Babysteps

Erik has decided to get up at between 6 and 7 a.m. these days, no matter what time he finally settles down to sleep at night. I fear he will be an early riser like me. This morning he ate a good breakfast of a scrambled egg with cheese, a baby-sized bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, and some applesauce spiked with his reflux medicine and fluoride. I am going to attempt to obtain a urine sample from him today for a calcium level; but after seeing him eat so heartily, I think it would be best to wait a couple of diapers before I put the bag on him. It is good to see him eat like a lumberjack these days, although I am hoping his diet will become more varied as time goes on. He can't live on cheese, peanut butter, and crackers forever. Can he? This morning after Erik vigorously plunged Brian's socks in the toilet and we got that mess cleaned up, Erik asked me to turn the fan in the office on. He walked right up to it and said "ON!" This may seem like a nonevent to most people, but Erik has not really learned to ask for anything yet. He just cries when he doesn't get what he wants, which is a difficult and unpleasant way to go about things, so he seems to want to learn to try another approach. His language is developing very quickly. The other day I was sitting on the couch and heard a tiny voice saying, "SHOE SHOE SHOE!" I turned around to see Erik wearing just one shoe, dangling the other one over the baby gate and then dropping it over onto the other side. He hurled my cylinder of blank CDs over the baby gate at the top of the stairs this morning. The other day he did this and almost nailed the cat. Brian thought that was pretty funny. He will also now announce when he is doing something he is not supposed to by saying "nooo nooo nooo nooo" with such a serious expression on his little face. "No" has stopped being such an upsetting word and is now becoming a fact of life. Bev, the EIP coordinator who comes over once a week, called yesterday to confirm we have a home visit tomorrow and school on Thursday. I told her I was beyond excited for her to see Erik's progress. The big changes he has made might not be as evident in a group setting, but I think he will blow her away tomorrow here at home. There goes my mouse pad down the stairs. Gotta run.