Emerging Toddler

Alex is just two months away from his first birthday and it is starting to show. The infant is morphing into a toddler in so many ways.

Verbal
I think we have a first word! He gives lovely kisses (when he's in the mood) and will plant a nice, French-style one on me and then say "tsss" for kiss (it was one of Cora's first words, too). And when he doesn't want to give me the kiss I've asked for, he sometimes shakes his head no. Other than that, he does vocalize but overall is a pretty quiet guy. There are yells and shrieks and some da-da-da-das but I've been preparing myself for the fact that boys are typically less verbal than girls.

Physical
He is one fast crawler and can get into trouble quickly--the gates are all back up in the house. He isn't walking but cruises the furniture really well and has stood alone for a few seconds. We've busted out the push-style walker and he can use it but is more interested in the toys on it. He has a mean little full-body dance that he does and he claps a lot. He is signing "all done" and has even signed "bath" once.

He is crazy strong and getting his diaper or clothes changed has become an exhausting venture. He has to be distracted with a toy, pinned with a leg, or corralled in his crib just to get the job done. He has also discovered that it's fun to drop things (his cup, his spoon, his fork, food, etc.) and it's really fun when someone gives them back to you just to be dropped again.

Food
A couple of weeks ago, Alex decided he was done with us putting food in his mouth with a spoon. He will sometimes drink yogurt or pureed soup from a cup we offer but if he doesn't put it in his mouth, it's not going in. We also have some luck with loading a fork for him and he may choose to put that in his mouth. The last few days he is barely eating (we get one pathetic meal into him if we're lucky) but it looks like he's cutting his top two teeth so that may have something to do with it.

He still nurses four times a day and I know he's not starving or dehydrated. He loves meat and shovels it in (with lots of mmm-mmmm-mmmm), likes cheese (though he didn't this morning), likes carbs, likes cauliflower and broccoli, and usually shuns any fruit offered to him. Bring on the picky toddler! Mostly, he likes to try to eat what we eat.

People
He loves his sisters, especially Eva who will play with him and hold him under his armpits to walk. If he hears the girls and can't see them, he is desperate to find them. He loves his daddy and gives Matt lots of smiles and cuddles when he gets home. The other day we were playing at a friend's house and Alex kept trying to kiss and grab their youngest son who is just a couple months older than he is. He really responds to the Skype sounds on the computer and comes booking over on all fours to see the person on the computer.