Update on Nate the Great

It's been awhile since I updated you on how our little guy is doing.  Nate is 23 months old, and he is one awesome little boy.  He continues to be a source of great joy to us.  He laughs a lot, and makes funny faces, and does things on purpose to get a laugh from us.  It's hilarious to play games with him.

At the children's museum, enjoying the view from the stroller.

 

He is also a source of bewilderment to me because he has a horrible temper, which doesn't jive with the rest of his personality!  He's really laid back, until he isn't.  He really enjoys people, until he doesn't.  He eats really well now, until he stops.  He loved taking baths, until he hated them, and then loved them again.  

He is usually willing to be dressed up any way Ella pleases, which usually means dress up clothes or her clothes.

 

Color me confused!  He's been treated as a baby for much longer than our other kids because he isn't walking, isn't talking, and has, physically speaking, been in the infant stage for a long time.  But he's almost two.  TWO!  In a matter of weeks he will be two years old.  He understands things, though to what extent I don't know because as I said, he doesn't talk.  The only consistent things he has been saying are "Ella," "hello," and "Where's Ella?" which sounds like "Whellella?"  He only added "bye-bye" and "baby" in the last couple of weeks.  "Momma" and "Dadda" are rarely spoken.  Who do you think is the favorite, hhmmm?

 

I know it's blurry but I love this picture.  They love to rock together.  She usually sings or reads to him.  He usually honks her nose.  It's a love thing.

 

He is still seeing a therapist who works with him on his speech and physical development.  It's really funny to me to watch him crawl, because he was taught to do so by someone instead of figuring it out himself, so he looks like a little robot crawling down the hall.  Left, right, left, right. 

 

Once he started pulling himself up, the dining room window became a favorite spot.

A couple of months ago he began pulling himself up to the coffee table and stools, anything that was at the right height.  At first he wouldn't shift his feet to gain purchase, so he looked really awkward until he just fell over.  We were concerned that it was the pesky sensory issues again, that he didn't like the feeling of the carpet on his feet and wouldn't move them, but gradually he has begun to adjust himself really well and now he walks along furniture like a champ.  He will walk in the open with both hands held, and has stood up by himself several times, only to fall on his rump, laughing hysterically.

Nate was actually having a really good time here, but Handsome Hero had to stop so I could get a better picture, and he didn't like that.  Notice that Ella is holding reigns.  That man is one amazing dad.

His fine motor skills are pretty much right on for his age.  His gross motor skills and speech are at about a fourteen month level.  We hope to see a great improvement in those things very soon, though, because on Monday morning he is having tubes put in his ears.  We found out that he has had fluid in his ears for a very long time, but it is usually sterile, so he hasn't had an unusual amount of ear infections.  However, he doesn't hear much and his equilibrium is all off because of it, which would, of course, effect speech and walking. 

So there you have it.  A year ago, we were talking about feeding tubes and this was what eating looked like.

 

 

We are indeed blessed.