Weight and height: Just over 26 pounds (88th percentile) and 31 inches tall (41st percentile). Head circumference is 19 inches and has dropped to the 86th percentile, so at least he's growing into that huge head of his!
Sleeping patterns: Dominic is still sleeping well, and he's actually slept in (if 6:45-7ish counts as sleeping in!) on some days. The best part is that he is pretty content talking to himself and playing in his crib for a bit before he wants out. And it's always the best to go get him after naps or in the morning; he's so happy to see us! Beware though, waking him from naps is awful so we rarely do that. He would probably bite our heads off if he could.
Eating habits: Sometimes he'll eat whatever, and other times he doesn't want to eat anything. His favorite foods are peas, french fries, and crackers of some sort (Goldfish, Auntie Annies bunnies, Saltines, etc.). He lets you know he's done eating when he hands you his plate, and you better be ready for the plate or else it's going on the floor along with whatever food was on it.
He drinks a crap ton of milk so that probably explains the lack of appetite at times. We were just told by his doc last week to cut down on his milk. He's getting better at dealing with that, but it's so hard to ignore him signing milk over and over. Whenever he wants something to eat or drink, he'll either sign "eat" or "milk" or open his mouth really really wide and lean toward what he wants. It's seriously hilarious!
New discoveries he's made:
Reading
His favorite books are Curious George ones, Goodnight Moon, and this tickle touch-and-feel book. He's an excellent tickler! He loves to look at books and turn the pages when we read to him. He also likes to "read" them. It's so cute to listen to his babble stories. I love using my direct instruction skills to teach him new things, and I'm always amazed how smart he is. He's probably more advanced cognitively than most of the students I work with (which makes me sad and so much more thankful for my little guy).
Music
He loves music and dancing! His favorite music is either hip hop or hill billy country. We like to have random dance parties. I try to catch him on video, but then he stops dancing. Maybe some day.
Swinging
One of his favorite things to do at the park. He also just likes hanging out in there and watching people.
Places he went:
Omaha Zoo
We took him to the zoo, and he had a blast. Lots of pointing, oooing, aaahhing, and waving at the animals.
National Balloon Fest
More oooing, aahhhing, Hi's, and waving at the balloons.
Allergist
Well the allergist is really for me, but I brought Dominic with me a few times so he can see that shots aren't the worst thing ever. The first time he went with me he started freaking out when he went back to the room, and especially when the nurse came in with the needles. Now he just looks at me like WTF when it happens. Side note - this plan didn't work. He still FREAKED out when he got his shots last week. And he pretty much hates his nurse Jennifer, the shot deliverer. Poor lady.
Special friends he's made: No real new friends, but he is super friendly. He waves hi and bye to everyone, including hot air balloons, dogs, and cars. Marbles and he are pals. A few times this summer he would lay by her and pet her right before nap time. She's such a good kitty with him.
Noises and babbles: He's always talking and making noises. If he's quiet, that means he's doing something bad. He can "oo oo ooo" like a monkey, "moooo" like a cow, and he's just starting to say "ruff ruff" like a puppy. He tries to repeat everything we say, and he especially likes to say "uh oh spaghettios" except it comes out more like "uh oh spaget". His favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and every time he wants to hear it, he puts his fingers together like the spider and says "Itsy?" He loves Spongebob Squarepants, who he calls "Bob Bob". Sometimes he'll say something that sounds so clear. Like he says, "What's this?" when he's looking at something new. Not sure if he's really saying that but it sure sounds like it! The other one that sounds the most like real words is "Oh sh". Hope those are just noises and not really "Oh sh*t"!
In addition to talking more, he is able to follow lots of directions. Pretty soon he'll be our little
Firsts:
Steps
Dominic started walking exclusively the first weekend in July. Now he pretty much runs everywhere. He's a speed demon, and loves to explore. Good for the park, not good for shopping. But I do love when he holds my hand when we're out and about.
Haircut
My hairstylist gave Dom his first haircut the week before his godfather's wedding. He wasn't a huge fan of sitting still for so long. I was all about saving some clippings for his baby book but there really wasn't much that was cut off so that didn't happen.
Wedding
Dominic was an honorary ring bearer in Adam and Ally's wedding. He looked so handsome in his tux! Round two coming up in a little over a month for Jen and Ryan's wedding. I'm looking forward to hitting the dance floor with him.
First Ice Cream
He couldn't get enough once he got past the cold factor. He's not allowed sweets very much, but when he does get them, he loves them.
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| Brain freeze! |
Poor dude fell at daycare last week and smack his face. Better story would be that he protected a little girl from a mean boy at daycare, and you should see the other kid.
Other adventures in the last 3 months:
Pig Pen
This guy has the STINKIEST feet ever. Seriously worse than Brian's. It's awful. He wears sneaker sandals to daycare, and by the end of the day he's covered in dirt, sweat, and stink. He always looks like the dirtiest kid there after playing outside all day. Baths are now a daily part of his nighttime routine. And the stinky smell is always still faintly there, right between his toes.
Copy Cat
He really loves doing what Mommy and Daddy do. My favorite was when he dragged my purse down the hall while waving to me, saying "bye bye", and blowing kisses. He also yells at the cats like Daddy when they scratch the screen door. My Mom of the Year moment was when he picked an empty beer can out of the recycling bag, and tipped it back like it was nothing; or maybe it was the time he pulled the mini wine bottle out of the fridge and carried it around the house. We should actually blame Daddy for those two...As a behavior analyst, I love seeing him excel at imitation skills. As a mom, I love having a nice little trick for getting him to do something!
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| Like father, like son |
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| Going bye-bye |
Bipolar
So I mentioned all the wonderful things about Dominic (minus the stinky feet part), but he also has the bipolarness of a toddler. He'll be happy and smiley one second, and then the next he's on the floor throwing a full out tantrum. He's thankfully past the purposeful head-banging stage, but not quite done with the hitting stage. I can tell he just started back full time at daycare again, because he stopped hitting this summer and it's back again. He just gets this serious/mad look on his face and whack! We started implementing timeout today, and Dom definitely wasn't happy about it. Parents should get Oscars for our ability to keep a straight face and disciplining without laughing, screaming, or crying.
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| Reasons my son is crying: The bag was in his way and he couldn't get behind the couch. Shortly before this is was in full tantrum mode on the floor. Psycho. |
Love from the Crauns!
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| Making goofy faces at the camera |
