This child continually astounds me!

It is amazing what Micah is learning and picking up on these days. For about a month now he's been saying a lot more than just ball, although that is still the favorite thing to say and the favorite thing to play with or sleep with. And still the very first thing he says when he wakes up, whether it is in the morning or after his nap - with a very cute and groggy voice. :)

But he's saying "Kee kat" and gets excited about the kitty cats and he YELLS "DADA" when he hears the garage door open and then he goes over to the door so he will be ready to show Daddy what he found (surprise! A ball!). He Meows like the cat when he hears the cat meow, but it sounds like "mum" when he does it. He doesn't really say "mama" yet, but I don't work on it with him either. I don't talk much in the third person to him.

It continually amazes us, too, what he understands. Ever since he could crawl, which was around 5 months, we taught him not to go toward the fireplace and he would shake his head if something rolled near it. He knows not to throw the balls that are hard and he knows not to push his sippy cup around on the floor (but he still does sometimes). I will ask him to put his cup on the table and he does it. A while ago, maybe two months ago, we were getting ready to leave and he had his socks in his hand, so I asked him to bring them over to me so I could put them on his feet. Dave and I were both shocked that he came right over to me with them in his hand. That was at 12 months! It is so easy to underestimate what your child comprehends. He growls like a lion when he sees one in a book. He points out balls or cats in books using his words. He loves his books again now and will constantly bring me a book throughout the day so I will read it to him.
He says "ma" for milk or more, but I know which one he means because he points. He still does sign language for those sometimes, but I think he is realizing that it's quicker just to say it. He signs "eat" at breakfast time or when I ask him if he wants to eat lunch or dinner. He knows to find a ball or two and go to the stairs when I say it's bedtime and he does the sign for "sleep" when he's tired and ready to go to bed. When I smell a stinky diaper, I tell him I need to change his diaper and he giggles and runs away from me (as if it's really comfortable to be running around like that!). He signs help, please and thank you, and he is starting give me kisses... and run away from me when I try to kiss him!

There is a little bit of a downside - he is gaining some independence. He is starting to throw tantrums when I take something away from him. He whines throughout the day if I don't understand what he wants. If he is tired or hungry throughout the day and I don't say the word "sleep" or "eat" for him to sign, he gets a little cranky. He has always been content to play pretty well on his own, but if I don't pay much attention to him, he whines. I have been busy with Christmas baking and (earlier this month) with finishing projects as Christmas presents. But I have found that I need to sit and stack things with him or roll a ball back and forth or read stories to him throughout the day and then he's fine. He really is a lot of fun almost all the time and I'm lucky to be able to spend all day with him.