Twenty Three Months

The last few weeks have been amazing developmentally for Collin. He has gone from using only single words some of the time to talking in full phrases, repeating everything you say, and labeling things left and right. From one week to another, he has astonished those around him!

Some of his most favorite things to do right now are: sing (Row, Row, Row your Boat; ABCs; Good Morning Song; Itsy Bitsy Spider; and any other silly tune I make up he'll mimic); play Ring Around the Rosie; Jump and Skip and Stomp; Dig and Rake; and read.

Within only the last few days, he's suddenly starting to "toddler read" too, saying the words that he knows are part of a story or book that he's holding. For example, he has a train book, and he'll pick it up, sit on his little couch, and say "Choo choo" and "train up and down" and "around" as he turns the pages. And when he reads with us, he now attempts to repeat us as we read each book. His attention span is also growing, and he's showing greater interest in actual story books vs. short rythmic board books.

Last night we were out for a walk, and he suddenly turned around and started walking backwards. Then he rotated for a minute and walked forwards. Then he rotated again and walked backwards. It was so much fun! I knew that he could walk backwards, but I'd never seen him purposefully choose to walk backwards (vs. just backing up or away from something). It was so cool!

In the picture above, he had grabbed a puppet and was saying "Hi Bae-Bee" (baby ... very enunciated) to Owen. It was so neat! Another first. Having an inanimate object speak! And a puppet no less speaking TO Owen! I loved it!

Have I mentioned yet that he often calls Owen "Oma" (like Uma, but with a long O)?