Two Year Checkup

Height: 2' 10.5"
Weight: 30lb

Masteries:

• Simple communication words. It's a real vocabulary; perhaps its own offshoot from English. But he can very clearly express his intent in single words and occasional word pair. It will be sad when he finally loses "Da" for yes though.
• Comprehension continues to be exceptional - he can clearly demonstrate that he knows exactly what you are saying to him, and can now even use a word or two to respond. Properly motivated, he can follow quite complex instructions.
• Electronics. Though later to develop the itch compared to his sister, Archer can now navigate and explore a variety of electronic devices.

Progressing:

• Sleeping. While certainly nowhere near the worst its been, we've started to have to fight for some bedtimes (and most naps) again. He'll usually sleep like the dead when he finally gives in.
• Sentences. Simple ones; notably the classic "more <x>" for all <x> in <tasty things>.
• Outdoor activities - he can stay on a swing, and climb our play structure (no small feat considering his size).
• Singing. Though all singing is "ba ba", he carries a tune impressively for a two year old.

Archer continues to work hard on developing his speech, and while he does, he struggles with the inequities of the world. Mostly, these inequities consist of "cookie pop" and their unequal distribution among the not him. [Editor's Note: "cookie pop" is not literal most of the time, but consists of a rotating selection of semi-sweet snack that cannot be predicted ahead of time].

 

Tambark Park

Safety First! (Seriously, completely unscripted!)

So happy in overalls.

1.5yr Checkup

Weight: 27lb 6oz (75%)
Height: 33" (75-90%)
Head: 18.8" (50-75%)

Mastered:

• Sleep. He is still not an "easy" sleeper, but through a great deal of hard work, we can reliably get about 11 solid hours out of him, with only the occasional couple of bad nights.
• Comprehension. Even more so, it's plain that he can understand what's going on around him, even some basic inferences. When told it's dinner time, he'll run to his high chair. When time to go, he'll go get his shoes and bring them to you to put on him.
• Actions - finally he's got the all-done-done-dance. He's also mastered "touchdown!" in time for the NFL playoffs.
• Toys. He's getting full value, beyond just chewing or throwing. He regularly rides his pirate rocker, drives the truck around, or sends the batcar careening off a table.
• Play places. New in the past few months, he can now really hold his own play places; climbing, sliding, and playing independently.

Starting:

• Speaking! We've been building to it, very slowly, very cautiously. But there are words! Real words, used with intent! Ma Ma, Da Da, Ra Ra (Aurora), Nooo, Nigh Nigh, hat (on/off), and many others.

I refuse to include it with the masteries, but Archer is currently the grandmaster of skutching. He is at all times aware of the person whose patience has been worn the thinnest, the object that means the most to them at that exact moment in time, and can with lightning-fast reflexes obtain and attempt to destroy said object. For me, this usually includes the TV remote, or my current caffeinated beverage (related the the aforementioned patience). If Elora is in the room, he will first attempt to destroy any meal she may be very slowly consuming, and otherwise, find the toy she is or wants to play with and try to run off with it. 

Needless to say, supervising this phase is a high-speed full-contact sport.