Stevie has been up to some new things that we are pretty excited about.

#1 – Walking.  Not independently.  He will take some big clumsy steps while we hold his arms.  He has been using his walker daily – even if just for 5 minutes – to build those muscles and just get him on his feet.  When I met his PT at the park the other day, he figured out how to climb some shallow steps, which totally surprised me because he’s never even tried before!  Our goal is to get him walking by his second birthday (coming up in just a couple months, believe it or not)!  He just got brand new shiny leg braces yesterday too!

#2 – Talking.  He has been saying “hi!” “hey!” and “up!” for a little while, but he’s added a lot more babbling to that now too.  He said “mama” the other day (I missed it) but he’s starting to make more sounds and use his mouth in different ways.

#3 – Eating.  And speaking of mouths, this kid eats like a mad man.  Some days I am feeding him every half hour.  I’m constantly trying to pick foods that will make him full, but it’s as if he has hollow legs.  My favorite is when he eats blueberries!  He doesn’t have a pincer grasp yet, so he takes the blueberry up in his whole chubby little hand and shoves it in his mouth.  Then he moves it around with his tongue until it gets between his back teeth.  Then he chomps down real good.  He loves crushing them.  And I love watching his little mouth work. His lips are just delicious.

#4 – Sleeping.  There is much improvement in this area.  He will still have like one bad night during the week, but for the most part, we finally found a routine that works for us.  I have my methods and they are really stupid.  Seriously.  We put a big, furry dog on an office chair to make him think someone is sitting in the room with him.  And I’ll be honest, its a bit sad that I can be mistaken for a big, furry dog.  But whatever works, right?!

#5 – Tackling Sensory Issues.  This has been an interesting battle.  We are now reading books and learning a lot more about Sensory Processing Disorder.  His behavior is starting to make more sense to us and we are slowly realizing that this is not something he will grow out of.  We will always be learning new coping mechanisms and replacement behaviors.  But I’m glad I’m learning about it now, while he is younger.  If you are curious about SPD, there are a lot of interesting books and online articles out there.  The book I’m reading now is called The Out-of-Sync Child.  And one way I describe it to other people is to imagine yourself after an 8 hour car ride or a long trip in a plane.  You know that antsy, uncomfortable feeling you get being cooped up too long?  That’s basically how he feels all the time.  Everyday things that our brains unconsciously help us adapt too, his brain isn’t processing correctly.  I don’t think he is on the severe side of the disorder, but it is something we have to be aware of and help him cope with.  It made me sad to imagine that he has one more challenge to overcome, but I guess if anyone can do it…  And as I read more, I felt really guilty (like tear-worthy guilty) for getting mad at him for some of the behaviors that he can’t control.  He frustrates me to no end, but in some respects he can’t help it.  So I have to continually try to find a balance where he doesn’t get away with too much, but I’m not too hard on him either.  Learning to see him in a different way, I guess.  It’s really hard sometimes.  In more ways than I initially realized.