Matthew at 17 Months

At 17 months, Matthew has been really challenging and fun, all at the same time!

He is bigger, faster, taller and smarter. Since he is bigger now, he couldn’t fit to his usual hideouts anymore. He gets himself stucked or gets scratches from trying to fit himself in. Since he is faster, running and climbing, it has been really hard. I am always stunned at how fast he can get to one point to another. And his being taller and more curious than ever, gives him access to more drawers and more stuffs. And when he has a hard time reaching, his smarts take over. He’ll pull the chairs, rearrange them so he can climb up on them to reach.

You would think that the playpen is the best way to keep him in one area, especially on busy times, but more than twice he has climbed out of the playpen even though he is only a few inches taller than the playpen. How he does it looks really difficult but he manages to get out in just few seconds without sweat!

Also, no bedroom doors must be left open or he will be climbing the beds and jumping over it. Nor bathroom door, or he will be climbing the stall, to the sink, and go though the cabinets. And I really want to prevent him from eating soap, toothpaste or shampoo.

Matthew at the playground.
Photo taken on Jan 2, 2008

He used to be really good with food, but lately he has become really picky. He only eats his favorites -’chicken and stars’ on regular days, and spaghetti in alfredo sauce, cookies and pizza.

Whenever he bumps his head or his legs, we usually come to him and rub the part that has been bumped. He has learned to use this to get attention. He has developed a skill to bang his head on the couch or worse on the wall. When he does that, he cries and points to his head, sort of in asking for sympathy, so we’ll come to him, rub his head and give him attention. I have once tried to ignore him when he bangs his head to discourage him, and break this bad habit. However, it’s really difficult to ignore him when I know he is hurting, whether he has done it intentionally or not. I really hope he breaks this self-destructive habits and not use them when he is older.

One of the funny things he does is force-feed his daddy, sometimes me, with his left over milk, by shoving his bottle to his daddy’s mouth when he’s done with his milk. When we feed him solid food, we always know that he is full already, when he picks the food from his mouth and shoves that to your mouth. What a darling, huh?!

But all his mischiefs are forgivable with his adorable smile and infectious laughter and when he starts mumbling. He is at the age when he can’t exactly talk yet but he can mix up more syllables. “tika-tika-tika” is his version of “tickle-tickle”, when he tries to tickle. Everyday, he comes up with more mixed up syllables. It’s amazing and wonderful talking back at him and he trying to talk back at us. So far he has repeated a few words a couple of times. We are in great anticipation for what they say explosion of words, when he will start talking, pronouncing words on his own and in context.

I know he is able to understand much more now. I can tell him to bring stuffs to Daddy or Me. I use this to get him away from the kitchen when I am cooking. I hand him something, a ladle or a plastic cup, and I tell him to give it to Daddy. He follows dutifully! He give skisses and hug abd blows kisses, too.

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This is Charmed Life’s 99th post.

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