Diez y siete

MR was seventeen months old (yesterday). I think, don't correct me if I am wrong, this was the first month where I didn't manage to write his monthly post on the exact day. Yesterday was a strange day in general, so I will let it pass.

I cannot describe just how much our child has changed. I have never been under the impression that MRwas anything other than human- but it is truly shocking, and thrilling, to be able to interact with him on a human level. He responds to simple requests, like sitting down to let me put on his shoes or take his diaper off for bathtime. He asks, sometimes prematurely, to be all done with meal time. If he wants water, he asks. He gives hugs and kisses, and says buh-bye when we leave and say goodnight. He dances to music and will repeat back little pieces of songs when you sing them to him.

We are not the only ones in this relationship aware of this new level of interaction. He can read us just as well as we can him. He knows what actions elicit laughs, and he understands what events can lead to sympathy. The other day he was playing around inside his playgate area when he stumbled and lightly bumped the side of his head against the side of the gate. It was nothing that should have led to crying, and probably didn't hurt at all, but he knew that bumps and falls mean crying and hugs. He looked to me to see if I had noticed his stumble, and finding me less than sympathetic he returned to the same spot, turned his head, and intentionally bonked his noggin on the side of the gate when he knew I was watching. He then proceeded to cry. The kid's no fool.

Next month he will be a year and half old, which is incredible to me. Somedays he seems so much older than that, others I can't believe how far he has come from being a squidgy little babe. Happy seventeen months bug.