Vincent is 17 months old!
Vincent turned 17 months old the day after Christmas. This month just flew by! I feel like i just finished writing his 16month post! Well, probably even more so since i procrastinate so much! Anyhoo, he has done a few exciting things this month. Lets recap!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sourskittled/8322787228
Copying Mommy and Daddy!
Whenever we was our hands after we change his diaper or go to the bathroom, Vincent will come running to the bathroom and start rubbing his hands together to copy us. It is so cute! So normally take the time to wash his hands too — he gets his hands into everything, so never too early to be teaching good hygiene.
Since he starting doing the hand motions, i thought i’d try a few sign language words. He can now sign “more” – but only after reminding him.
His own sign for “more” or pointing at something he wants is to wave his hand like he is saying “hi” at an object, and wimpering/fussing.
He loves to find my hair brushes and lift it over his head like he is brushing his hair.
I read online that you can try to teach your child to “hop on one foot” or just hop with both feet off the ground. So we tried it the other day, and it’s very hard to get him to look at you long enough to show him! But once he sees you, he will just lift his hands up in the air and go on his tippy toes.
Exploring New Places
Last week we went to a bounce house place in Watsonville called Pump’d. He is a little young to be fully enjoying it, but i just wanted to take him somewhere different and get out of the house. Since it’s been so rainy and cold, only indoor places are practical at this point. He loved the bouncy slide, and just running around the place in general. He kept running up to the painting on the wall.
We also went to the mall a last week ago and played in their kid area. He had a blast there!
He was laughing and smiling and running around all crazy.
He even got a chance to pick up a chewed piece of gum from the floor and put it in his mouth. Mommy had to fish it out with her hand and i was sooo disgusted when i figured out what it was….
He also got a chance to ride on a merry go ’round that is also at the mall. Jeff took him and I took the photos… i can’t really tell if he liked it or not. It took a while for them to start it up, and it looked like he was getting antsy because they kept switching horses. But he did smile and wave at me a few times he passed by.
We also rented a car to take him shopping around in. He found that super fun! Much better than his boring stroller.
I have taken Vinny to the gym daycare a handful of times now. Its a really cool area with a big play structure that looks like a rocketship, toys, and a tv. The little kids are in a separate area from the bigger kids. He does pretty good when he is there. Sometimes he will cry a little but they just have to distract him with toys.
Throwing a Ball, and other objects
He started this last month, but it seems he can really “throw” a ball now. Before he would kind of just drop it, but now he can pull his hand back and do an overhead throw (to the ground, not to a specific target yet)
He also is obsessed with throwing things over the baby gate — his toys mainly, but if he can find our iPad he will throw it over and make it makes a large “boom” sound! Not good… its still in one piece for now.
He is also really into taking out the tissues of a Kleenex box one-by-one. Oh… and we have a lot of tissue boxes lying around the house because i have allergies.
But he does like to “put them back” too — its just they are are torn to bits and pieces! It’s quite a mess, and inconvenience really.
Dancing
We started to notice that Vinny likes to dance to music. So we play a lot of YouTube music videos for him.
He kind of danced to “Gangnam Style” by PSY (Korean pop star) — more like a little bopping.
Then he really got into it with “Bing Bang” by LazyTown (a televisions show on Sprout). His favorite by far! He also loves just hearing the song. Goes in circles and gets himself dizzy.
He will also dance to other songs (Christmas songs, songs on the radio, mommy’s workout music). We have a blast trying to get him to dance!
Here is a shot of him touching the stereo – he was kind of fascinated that the sound was coming from the box and there was no sight associated with it (like with the TV). He also found the dial for the volume and turned it up — he definitely startled himself! I laughed… he just backed away and stared at it like “what happened?!”
Making Car Sounds
We noticed whenever he is playing with a toy car or truck, he will make a “aaaaahhhh” sound, like his is trying to say “vrooom” or some other car noise. It is so funny! I guess he has picked up on it from Jeff and I. I normally say that when i drive him around in his ride along car. He really has fun running all around the room and dragging his car along a route.
He also noticed cars passing by when we were waiting at my friend Carrie’s house. As multiple cars rode by, he went “ahhhhh” and turned his head looking at each one of them. I yelled “car!” every time to try to associate the word with the object.
Talking yet?
So he is not really saying any words yet… Still “Dadada” all the time. Now it is “Nananana” when he is sad or upset (used to sometimes be Mamamama). “I diiiiiid” i hear a lot – not sure if he is saying “I did it” or something like that. And he really talks lots of jibberish still. We are trying really hard to get him to say “ball” by holding it out by our face and looking at him in the eyes and repeating it over and over. I think he’s said “baaa” a couple of times that way.
Going to try to do more sign language, but my sitter won’t do it with him when she’s watching him so it will be kind of slow learning process.
Bad Behavior
In general, i think Vincent is pretty well behaved toddler (so far) but he does do a few things consistently that are not desirable.
One being, throwing his water or milk cup over the side of the highchair. He doesnt really laugh or anything when he does it, and i scold him everytime because it really makes a mess (even if the cups are “no spill”). I think we’re going to start to have to just take it away as soon as he does that and not give it back to him.
He also still “sweeps” his food when he’s bored or getting close to finishing eating. Or he places his food ON his sippy cup…
He will make that puttering sound with his lips and spray food out of his mouth when he is “done” — REALLY trying to teach him to sign “all done” instead of doing that!!
He loves to get into Butter’s water cup that we normally have out on the coffee or end table. We have to move it so that only Butters can reach it and not the baby. Poor Butters – he really has to go through hoops to eat, drink, and poop now!
Diaper changes are a game to him… He thinks its time to wrestle. He will take his right leg, and swoop it around like a wrestling move and try to pin our left arm down! He will also flip and turn over off the changing table, then wiggle his way down to the floor from the bed. He feels quite accomplished when he does this.
Wrestling/Tackling/Somersaults
Speaking of wrestling, he loves to tackle us when we are sitting on the ground with him. He will just topple over on you and laugh.
He also learned to do a somersault — i guess they do this at daycare out on the grass. He’s done it at home a few times now on his own. Thinks its the best thing ever. I’m afraid he will break his neck! He even likes to do it off his little couch…
Laughing Lots!
We were watching a Christmas special on TV (The Gruffalo’s Child) while he was eating his snack, and all of sudden he starts LAUGHING hysterically!! So glad i caught it on video (and recorded the show for him)! It’s just this one part where the monster on the show is going through the snow and “skating” all over the ice pond. We love to play it for him and hear him laugh. Its funny every single time!