39 Weeks - Smart Cookie/Head Shaking

This was one of those impressive weeks. Where I really think you are progressing and becoming a little person and not just a baby.

First let's talk about all the smart things you do.  Like learning to throw away your diaper.  I came home one day and your mom showed me that you could do it.  It was amazing!  We just have to ask you where your diaper or "yuckers" go and you toddle off to the trash can and either plop it in or await a boost to help put it in.


And you have finally mastered clapping and waving.  After you throw away your diaper and we say "good girl" you clap.  You pretty clap anytime we say "good girl" now.  Not to mention all the times you clap for yourself for no reason, but that is neither here nor there.  Well I guess it is here, but not what I meant.  Waving is almost as on demand.  You are very good at waving hello and goodbye when we actually say "hello" and "goodbye."  When waving to strangers you are a little slow to warm up to them, but eventually you wave like a pro!

You also can now parrot back sounds and seemingly hold a conversation of "cooing."  Along the same lines, your P-Pa thinks you try to exercise mind and body control over others.  He hasn't said so in so many words, but he (and I) have noticed that sometimes you make movements and we copy them and then you move waiting for us to copy them again.  It's a poor man's version of ESP.

Now about the head shaking - please stop!  You do it all the time!  Twice as much as your clapping for yourself.  At first it was random and sporadic, but now any time my head or your mom's head so much as slightly shifts to the side your head moves side to side 4 or 5 times.  I do prefer the consistent, intelligent head shaking to what I at first thought was possible mini seizures.  But now I am trying very hard to teach you to nod your head YES.  Something your mom and I are going to consciously try is not teach you the word "no."  My substitute word was "stop", but I was recently informed that "stop" is just about as easy to say as "no" so that may not work, even though you can't say "stop" when asked to put your toys away.  Think that conversation in your mind.  Made me laugh a little.

Last but not least - you are 9 months old today.  Wow.  You have been out of your mom nearly as long as you were in.  You were late so the fault that your out time doesn't match the in is strictly your own fault.

In any case - I love you little toddler child!  Keep on growing and moving on to bigger and better things!  This permission comes with the clause that I can at any time ask you to stop growing up, so just be warned of that.