a little Hank update

I keep thinking about my first year as a parent, and how much of a typical first time parent I was - thinking my kid would do everything earlier or better than every other kid out there- only to come to each milestone EXACTLY at the "average" time.

Henry is now about 14.5 months, and he has just started taking a few steps here and there!  Today was the most - about four consecutive steps.  A physical therapist friend in my Bible Study said that 15 months was average to start walking, so once again, Henry hits the average mark!

It also occurred to me today that my sweet boy forgot how to drink through a straw.  He used to be able to do it.  But now he just pokes the back of his throat with the straw, bites the straw - totally doesn't get it.

The only thing that Henry probably does really early is talk.  He says and repeats so many words.  I am his official translator because most people don't get "glasses" when they hear the sound "yayes."  They definitely don't get "phone" when they hear the sound "ho."

Anyway, mainly just for my benefit and the benefit of the grandparents and great grandparents who read this blog, I want to list some of the stuff he is doing and saying.

-He climbs on furniture and can get down the right way.
-He has learned to climb into the glider and start rocking.  He also likes to sit in the glider and point the remote control at the TV, which I promise he learned from his daddy.
-He slam dunks ("DA-DU") his basketball, which he LOVES.
-He LOVES to read.  He grabs book after book and crawls into our laps with them saying "booh, booh."
-He thinks DVDs are books and gets really upset when we cannot read them.
-He still loves to do the laundry ("the dark").
-Loves to turn off light switches.
-LOVES to look at himself in the mirror.  (Also something he learned from his daddy. ;) jk)
-He likes to sing.  His teachers at church have told us that he sings along when they sing to him, and we have a couple of CDs in my car that he will sing to.  (This he probably does actually get from Matt.)
-He still won't really feed himself - much more interested in playing with his food.  So if we put one bite in his mouth at a time, he eats.  But if we put his food on his plate, he plays with it, drops it on the floor, etc.  The other day I gave him two crackers, and the next thing I knew, the crumbs were all over his hair, his shirt, the floor... we need a roomba!
-He can do the following animal noises - cow, dog, duck, monkey, lion, frog, sheep and we are working on pig, but for some reason oink oink is pretty tough for the dude.
-And, he tries to say his name.  So if we ask him "Henry, what's your name?" He says, "Hahee." (Very difficult to understand, and he only cooperates abut 25% of the time.)

Here are a list of his words.  (Like I said, he repeats tons of words, so this is just off the top of my head... and I am not going to write them in Henry language.  And I will try not to repeat from last time.)
-Jesus!
-book
-necklace
-glasses
-water
-eggs
-strawberry
-Elmo
-horse
-bar (like for granola bar)
-grass
-potty
-light
-dark (for laundry)
-cheese
-juice
-toes
-this
-pig
-basketball
-slam dunk
-phone
-diaper
-butt (yes, I am responsible for teaching him that.)
-belly button
-eyes
-nose
-mouth (he can also point to all of those)
-bath
-boo boo
-bear
-Bennett and Peter (his cousins... although his "Peter" really isn't intelligible)
-Pops
-Boss
-Mimi
-Honey
-Aunt Brooke
-and I haven't heard him, but my in-laws promise that he has attempted to say Mary, Maddie and Mitchell (the aunts and uncles that are still living at home w/ them)

(Disclaimer: I am trying to teach him all the other family members who don't live here - both who they are and how to say their names, but that's a little harder.)

I'm SURE I am forgetting some, but BY FAR, Henry's FAVORITE word is "NO."  He's really good at that one, and since he doesn't really understand how to answer "yes," the answer to every question is "no."  He also adds the head shake for emphasis.


Henry, do you want to go on a walk?
Nuh.
Do you want ice cream?
Nuh.
Did you have fun swimming today?
Nuh.
Do you want Daddy to hold you?
Nuh... and on and on.


The only question we have never had a "NO" response to is, "Do you want to take a bath?"


I think that's it for now.