Here is what is going on with Noah this month according to
babycenter.com;
Now that your child has nailed walking, watch him test his skill in new, more challenging situations. Balancing on a log or walking along the edge of a curb is a thrill now, as is climbing up anything that makes him feel taller. Many toddlers, in fact, have a natural inclination to climb that may take you by surprise. Though you may be worried your child will hurt himself, offering him safe places to practice balancing and climbing are a good way to channel this energy and encourage his physical development. Toddler-safe playgrounds are a good place to start.
Playground fixtures that combine steps and ladders with slides and logs to balance on — and soft sand or rubber mats to tumble on — are the perfect place for toddlers to work on these skills. But you can indulge your child's fascination inside, too. Purchasing a low plastic slide with a few steps will provide endless hours of fun. Or, to save yourself a few bucks, pile up some big pillows in the middle of the floor (at least a few feet away from furniture or other objects) and encourage your toddler to play "King of the Mountain." You can also teach him songs about "up" and "down."
Your child's physical ability to do things for himself is finally catching up with his desire to be more independent. Watch for displays of strength and agility such as rearranging chairs, climbing out of the crib (or attempting to), and moving large objects such as a toy box or even the family dog.
Not only can your toddler name most of her own body parts now; she can probably name, or at least point to, the same parts on a doll. And you draw a circle on a piece of paper, she'll try to imitate you, though she's still more skilled at drawing vertical lines. She's fascinated with little things, especially bugs (don't be surprised if she tries to eat them!). Part of the reason for this is that she has the coordination now to bend down and pick up small objects. Also, her awareness of her senses is increasing and she's very curious about how different things look, smell, taste, and sound. This month, your toddler may also have the patience to sit and look at a book by herself for a few minutes. And if you give her a large jigsaw puzzle, one with two or three pieces, she should be able to fit the pieces together.
You may notice that your toddler is a little more comfortable being away from you than she used to be. She may be willing to sit with a familiar adult, such as a grandparent, and listen to a story or try to tell one about herself. And her alternating demands for attention and autonomy may be less dramatic. In part, that's because her improving language skills give her a sense of control that she's lacked until now. She's more willing to attempt to master certain tasks on her own and might not need you to help her figure out how everything works, including her toys. Here's something else to watch for: By 21 months, many toddlers begin referring to themselves by their first name, or as "I."
Before long our little man is going to be 2, my how time flies!
Noah is SO. MUCH. FUN!!! For the most part, he is such a happy, fun, easy going, goofy little kid. He does have his moments and tantrums though. I'm beginning to wonder if we have hit the "terrible twos" due to the level of the tantrums that he has now. Good thing he's happy more often than not, because when he's not, we all know it!
He continues to talk, all of the time. And continues to add new sentences to his repertoire. Most used now are "mama, do it" (which means he wants me to sing the alphabet), "I love-e the ..." (he adds a whole extra syllable, but it is too cute... this is usually followed by mama, dada, grandma, or Jesus), "no like this dance" (dance is what he says for song, so now he tells us what songs he does and doesn't like... which can be cute, or annoying), "I wanna kiss the ..." (most often completed with plane, bus, truck, car, etc.), and "I wanna go that way" (this will happen when we are walking, driving, or jogging with the stroller and I am going any direction other than the one he wants to pursue... most often commanding the direction to the closest playground). He loves listening to me sing the alphabet and will say ABC on his own, a few times he has made it as far as I, but that's not the norm. He also likes to count, and will always say 1 2 3, and every now and then he'll count as high as 6, sometimes leaving out a number or two in the process.
He knows most of our friends by name and asks for them often. Last month a friend brought me flowers and every day for the 2 weeks the flowers last Noah would look at the flowers and associate them with the friend who brought them over. He also knows who is a couple, if I say Matt or Sarah he will normally say the other's name because he knows who goes with who, and that often both come together.
He is apparently a little ladies man already. Last Sunday when a girl his age was dropped off in the nursery at church he walked straight up and kissed her on the lips. You gotta admire that confidence... he knows what he wants and likes!
He wants to read books all day long, usually the same 2 books constantly. He'll play with blocks and trains/ cars/ trucks on his own for bits at a time, but more than anything this kid loves to read! He also loves animals and is growing quite the collection of stuffed animals. He sleeps with at least 8 of them in his crib at any given time. For a while he was really attached to the giraffe, but I think his favorite changes every few weeks.
