his bottle

For about two weeks now, Timothy has been getting his bottle out of the fridge and bringing it to me when he wants it. The fridge in the basement is a bar fridge, about the size of a small dishwasher, and we keep a bottle ready in the door. (He's been drinking his milk cold since he was about four months when Paul started giving him expressed breast milk straight from the fridge because Paul likes his milk cold and figured that Tim would too.)

In the morning, I feed Timothy his bottle in the rocking chair in our living room while I enjoy the view of the back garden. After lunch, he has it in the rocking chair in his room because he usually goes down for a nap when he's finished it. At night, he has his bottle in the rocking chair in his room. I always put it on the table next to the chair because I put him into his sleeping bag before I give it to him.

Depending on the time of day, Timothy takes his bottle to the same place that I would take him if I were initiating the feed. We find it touching in a way that I lack words to explain. He is expressing his independence and acknowledging our routine at the same time. He's showing what he wants and what he's learned. It's really just wonderful.

Tonight, when he got his night time bottle, Paul and I were watching Mama Mia. We listened as he opened the door, selected his bottle, and shut the door. When he toddled into the living room, he was carrying a can of beer instead of his bottle. He took that through to his room and placed it on the table beside his rocker. I replaced it with his bottle. I've just realized that he'll be fetching us beers a lot sooner than I'd hoped!

talented bum

more cheerios

Timothy has started to express a desire to hold the containers in which we keep his road snacks. He spills or dumps most of whatever it is, and I make sure it's always something dry, but he is continuing his education of empty and full.





Paul spent hours in the yard with Timothy on Saturday kicking the ball and running around. Tim was so tired that he collapsed next to the desk at Paul's feet shortly after coming inside for a break.

kicking a ball

We are very proud of Timothy's ball kicking abilities.





Thankfully, Jenny and Neville have agreed to bring a proper ball (rugby) with them from South Africa in June so that we can save him the shame of becoming a soccer player.

the chair

Mom and Dad have a comfortable rocker/recliner in the basement that is the chair of choice for both Paul and I. Tim can now get into the chair by himself. It's a lot easier to get Timothy out of the chair than it is to get either Paul or me out of the chair.

cheerios

Timothy is busy learning concepts such as empty, scatter, and forage. Cheerios make a great experimental substance as they don't stain and can be found and eaten weeks later. An added bonus in Mom and Dad's basement is that the carpet is the same color as the Cheerios.


empty


scatter


forage

water play

Our beautiful weather continues. Timothy spent yesterday afternoon discovering what he can do with water and a measuring jug.

examining the drops of water on his hands

delighted

smile for the camera

enjoying a mud snack (this shot is a few days old)


tim loves airplanes and hears and sees them long before any of the grown ups

lawn toys

Bob and Sue Pawlak are neighbors of my parents; they are wonderful people, and not just because they give us stuff. They have a grandson, Colton, a year older than Timothy, and they give us Colton's old toys and clothes. This time, Timothy became the happy owner of a swing/slide/pirate ship/climbing wall for the yard. Colton even came over and showed Tim how to use it. The weather has been so beautiful that we've been able to play on it every day this week.

pretty cool

ahoy!

thanks sue and bob!