Aaron: 22-24 months

Snippets from my journal entries about Aaron from ages 22 to 24 months of age:

22 months
Aaron has officially taken a total of 7 independent steps! Not all at the same time - they were spread out over the past week - but very exciting nonetheless. If he keeps this up, he will surely be moving much faster than I have been lately*.

*I was in the first trimester of my pregnancy with Aiden! Picture taking and my journal entries slowed way down during this time period!

These were his new thumb splints he wore for a while. He figured out pretty quick how to get them off when he wanted to. He called them his "gloves."

This was one of his new ankle splints. AFO and SMO combined. He could wear the SMO part alone and often did. These were so hard to get into shoes.

Just a cute photo from Halloween that year!

24 months
It's official. My baby is a 2 year old. It's really hard to believe! So much has happened in the past two years. So much in just the past year alone. CT scan, MRI, countless tests via blood work. Countless sessions with PT, OT and DT. Visits to a pediatric neurologist, geneticist, pediatric orthopedist, orthotist, and a developmental pediatrician.

He has come a long way. He still isn't walking yet but we fully expect to enjoy that development in the coming year. He's come along way in his gross motor since just August. And his language development is awesome and so much fun.

I took him for his 2 yr. checkup this morning. He weighs 34 pounds, he's 37" long and his head circumference was a whopping 53cm. So yes, we have a very big boy. Walking would be a very good thing - he's heavy! :-) He didn't cry at all the whole time (he's much less sensitive to other people touching him or talking to him than he used to be). He did fuss while we were waiting in the lobby. He spotted an elderly woman's cane sitting nearby and he mistook it for a giant candy cane. He wanted it and was NOT happy when I denied him access. :-)

He's a comical little boy who loves to make people laugh. He loves to explore and to play with his older siblings. He loves to repeat every thing he hears. Recently he started climbing. Our first climber! He still loves to eat, still loves lightswitches and is a fan of the tv show Super WHY. He can sing his ABCs and count to 20. He can stand alone for about 30 seconds and sometimes take about 5 or 6 steps at a time by himself. He's master of his reverse walker and can walk anywhere with that thing. He loves to go outside and loves to go on outings (noticeably more than our other 2).

He is so much fun! I am really looking forward to his 2-year-old year.

He loved his reverse walker! I think it really helped him feel more in control as he took steps.