills
Scribbles with crayons
I haven't really tried this yet.  Maybe soon we will see if he wants to color with big brother.
Walks well
He is all over the place and is close to running.
Says two words besides "mama" and "dada"
Not quite!

11 month milestones

Mastered Skills
Says "dada" and "mama" to the right parent
Logan only says dada (as of November 3, 2013) so far, but he knows who dada is.  When I asked him to say mama, he looks at me kind of funny, like "Yes, I know who you are" but he won't repeat it.
Plays patty cake
Logan loves patty cake.  He started doing a rolling motion one day and we didn't realize that Rhonda had been doing patty cake with him, so we just thought that he was doing a Conga move.
Stands alone for a couple of seconds
Yes, he likes to stand on his own.

Emerging Skills
Imitates others activities
Logan will wave if you wave and tries to pet the dog, if he is watching someone else.
Puts objects into a container
He certainly knows how to take them out of a container, so I'll say maybe to this milestone.
Understands simple instructions
Yes, Logan will come when you ask him and knows to stop doing something when you say no.  He knows when you ask him to open his mouth for a bite of something, but usually just smiles and opens his mouth when he feels like it.

Advanced Skills
Drinks from a cup
We are starting to work on drinking from sippy cups.
Says one word besides "dada" and "mama"
Logan says "hi" sometimes.  He also likes to say "Bubba" which is what we tend to call the boys.
Stoops from standing position
Yes, he will lower himself slowly to the ground from standing.  He is moments away from walking!

10 month milestones

Mastered Skills

Waves goodbye

Yes, Logan recently started to wave, its ridiculously cute, much like just about everything he does.

Picks things up with pincer grasp

YES!  This boy loves to eat pretty much anything in front of him, even if its not food.  He picks things up well and crams it right into his mouth.

Crawls well

Like a speed demon.  He's like American Express, anywhere you want to be.

Cruises

Yes, he moves well when holding on the furniture, I have a feeling he will be walking soon.

Emerging Skills

Says "dada" and "mama" to the right parent

Logan isn't saying much yet and isn't imitating sounds much either.  James was doing both of these fairly early at 7 and 8 months, but he walked super late at 16 months (while still within the typical range).  Logan's gross motor skills are pretty advanced, so I am trying to remember that his brain can only learn to do so many things at one time.  I still feel worried that most of his noises are more "oooohs" and "aaaaahs" and less consonants and vowel combinations.

Responds to name and understands "no"

One of my reasons for not worrying too much about Logan's lack of verbal communication is this, he knows his name well and understands (and fusses) when he hears "no", so maybe I should get my undies out of the bunch they're in!

Indicates wants with gestures

Logan does this some, he will raise his arms to be picked up and will bang his hand to get more food on his tray.

Advanced Skills

Drinks from a cup

He has started using a sippy some and seems to like it, we'll be working on his a lot in the next couple months as we get rid of bottles.

Stands alone for a few seconds

Yes, Logan will stand up for a second or two without holding on before slowly lowering himself back down to the floor.

Puts objects into a container

I haven't seen this yet, but I'm not certain that Logan has even been in a situation to put objects in a container.  One thing is certain, he knows how to take things OUT of a container.

I try to do a monthly comparison photo of the boys every month and every month I'm amazed at how much they look a like.  Throughout the month when I look at them together, I think they look nothing a like.  They have a few differences, Logan's hair is more red and there is more of it.  James has brown eyes and Logan has blue eyes.  But they have the same shape to their eyes, just like their dad and they both love to laugh and smile.  Logan has 5 teeth with 3 more on the way at 10 months and James still had NONE this age.  Looking at the photos, they definitely have the same little nose!  James was almost 2 inches taller than Logan at 10 months and weighed a pound or 2 more.  One day, when I'm ready for this blog to know what a dork I am, I'll post the Excel spreadsheet and accompanying graphs of their height and weight comparisons since birth.  I'm not sure why, maybe its the eyes and the hair, but I think Logan looks like my dad, his Grandbear.  Either way, one thing is for sure, these boys are adorable!

9 month milestones

Logan is three-quarters of the way to one year old.  We are already planning his big birthday bash and are waiting for him to walk, which I am certain will be sooner rather than later.
Mac just happened to turn 5 today, here is Logan wishing him a happy birthday.

Mastered Skills
Combines syllables into wordlike sounds
Logan makes all kinds of noises, he likes to talk to you if you're chatting with him.
Stands whole holding onto something
Yes, he prefers to be standing up and gets very upset when he wants to walk and realizes that he's just not quite there yet.

Emerging Skills
Uses pincer grasp to pick up objects
Yes, Logan loves to eat big kid food and picks up most things pretty easily.
Cruises while holding onto furniture
Yes, he loves to move!
Bangs objects together
I haven't really seen him bang things together yet, he does like to clear the coffee table of anything that might be on it.

Advanced Skills
Plays patty cake
I haven't tried.
Says "dada" and "mama" to the right parent (is specific)
He hasn't said anything that clearly yet.

8 month milestones

A few days before turning 8 months old

Mastered Skills (Most children can do)
Says "dada" and "mama" to both parents (isn't specific)
Logan isn't saying anything so clearly yet, but he is definitely making lots of noise and will repeat certain sounds.
Begins to crawl
Yes, while we were on vacation, Logan officially moved from creeping on his tummy to crawling on all fours.
Passes object from hand to hand
Yes, I guess he does this, but I didn't really play much attention to it.  He will move a spoon from one hand to another, so I will say it counts!

Emerging Skills (Half of children can do)
Stands while holding onto something
Yes, he loves to stand up.  At daycare, he stands, holding onto the baby swing that Raylene hangs out in and "talks" to his girlfriend.
Crawls well
I wouldn't say well just yet, but he's all over the place and getting faster everyday.
Points at objects
I haven't really noticed this yet.

Advanced Skills (A few children can do)
Pulls self to standing position, cruises around furniture while holding on
Logan will pull to a standing position as of this weekend, but isn't quite cruising yet.  I have a feeling its coming soon.
Picks things up with thumb-finger "pincer" grasp
Yes, he loves to eat!  Baby puffies are his main non-pureed food right now, but he picked up and tried some macaroni and cheese a few days ago and was in heaven!
Indicates wants with gestures
Again, I haven't really noticed this yet.  He will grab for his bottle when he sees it though, so maybe that counts.

5 month milestones

Logan, 5 months old

Mastered Skills (most children can do)
Can distinguish between bold colors
This milestone always confused me with James.  How do I know what colors he can distinguish?  Are we going to chat about it?  Logan does like to look at the TV and look at brightly colored books and toys, so I guess he can distinguish between bold colors.
Can roll over
Both directions for about a month now!
Amuses himself playing with hands and feet
He has not discovered his feet yet, but his hands are in his mouth a lot.  Teething hasn't set in too badly, but he has days where he is clearly in pain.  We've been giving him Orajel and Baby Tylenol for pain when he's inconsolable.

Morning smile 5/17/13

Emerging Skills (half of children can do)
Turns towards new sounds
Yes, Logan is quite curious about new noises.
Recognizes own name
Not yet, but we're working on it.
May be ready for solids
Logan loves rice cereal with prunes mixed in (the poor boy has a serious poo problem) and has tried sweet potatoes and peas.  He was not a fan of the peas, but we've only tried them once (yesterday).  Their texture is a big thicker than the sweet potatoes, even though they're also a stage one food, so I am thinking they were harder for him to swallow.  We will keep trying the peas this week and I might mix in some formula to thin them out a bit.  Next week we'll be trying carrots! We are being very careful with his first vegetables to make sure he isn't having any allergic reactions before trying a new food.

Not such a fan of the Orioles game 5/18/13

Advanced Skills (a few children can do)
May sit momentarily without support
Very momentarily, he will hold himself for just a second before toppling forward.  Luckily mom or dad is always there to catch him.
Mouths objects
There is always something in his mouth!  Either his fingers, the octopus that hangs from his car seat or another toy of some sort.  He has an apple teether that is one of his favorites right now.  Very soon we will be moving all of James' Legos to his bedroom, because as Logan beings to crawl and move, they will be a hazard for him.
Stranger anxiety may begin

Little Dribbler

Yes.  Definitely yes on this one.  Rhonda's mom, Miss Helen has been visiting since last Thursday.  Logan bawls the second he sees her.  He is very confused about who this woman is, why she's talking to him, and why she wants to hold him.  Miss Helen loves kids and James loves her right back, but Logan is not having it.  Luckily, Raylene, who is 9 weeks younger than Logan, is around for her to love on.

4 month milestones

Four months already!  I would say that I can't believe it, but I can.  Logan is four months today and growing like a weed.  He has a check up next week, so I will update his stats for height and weight then.  The website I was using to get my milestones from changed things around, so I couldn't find the same chart.  But here is a list I found elsewhere.

What most babies do at this age:
[x] Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
[x] Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
[x] Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning
[x] Begins to babble
[x] Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
[x] Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired
[x] Lets you know if she is happy or sad
[x] Responds to affection
[x] Reaches for toy with one hand
[x] Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
[x] Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
[x] Watches faces closely
[x] Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance
[x] Holds head steady, unsupported
[x] Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface
[ ] May be able to roll over from tummy to back
[x] Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
[x] Brings hands to mouth
[x] When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows

After reading through all the milestones for this age, Logan is meeting almost all of them. He's a very social baby and really enjoys the other kids at daycare.  He smiles at everyone he meets and loves to play with the toys attached to his play mat.  Logan is especially smitten with his big brother and I love seeing their interactions when we're getting ready to leave in the mornings.  James is very meticulous about his baby's sun shade being up on the car seat and making sure Logan is buckled in properly, and Logan smiles and squeals especially loud when brother is near.  James loves to kiss his little brother and gives him a bedtime hug every night.  Its just about the cutest, most wonderful thing I've ever seen.  I do have a feeling that the brotherly love may be coming to a hiatus, as Logan becomes more able to "steal" James' toys.  James has been working on sharing a lot at daycare, so I hope that helps us out some in the next few months.

First rice cereal

The only milestone on this list that Logan isn't currently meeting is rolling from his tummy to his back.  He went from his back to his tummy for the first time yesterday and then was stuck.  This angered my little guy, but he was over it as soon as I flipped him back over.  

Logan is quite the eater, taking 4 to 6 ounces every 3 to 4 hours.  We tried some rice cereal over the weekend and I think we'll be trying vegetables soon.  He had a few weeks of sleeping for 8 to 9 hours, but that was fairly short lived.  He will still sleep for 6 or so hours at a time, so we can't complain too much.  Naps are still not quite his forte, but he has been sleeping a bit more during the day.  
In other news, we took our first trip to the Maryland Zoo and everyone had a great time.  James and Logan's godparents, Jackie and Rob came, as well as our friend Herb, and his two year old little girl, Aurora.  The kids were well behaved and the group dynamic was a lot of fun.  I am generally hesitant with other parents, but everything went well and I hope we can all do more group trips.

James LOVED the zoo

Three month milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Recognizes your face and scent
Holds head steady
Visually tracks moving objects

Logan is definitely doing all of these things.  He smiles when he sees mom, dad, big brother or the dog.  His little head stays very steady and he likes to look around.  He watches and tracks moving objects well, usually its his favorite friend, Mac the dog.  Mac loves Logan right back, I don't think he realizes that the baby will one day be a running, screaming, overly affectionate toddler just like James.  

Emerging Skills (most kids can do)
Squeals, gurgles, coos
Blows bubbles
Recognizes your voice
Does mini-pushup

Logan is doing some of these things, he isn't blowing bubbles yet and gets pretty mad with tummy time, so his pushups could use some work.  But he makes lots of adorable noises and knows our voices well.  

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Rolls over, from tummy to back
Turns toward loud sounds
Can bring hands together, bats at toys

Logan hasn't rolled over yet, but he does move towards noise and bats at toys well.  His favorite thing in the world is his playmat and he's always grabbing onto the rings and toys that hang from it.  As soon as you turn on his light up star (that plays classical music) he is smiling and squealing at it.  James never liked the mat that much, so at least Logan is getting some use out of it.

2 month milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

Vocalizes: gurgles and coos
Logan has started to make the cutest noises, I think he startles himself when something comes out of his mouth that isn't a scream, because he looks so surprised.
Follows objects across field of vision
Yes, we are following all kinds of objects.
Notices his hands
They're in his mouth some of the time, so I suppose that counts as noticing them.
Holds head up for short periods
Yes, his head control gets better and better everyday

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

Smiles, laughs
In the last 2 weeks or so Logan has been smiling up a storm, he also kind of laughs, but its more of a coo at this point.
Holds head at 45-degree angle
If he's on his tummy, he can hold is head up at a 45-degree angle.
Makes smoother movements
He's getting there, his movements are definitely less jumpy than they used to be.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

Holds head steady
For short periods of time, yes.
Can bear weight on legs
Yes, if you hold him up, he will stand on his legs for a minute or so.
Lifts head and shoulders when lying on tummy (mini-pushup)
Yes, he still isn't a huge fan of tummy time.  He does like it if he's laying with one of us tummy to tummy and will hold himself up.

Logan also had his 2 month check up today.  He is doing well and the doctor was impressed with all the milestones he's meeting.  His head circumference was 15.5 inches, he weights 13 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 22 3/4 inches long.  He's off the growth chart and the doctor thinks he'll be between 6' 2" and 6' 6" tall when he's all grown, so we'll see if that is true or not.  He thinks that James could end up even taller!  
Logan also got 3 shots and the Rotovirus liquid vaccine.  He was not happy about the shots and had a pretty fussy afternoon and evening.  We gave him some Tylenol to help with the pain, but who really knows how much that helps.  I am just thankful he didn't run a fever or have any other bad reactions.  This morning he seemed back to his usual self, so I hope he and Adam make it through the day without incident.

One month milestones

I can't believe that one month can fly by so quickly, but I find that time moves quickly when you're sleep deprived.  So far, I've managed to still be punctual, even with the added stress and packing that a new baby bring.  Most mornings, I take James to daycare.  Logan comes with us and sits in the car while I run James in.  I figure this is good practice for when I'm back to work and have to get all three of us out the door.
I think its funny that I'm talking about being punctual, but Logan's one month post is 2 days late, but his doctor's appointment is today, so that's my reasoning.  You wouldn't want to read this update without his updated length and weight, right?
Well, now the post is three days late, as I'm adding his length and weight, but here you are.
Logan is weighing in at 10 pounds 7 ounces and is 21 inches long.  He's gained 3 pounds 2 ounces in 3 weeks and grown a quarter of an inch.  He's a stocky guy.  I double checked James' records and he weighs a pound more at one month, but is an inch longer.  We talked with the pediatrician who is pretty sure both boys are going to be between 6' 1" and 6' 4", which means they would get their height from my side of the family.  Who knew my genes were so dominate?  Either way, we're happy Logan is eating well and gaining weight.

Mastered Skills
Lifts head when lying on tummy
Logan has great head control for a little guy.  He has been lifting it during tummy time for a few weeks now.
Responds to sound
Yes, Logan is quite curious when he hears one of many crazy noises that go on in our house.
Stares at faces
Logan will sit, wide awake and check out whoever is holding him.  He seems to be very serious and I love chatting with him while he looks up at me.

Emerging Skills
Follows objects briefly with eyes
Yes, Logan has started tracking with his eyes.
Verbalizes:  oohs and aahs
Not just yet, we haven't heard too many oohs and aahs out of the little guy, but he makes a variety of strange scream-like noises.
Can see black and white patterns
I don't have any real confirmation on this one, but he does like to look at the black and white patterns on some of his toys, so I think Logan is meeting this milestone.

Advanced Skills
Smiles, laughs
Logan will smile randomly, its not quite a social smile yet (even if mom would like to think he is smiling just for her...)
Holds head at 45-degree angle
Yes, Logan will do this either on the floor or if he is laying on your chest.  Sometimes he is quite forceful when he lifts his head and tries to swan dive out of your arms.  He definitely knows how to keep his parents on their toes!

The Big Boy Room

Last night, James slept in his twin bed in his big boy room.  He didn't make a big deal when Adam put him to bed.  He went down at 7:15 for about 10 hours.  He's been waking up so early lately, I am hopeful that he gets back to his 7 AM wake ups some day.  That might be wishful thinking, as he's been on this schedule for a couple of weeks now.  Either way, I'm proud of James for being such an adaptable big boy!  He didn't even fall out of the bed or come wake us up in the middle of the night!  In fact, he cries for us to come get him out of his bed, even though he could do it on his own, which is kind of silly.  But I will take that over middle of the night visits.
So it looks like James will be sleeping in there from now on.  Adam put some of his work clothes in the nursery closet for now, but I'm going to make some space for him in mine.  I'm not using my closet right now anyway because all of my maternity clothes are in a tub by one of the dressers.  Its very classy.  I think I'm going to put some of my very littlest clothes in storage and that should free up some space.  One day, maybe I'll even fit into them again.  That might be more wishful thinking.
Moving the rest of James' things into the big boy room will check off a bunch of items on my "Stuff to do before the baby comes" list.  Luckily, that's not a lot, since he doesn't spend a lot of time in there, just his toy box and the rest of his clothes from the closet.  We do need to move a chest out of the big boy room.  It came from Adam's grandmother (against my wishes!) and is VERY heavy. It would probably kill any child that got stuck in it.  That's not even an exaggeration.  Adam can't move it on his own and I am unable to help at this point.  If we ask his dad for help, I am sure we will just get a guilt trip for not keeping the damn thing, so we'll see who we can sucker into helping move it.

Catching up

WHEW!  What a week it has been!  I haven't updated in a while because the last week has been a bit crazy for us!  But now we are back on track and back into our regularly scheduled programming.  A ton has been going on, James went for his 2 year check up, I survived 3 days with my coworkers at a conference, Adam worked from home 2 days, and James cut his first second year molar!  It has been CRAZY.
On Tuesday, the 19th, James was scheduled for his physical at 5 PM.  Hindsight tells me this was a stupid time to make an appointment, but it meant that I wouldn't miss any work.  If it had worked out, it would have put us at the doctor's squarely during dinner time.  Luckily, the pediatrician's office called me around 11 AM and told me that James would need blood work, but the lab closes at 4 PM.  They asked that we come in early, so I got off around 3 PM and picked my little guy up from daycare.  James is doing well, meeting almost all of his milestones and growing like a weed.  He is currently 35 inches tall and weighs 26.5 pounds.  This puts him in the 90th and 43rd percentiles respectively.  Although, they're still adjusting him for 35 weeks gestation, which seems silly, since he was the world's largest "preemie".  We're very happy with his weight, even though he's much lower in percentile than height.  A lot of information out there points to better adult weight if one is smaller as a child, who knows how accurate that is, but it takes some worry away for the time being.  James got his blood drawn like a champ and we have heard back that his lead test was totally normal.  Now for the truly annoying part of the story - somehow James' CBC was not done and we have to go back for another blood draw this week.  When I figure out who to give a piece of my mind to, I am certainly going to, because to make a 2 year old receive another stick is pretty ridiculous in my book.  Also, James received his hepatitis A vaccine and is now up to date with shots until he goes to school!  From now on, we'll see the doctor once a year for check ups, I told Dr. Chander that we would miss seeing him so much, which is why we decided to have another baby.  He laughed at me and told me he'd see us in December, after the new babe arrives.
Regarding the conference I attended in Ocean City - was I ever glad to be home.  Forced social interaction with my coworkers is not really high on my list of fun stuff to do and I am not great at the small talk aspect of things.  Also, I am truly amazed that adults can act so not adult in the presence of an open bar.  Part of me was glad that my pregnancy took all drinking out of the equation for me.  All in all, it wasn't the worst way to spend 3 days, but again, I was happy to be home.
Other than that, life plugs along.  As I mentioned, James cut his first second year molar and has been having a bit of pain from the whole experience.  This has made him a bit clingier than usual, but he usually settles down after some ibuprofen.  I will be so happy once this whole teething adventure is over, but we are getting close.  Then again, we'll have another little one to start all over with!

23 month milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Names simple pictures in a book
Yes, definitely
Uses 50 to 70 words
I think James is up to this many words, it is hard to keep track

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Opens doors
James can open some doors, like our front storm door that has a push lever.  We have to lock it so that he can't break out into the front yard.  He still can't quite open doors with a turning handle.
Sings simple songs
He sings a long with some of the songs on his LeapTop and Fridge DJ, but won't really sing on his own.
Takes more of an interest in playing with other kids
James has always loved playing with the kids at daycare and is always interested in what the "big kids" are doing.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Talk about self (likes, dislikes)
No, not yet.
Asks "why?"
All the time!

22 month milestones

Two more months until my baby is 2 years old!


Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Kicks ball forward
Yes, James loves to play soccer, usually with the dog.
Follows two-step requests (e.g., "Get your doll and bring it here")
Yes, again, James is pretty good about following requests like bringing Adam or I something or getting his shoes and then sitting in a chair to put them on.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Does simple puzzles
James has a few Melissa and Doug puzzles that he loves to play with.  One of them has 3 bears that you can put different outfits on and he loves it the most.  Adam will make up silly stories that go along with Momma, Papa, and Baby Bear and when they're done playing, James will say "ni-night" and help them go to bed.  If that's not cute, I don't know what is.
Draws a straight line
Yes, but he isn't too into coloring yet.
Names several body parts
Yes, James can name his hair, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, tongue, teeth, arm, hand, fingers, elbow, tummy, knee, foot, and toes.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Puts on loose-fitting clothes
No really, he will try to help and knows where to put his feet or arms, etc.  He's still far more interested in taking clothes off.
Might be ready for a big bed
I'm not sure, he hasn't try to get out of his crib yet.  He has made the transition to a nap mat at daycare, but I think he's fine in his crib for now.
Understands opposites (e.g., tall vs. short)
Yes, thanks to his Sesame Street flashcards, James knows lots of opposites.  His favorite cards are up and down and he will signal each one when you say it.

Keeping up

Everyone told me how quickly James would grow up, from my parents to coworkers, I have heard so many times about how quickly time flies.  I have certainly found this to be true and more than anything, I want to capture as many of James' special moments as possible.
But I have to say, its really hard to do.
James does so much everyday and learns something new everyday.
Right now, some of his favorite things are:
Looking at flashcards
Looking at picture books
Pointing out objects and asking "Dat?" when looking at story books
Playing with computers (hitting the keys and/or turning it off while an adult tries to use it)
Trying to give Mac commands
Chasing the kitties yelling "MAO, MAO!" (is there another communist revolution coming?)
Having someone put food in his mouth for him because he's too busy to do it himself
Trying to put his own socks on
Sitting on his potty fully clothed
Leaning in for snuggles when asked
Saying "No, no, no" in what kind of sounds like a French accent (too much Calliou?)
Saying "Go, go go" when riding on his scooter
Putting trash in the trash can or handing an adult trash that he finds
Those are a few things James is up to and I wish I could remember and write down every little thing that he does.  But I have to realistic!  I also have to remember to put the camera down and enjoy my little boy with 100% of my attention from time to time.

21 month milestones

Mastered skills
Can walk up stairs
James is getting the hang on walking, not crawling up the stairs.  He is making progress, but usually crawls up.  His legs are finally getting long enough so that walking is an option.
Able to set simple goals (e.g. deciding to put a toy in a certain place)
Sure, I think James is doing this.  He's stubborn enough that when he decides he wants something, he's going to get it.

Emerging skills
Throws a ball overhand
Yes, he loves to play fetch with the dog
Kicks ball forward
Yes, he also likes soccer with Mac
Stacks six blocks
James can stack blocks, but knocking them over is more fun

Advanced skills
Names simple picture in a book
Yes, James can name pictures in a book.  We also do flashcards with him at dinner, which he thinks is so fun.  Some of the things he can identify are cat, dog, house, mouse, fan, block, ball...  There are more, but he loves his flashcards.  He will also demonstrate something about the card, either meowing for a
Can walk down stairs
Not yet.

20 month milestones

How is my little boy possibly 20 months old?  Adam was looking at his baby pictures over the weekend and I absolutely bawled over how big my baby has become.  I believe my exact quote was "he doesn't even need me anymore."  Yes, that was a bit melodramatic considering he wouldn't let me out of arm's reach this morning.  But that's ok, its nice to be wanted!  After looking at James' pictures, (and crying) Adam proceeded to show me a "baby" picture of Mac (the dog).  I almost cried again.  I'm a mess!


Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Feeds doll
Yes, James will do this!  I only because Rhonda and I talked about what a silly milestone it was and then a few days later, James was doing it at daycare.
Takes off own clothes
He certainly tries to, but they aren't all the way off yet.  He's a big helper when getting dressed or undressed though, he knows where to put his arms and legs through, will give you his foot for socks or lean his head in for a hat.  I'm sure he will be getting naked on his own any day now.
Dumps an object in imitation, such as throwing garbage away
Yes, James will do this also.  He's a big fan of helping, so he'll give you something to throw away and will now put it in the trash can himself.  The only problem is when he starts throwing everything away.  We have been watching carefully, so hopefully nothing important is in the can!


Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Learns words at a rate of ten or more a day
Its hard to quantify how many words James is learning.  He'll repeat just about anything you ask him to, so does that count?  James picks up on most anything you're saying, so I guess this is a yes.  Maybe he just pretends to understand?  I have to throw in a proud momma moment, the other day, Adam asked James what color a stack of yellow blocks was and he said "yellow" like it was no big deal.  Duh, mom and dad, of course I know what color those blocks were.  He also got blue correct and sort of got a red out when asked about those blocks.  I had no idea he knew any colors yet, but I guess sitting down for preschool time with the big kids does have its benefits.
Can walk up stairs (but probably not down)
No, although he tries and it freaks me out.  


Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
May start exploring genitals
Yes, James definitely is interested in his little man parts.  It makes diapers changes interesting and entertaining all at the same time.
Draws a straight line
Straight lines are the only kind of lines James really draws, but he's still more interested in eating crayons than drawing with them.
Names several body parts
I'm not sure if he's naming them so much, but he can say nose and tummy.  I'll call this 50-50 for naming several body parts.

19 month milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Uses a spoon and fork
Yes!  More and more everyday.
Runs
Like a maniac.
Throws a ball underhand
Yes, underhand, overhand, the boy loves to play fetch with the dog.
Enjoys helping around the house
Yes, James does help a lot around the house.  He will put toys away when asked, give you his bowl or plate after dinner, take something to Adam for me if I don't feel like walking into another room, put something back that he wasn't supposed to have in the first place (like pieces of my broken closet door that I haven't fixed and are laying on my bedroom floor), find something for you such as his shoes or coat and hat, and other simple tasks.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Understands as many as 200 words
I can't really estimate how many words James understands, I think its a lot.  For instance, when he sees one of the cats, he will say hi and then meow at them.  Sometimes he will even make a hissing noise at the cats, since that's all they ever do to him.  So he knows that cats meow and hiss.  He does other similar things.  I am trying to think of all the things we tell him on a daily basis and he seems to pick up a lot.  He isn't at the phase where he repeats everything, but he will say a lot of words back to you.  I am going with a yes on this milestone.  Rhonda tells me that he doesn't miss a thing while hanging out with the big kids and will sit still for preschool time with them.  Really, let's face it - my kid's a genius.  I consulted with the genius' father, whose response was "Are you kidding me, of course he understands that many words."  So there you have it.
Recognizes when something is wrong (e.g., calling a dog a cat)
I can't really think of an instance where this has happened.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Washes and dries own hands with help
Yes.
Points to picture or object when you call it by name
He knows his nose, ears, tummy, mouth, and feet and will point to them.  He knows his sippy cup and bed.  So yes, he will point to a few things.
May know when he needs to pee
Not that I can tell.

A new skill

James has a new skill, and let me tell you, its adorable.

He blows kisses now.  It seriously melts my heart everytime.  He doesn't know the kissy sound yet, but he will put his hand up to his mouth, hold it out to you, and say something that sounds kind of like "boo".  He is so sweet!  Ok, he is so sweet when he's not busy being a toddler!

I will try to get a video of James and his new skill soon!

18 month check up

Yesterday I was off work, Rhonda was closed and James had his 18 month check up with his pediatrician, Dr. Chander.  The appointment was early, 8:30, but we were up and out the door in plenty of time.  We had to wait for awhile, which sometimes happen at Dr. Chander's, but James was a good sport and ran around the exam room in his diaper.  The nurse yesterday was new, so James whined at her a bit, but it wasn't too bad.  My little guy now weights 25.2 lbs and is 33.5 inches tall.  That puts him into the 90th percentile for height and the 50th for weight (still adjusted for being 5 weeks early).  He's a skinny little guy, but that is no surprise, given how much he runs around.  James sat patiently while Dr. Chander listened to his heart (his murmur still sounds the same as it did 3 months ago) and checked his eyes, ears, and mouth.  James also received his first of 2 Hepatitis A shots.  Everything was fine at his appointment, he is meeting all his milestones and we got a referral for a few pediatric dentists.
After his appointment, we headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  We got home in time for James to play a little, eat lunch, and go down for his nap.  After nap time, I took James and the dog our for a walk.  James did well, toddling down the street.  He made a break for it a few times, but we caught up and kept him for escaping.  Our street is pretty busy, so I was a little unnerved by the walk, but we survived.  It wasn't a productive walk for the dog, but at least we got some fresh air.
Around 3, a switch flipped in James' head and he was pretty grumpy for the remainder of the day.  I'm pretty sure his shot started to hurt, so I gave him a little pain medicine to help.  He was happy when Adam got home, but them promptly went back to being a grump.  He woke up this morning in a great mood though, so I think the mood has passed.