LM at 19 months

So LM update - walking - he just takes off now!  Our backyard is not fully fenced so this is a real problem for us.  I doubt fencing is in the cards for this summer as we already have some major expenditures underway, but I may have to rethink that as I am constantly chasing him.

Also, he has a major obsession with stairs - going up 'em, down 'em, constantly.  "Ders! Ders!" Luckily we live in a bungalow so we only have stairs to the den in the basement.  His main use for those is standing at the top of them and throwing things down over the gate.  We figured out not to go after anything so we just say "Bye-bye" and wave at whatever object was hurled down towards the television.  He still throws things over but luckily he no longer tantrums if we don't go get them.  He's also constantly pining to go out the back door and go down the stairs there.  When we close the door, he'll do this silent scream and throw himself down on the ground.  About 10 seconds later this heartbreaking wail will emerge.  It's actually kind of funny, but also really sad, mainly because I remember what it's like to feel that frustrated (actually I still feel like that sometimes!).

Communication is good - he actually has tonnes of words and still signs a little bit.  He's very focussed on what belongs to whom, so is always telling me "Daddy dees" (Daddy's keys!)  "Mummy bike der!"  (Mummy's bike is there!) There are also the words we don't understand.  One sounds like baklava.  Another sounds like usheedo.  He says them to us over and over and we stare blankly and his little brow gets all furrowed, like he's thinking: What's with this woman and why won't she just let me usheedo?

He teases me too - like today when I was weeding I saw him drink out of the watering can... I said "Ick!  LM, ICK!" which he understands to mean "Don't put that in your mouth!"  So he looks at me, smiles and sticks his hand in again, then sucks on it with great gusto and says "Mmmmmm..."