Almost 21 Months Old
In other William news, his verbalized words now include "truh" (truck), "haah" (hot), and "choo" (for train). I swear he said "juh-juh" (Jo-Jo), but he won't repeat it upon request. I called the Children's Developmental Services Agency (CDSA) and scheduled W for an evaluation. The evaluation will determine if he even qualifies for their services, and it will give us an idea of where W's development is relative to other children his age (21 months).
Personally, I think he is consciously refusing to attempt speech, which is made clear by his defiant head-turning-away-from-me when I ask him if he will try to say a word--any word. It became evident to Grandpa today that William has no problem communicating because he used the following signs to convey a request to Mike: "help", "airplane", and then pointed to Grandpa's computer. Why speak when he can obviously communicate clearly with the adults around him? Either way, I would still like to know an expert's opinion on his developmental skills (fine and gross motor skills, problem solving, etc.). It'll be a whole new world for us when he does start speaking, though. I'm both dreading it and looking forward to it.
He's getting taller. And stronger. A couple months ago, he had trouble lifting my 5-lb hand weights. Now, he's picking it up off the floor and carrying it at chest-height several steps. His weight gain is still a bit slow. He's about 26 pounds, but he's probably over 33 inches in height. (I plan to measure his height on Monday--the 13th.) Everyone (in Charlotte) said that it looks to them that he's grown in since the last time he was here about 2.5 weeks ago. I suppose he has, but it's less obvious to me since I see him every day.
The strength of his will and personality is becoming extremely evident. He does what he wants, when he wants, and I've learned it's easier to manage his strong will by asking him to participate in some way. He doesn't usually mind requests like "Will you please throw this in the trash can?" or "Will you please pick up [xyz] off the floor (you're closer) and hand it to me?" He complies easily enough. It's the don't-touch-that requests that get ignored. I usually have to explain to him that he doesn't have permission to play with Grandma's fragile decor, or to stand on Grandma's dinner or coffee tables. He usually understands that well enough, even though he disagrees and tries anyway. Maybe he's testing to make sure it's a solid no.
He's becoming pickier about what he eats. He opts for sweet breads and/or cookies first and foremost. Then, fresh fruit. He'll consent to eat proteins such as fish or chicken but isn't too fond of beef or pork. He also likes vegetables (brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, green peas) but won't eat them if you cook them too often. I have to mix it up, and sometimes I have to sneak veggies into foods, such as spaghetti sauce. He loves macaroni & cheese, but not the stuff from a box, which I refuse to buy anymore. I use a recipe I got from his Grandma, who first made it last Christmas, and everyone loved it! She had to make more the next night because it was gone so fast! I've been making it for W about every other week. Oh, and he loves popcorn. He really likes watching it come out of the air popper! He screeches in delight when he hears the motor come on.
He's becoming enamored with trains (choo-choo's) now, too. I've been taking him to Pullen Park, where he can see the train circle the park, so now he likes them. He asks to watch videos of them when he's nursing. So sweet when he asks (I think it's sweeter to me because he's asking verbally).
Well, I think that's the run-down thus far. Hopefully, I'll get time to post again soon. G'night!
Personally, I think he is consciously refusing to attempt speech, which is made clear by his defiant head-turning-away-from-me when I ask him if he will try to say a word--any word. It became evident to Grandpa today that William has no problem communicating because he used the following signs to convey a request to Mike: "help", "airplane", and then pointed to Grandpa's computer. Why speak when he can obviously communicate clearly with the adults around him? Either way, I would still like to know an expert's opinion on his developmental skills (fine and gross motor skills, problem solving, etc.). It'll be a whole new world for us when he does start speaking, though. I'm both dreading it and looking forward to it.
He's getting taller. And stronger. A couple months ago, he had trouble lifting my 5-lb hand weights. Now, he's picking it up off the floor and carrying it at chest-height several steps. His weight gain is still a bit slow. He's about 26 pounds, but he's probably over 33 inches in height. (I plan to measure his height on Monday--the 13th.) Everyone (in Charlotte) said that it looks to them that he's grown in since the last time he was here about 2.5 weeks ago. I suppose he has, but it's less obvious to me since I see him every day.
The strength of his will and personality is becoming extremely evident. He does what he wants, when he wants, and I've learned it's easier to manage his strong will by asking him to participate in some way. He doesn't usually mind requests like "Will you please throw this in the trash can?" or "Will you please pick up [xyz] off the floor (you're closer) and hand it to me?" He complies easily enough. It's the don't-touch-that requests that get ignored. I usually have to explain to him that he doesn't have permission to play with Grandma's fragile decor, or to stand on Grandma's dinner or coffee tables. He usually understands that well enough, even though he disagrees and tries anyway. Maybe he's testing to make sure it's a solid no.
He's becoming pickier about what he eats. He opts for sweet breads and/or cookies first and foremost. Then, fresh fruit. He'll consent to eat proteins such as fish or chicken but isn't too fond of beef or pork. He also likes vegetables (brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, green peas) but won't eat them if you cook them too often. I have to mix it up, and sometimes I have to sneak veggies into foods, such as spaghetti sauce. He loves macaroni & cheese, but not the stuff from a box, which I refuse to buy anymore. I use a recipe I got from his Grandma, who first made it last Christmas, and everyone loved it! She had to make more the next night because it was gone so fast! I've been making it for W about every other week. Oh, and he loves popcorn. He really likes watching it come out of the air popper! He screeches in delight when he hears the motor come on.
He's becoming enamored with trains (choo-choo's) now, too. I've been taking him to Pullen Park, where he can see the train circle the park, so now he likes them. He asks to watch videos of them when he's nursing. So sweet when he asks (I think it's sweeter to me because he's asking verbally).
Well, I think that's the run-down thus far. Hopefully, I'll get time to post again soon. G'night!
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