13 Month Milestones

PJ turned 13 months yesterday, so now its time to roundup what changed in the Younk-O-Fun household since PJ turned one year old. 

• PJ is walking, and trying out faster speeds.  He does great walking from rug to hard wood floor, but if he runs the surface transition often causes him to trip.  When PJ falls 9 times out of 10 he pops right back up and keeps going. 
• The more independent PJ gets, exploring beyond our arms; the more he comes back to be in our arms.  This past month we have really enjoyed letting him go explore and to just be available to him when he turns around and comes running back in for a hug.  The biggest, proudest smiles radiate from both us and him during these moments.
• PJ is not saying any full words beyond Dada and Moma yet.  He has put the sound 'ruff' in association with Cheyenne.  The "ruff' sound is pretty cute because PJ puts emphasis on the 'f' sound, sometimes repeating just 'fff'.   
• PJ is having more tantrums.  Since he isn't saying much he can't articulate what he wants so there is a lot of body and head throwing when something doesn't go his way.  He has a lot of demands, and it will be fun (i.e. patience testing) to hear those demands become words.  For now this new milestone can test the patience for each other, since neither knows for sure what PJ wants.  Luckily we are getting better at not rushing through things when PJ gets this way.  The best solution is to sit on the floor with him until he calms down.  Most of the time the tantrums start because we have diverted our attention away from him.  So we try to keep that focus when we can and we try to talk through why he doesn't have our attention when something, like dinner making, has to be done.
• PJ high-fives, thanks to daddy. This is really fun to watch because he lights up.  Someone says "high-five" and then PJ will look at you, put up his hand and wait for you to slap it.  After you have slapped his hand a few times then he will try and high five you.  I love watching the cause and effect being processed.
• PJ tries to blow kisses back after you blow some at him. Sometimes he just slaps his face.  Other times when he puts his hand to his mouth he sticks out his tongue, which then distracts him from blowing a kiss, to instead licking his hand.  But really he is trying to blow a kiss.  Last night he even starting making the kissing sound.
• PJ is sitting still long enough to get through a story or two before bedtime.  Sometimes we will spend the whole story time on one picture with PJ pointing and grunting like a cave man.  He expects you to tell him what it is that he is pointing to in the book.  Other time he lets you read the whole book as he listens and watches intently. 

What is going to change in this next month?