Calem 16 months

While Calem is not yet walking (he cruises, doesn't stand on his own yet), he has found other ways to still be increasingly independent. He loves to explore, enjoys screwing caps on and off, trying to put keys in the key hole (good thing he can't reach very well yet), and vacuuming with the hand-held vacuum (his favorite activity). He's recently discovered how much fun balloons can be, as well as stickers which he is no longer putting on the floor or furniture (he knows it belongs on paper only). He can follow one-step directions well when he chooses to (I might ask him, "Calem, please put your clothes in the dirty laundry." He'll grab his clothes, scoot over towards the laundry, look over his shoulder at me and giggle as he stuffs it in the drawer instead of the laundry basket. Other times he'll take his "chores" a little more seriously :)

He loves to read and be read to. He'll pick out books he wants to hear (he still loves Skippyjon Jones). In the morning when he wakes up before his sister (which is most mornings, unless she has school then she has to be up earlier than him), he'll read the books left in his crib or play with his toy piano.

Calem may be going through a growth spurt because he has recently begun to eat heartily (favorites include peanuts, walnuts, pecans, any kind of berry and black bean flavored chips). The best part is he is willing to wear a bib these days so there are slightly fewer stains to deal with.

His sleep varies, some afternoons and nights he falls asleep on his own, other times, will refuse to nap all day and fight going to sleep at night. He still wakes up in the middle of the night, but I am trying hard to resist nursing him and soothe him/ let him cry it out.

He doesn't speak much, "da" is his favorite sound and he uses it to mean different things. He has no problems pointing to what he wants. If you've guessed correctly, he'll lightly tap the item with his index finger, if you've guessed wrong he waves his hand vigorously and turns his head.

This past month Calem has been enrolled in a music class. It took him a couple of sessions to warm up, but now he enjoys attending and participating.