Colin...

...has been in a bit of a fussy spell in the last week or so.  A few weeks ago he and I came down with a little stomach bug and immediately after he became exceptionally whiney and clingy and we wondered if he was still fighting off the stomach bug or going through a developmental transition.  Mike remembers right before Colin started walking that a similar whiney/clingy spell took place. 

While he very well may have been fighting off his stomach bug a week ago it seems that he's getting out of whatever was bugging him and has been much more pleasant to be around!  Today his teachers at school said he had a great day.  Some days when we drop him off he's not as willing to see us go.  But this morning he left my side pretty much as soon as we entered the classroom.  While I was putting his bag and lunch in his cubby he was already starting to play.  Before I even had time to give him a kiss he was at the painting table (one of his favorite things to do) and barely noticed I was leaving.

...loves washing his hands!  Most days when we pick him up from school he's at the little sink on a stool.  He doesn't seem to care that all his friends are in the other room playing-he just likes his hands clean!

...has taken a strong liking to his blanket and lovingly calls it "ga-ga".  He pretty much won't let it out of his sight and when he does get distracted enough to forget about it, it doesn't take long before he's frantically asking for it.  "Ga-ga" pretty much goes with us wherever we go but tends to hang out in the car when we get to our destination. (It's a sweet reunion when we return to the car!)

...hates water rushing into his face in the tub.  A few weeks ago we think he got a little scared and hasn't been able to relax in the tub ever since.  He's been very tense and nervous.  But tonight he seemed to be over that feeling a little bit and by the end was intentionally splashing water in his face and over his head (and basically all over the bathroom and me).  It took a little effort to dry up all the water that was puddled up on the floor and running down the walls but it was fun to see him having such a blast.

...loves saying the words "Hi!" and "Uh-oh" and says them constantly throughout the day.  When I put him down for his nap this afternoon and to bed this evening he was saying "Hi" to something after I closed the door and walked away.  He has his own way of communicating but we don't always understand what he's asking for and that is obviously frustrating for him.  Sometimes he'll want us to sit in a specific place or do certain things and after several attempts at "saying" what he wants he resorts to pulling and pushing us around.

 

...is beginning to recognize and associate things more and more and is building quite a library of sounds (mostly for animals).  Hanging in his room is a handmade wall piece with a giraffe on it that Amy made when he was born.  Tonight while we were looking through a book about animals we came upon a giraffe and he looked up and pointed at the giraffe on his wall.