Learning to slide with Mommy at Venice BeachRye's personality is showing through more and more as he develops his bag of tricks. He has discovered that some public restrooms echo when you talk, so now every time we go in one that is quiet, he tests it out by calling, "Ah!" and listening to how it sounds. He also echo-locates for us while he is playing by himself, calling out a sound as a question for us to respond to.
Rye will spontaneously bounce to music he hears, and has started banging on the drum in music class. He is on the verge of learning to clap.
He points at people he wants to connect with, and he will touch you with his forehead to show appreciation. He also is starting to "share" his food and his toys, and he will show you the things he is excited about as soon as he gets them in his hands. He is consistently signing for "milk" now, and is interested in signing for "helicopter," but it's too complex so far. He sometimes waves hello. And, he has nearly stood up by himself a few times.
He's also developing a more specific range of emotions. If Rye wants something (for example, to get out of the carseat) and you give him something else (for example, a toy to occupy him while he is stuck in the carseat), he will throw that toy to the ground, to show you he doesn't want to have anything to do with it. When he gets mad, he growls. We had a growling contest one night after dinner.
He drank water out of a glass by himself for the first time this month! He recognizes bananas in the grocery store and totally does not understand why he can't have any right now.
Rye has started playing with his wooden car (Daddy's Whimsical Woodcrafts car by Hugh Gundry from when Daddy was a babe) by pushing it along and crawling along beside it...just like little boys do. Mostly. Sometimes the car is moving a little sideways.
He can crawl up stairs. He is learning to loosely screw on the lid to the jelly jar and garlic jar he plays with. Rye grabs and steals toys he finds attractive from other kids.
We're not sure what Rye's first "real" word will be, yet, though yesterday when we were reading the Baby Animals book, he opened the book himself to the page with the dog, twice, and I swear both times he said, "Dog."
Howdy Pardner!
Rye tests out the drum mallets at music class, which Auntie Kris was able to attend!
Rye plays it cool while Grandma takes a Minute to Win It at her family birthday party.
