I thought I would write a little bit about what Wyatt is up to these days, now that he is 17 months old. He is starting to "run" a little bit. He really wants to be able to jump, and pretends he is, but his feet don't leave the ground. He still loves to dance, and now he will spin around in a circle while moving his fist up and down (his "dancing"). It is so funny when he falls over because he has made himself dizzy. Justin says he must have my balance, because it doesn't take much for him to fall over.
Talking is the main thing Wyatt does. He is a pretty good communicator with Mama and Daddy (others have trouble interpreting), and there are only a few things he has recently started saying that I can't figure out. Here is a list of some words he has picked up over the last couple of months: push, yucky, off, light, outside "side", slide, swing, door, diaper, cheek, teeth, amen, again, one more, cereal, raisin, apple, cracker, cheese, chicken, berry, Staci, Granny, Mr. Ron, rain, mowing, poo-poo, tractor, car, seat, and Pawpaw. He says something for Grandaddy and Grandma, but they aren't as clear as Granny and Pawpaw (which is funny, because the names he can and can't say well don't go together). He really understands things too. This morning he was fussing because he wanted something out of the fridge. I said something like - we don't talk like that, how do you ask nicely. He stopped fussing, looked at me and said, "please."
Lately one of the things that had been driving me crazy was when Wyatt would just fuss and cry while I was trying to get things done. There would be nothing wrong with him, he would just want my attention or want something he couldn't have. Well, I started putting him in his room for timeout. Once he stopped crying I would go let him out to be with me - and it worked like a charm. Previously when I got him to stop crying he would start up with the fussing again really soon, but with the time out he stopped fussing and was pleasant to be around (even when he was tired). Life has been made much easier with this tactic. I have only had to do it a couple of times ever - and the benefit has lasted even though he hasn't had time out in almost a week.
On the other hand we won't be doing any kind of physical punishment right now. I gave him a little swat on the hand for disobeying me the other day (continuing to throw food across the room right after I told him no). Well, as soon as he was out of his high chair that night he came over to me and gave my hand a little swat. It was so funny because he imitated exactly the way I had done it to him. Justin and I looked at each other and said, last time we try that!
He is imitating things all the time. He likes to bring me my exercise band (no I don't actually use them to exercise with like I should) and I will show him how to use it - big grunt as a I stretch it out. Then he will make a grunting noise as he pulls on the band. He likes to sit, fully clothed, on his little potty and say poo-poo. (He won't sit on it at all undressed like before his bath though - goofy kid). He likes to "help" me sweep, dust, and vacuum. He especially likes to vacuum and will turn it off and on when I am trying to use the hose to vacuum the furniture. Wyatt loves to pretend to talk on the phone - or things that look like phones such as remote controls or calculators (he doesn't do this nearly as much as he used to though). I have to watch what I do in front of him. I was weeding the other day, so he started trying to pull up my flowers!
Oh yeah - Wyatt finally got his 5th tooth to poke out the other day.
We have a sweet, sweet boy. We sure love him and are very proud parents.
