Austin's Newest Accomplishments

1. Undressing himself.... Joseph found him in his room completely naked this afternoon. It is a skill that must be learned, and it is funny to watch how Austin expresses his growing independence.

2. Learning about the potty... We just bought the equipment and hope to get serious after the new year... Austin shows some interest.

3. Talking in phrases... Austin is making great progress in the area of verbal communication. He started out saying a few words, then he learned 50- 100 words, now I have no idea how many words he says, and he is stringing them together into short sentences and phrases. He knows how to communicate his needs to us, and we almost always understand (I say almost because there are times when we have no clue what he means... Sometimes we know what words he is saying, but we don't understand what he means by them).

4. Matching up shapes... Austin has a wooden house with blocks that fit into holes of different shapes. Now he can match them up himself. There are holes on either side of the house, so if the shape he needs is on the other side, he says "other side" and turns it around. I just realized that he could do this a week or so ago. It is amazing how a toddler's mind develops.

5. Saying, "I'm sorry"... What a great accomplishment this is!

6. Actively playing with other toddlers... For a long time, Austin would play alongside other kids, but he wasn't really playing with them. Now he and another child can play together in the other room for a few minutes without needing a constant referee between them.

7. Enjoys being read to... Austin loves for us to read to him. He will sit through as many books as I am willing to read to him in one sitting. His favorite books are a set about Pooh that I got at a yard sale. There are about 20 of them, and the whole set was only $2.

8. Is careful when playing with younger kids... He doesn't run them over as much as he used to. He seems to recognize that they are more fragile than he is.

9. Obeys commands, sometimes... I can see progress.

10. Prays at mealtimes... He sits quietly and holds our hands while we pray.

11. Talks on the telephone... He will actually have a conversation on the telephone now instead of just pressing the buttons.

12. Eats more variety... Some of his new favorite snacks are popcorn and pickles. (He actually fell asleep at the table while eating popcorn the other day. I had to catch him when he fell out of his chair.)

13. Plays pretend with his animals... His three favorites are his dog, monk and another stuffed dog that Austin named Amos (after his friend from church).

14. Notices when he has dirty hands... He finally has some desire for me to clean his hands when they are sticky or gooey from food.

15. Allows me to clip his fingernails... if I take the clippers to my own nails as well.

16. Seeks to be helpful... He will obey simple commands to put something away in his room or to throw something in the trash. (I always listen, though, to make sure he doesn't take something out of the trash instead.)

17. Enjoys music, dancing and being silly... What two year old doesn't?

18. Recognizes sounds and places... He always reminds me when we approach the train tracks, and he immediately looks to the sky when he hears a plane. I used to hate being delayed by a passing train, but now I enjoy the diversion for Austin's sake.

19. Asks, "Where's Daddy?"... Every morning, this is the question I hear when I go into Austin's room. I think it makes Joseph feel good that his son asks about him throughout the day.

20. Can open doors and closets... We have put childproof handles on most of the doors, but the closets have no protection. Thankfully it hasn't become too much of an issue. Sometimes he opens our linen closet, but I usually catch him pretty quickly. (The first thing he usually grabs is a metal hammer which isn't a very easy object for him to sneak off with.)

Today, Austin has a bit of an unexplained fever. It is always sad when our baby isn't feeling well.