Wesley’s latest thing is putting stuff into containers. This is great when it’s time to clean up because he can help me put toys back in their baskets. It’s not so great when he does what naturally comes next: dump all the toys back out again. Our house doesn’t stay clean for long.

He’s discovered the lower shelves in the pantry. His favorite thing to do is pull down the basket where I keep our instant pudding and put the boxes in…and out…and in…and out….

He’s non-discriminating when it comes to what items can be put where. If there’s a container, Wes thinks he ought to put something, anything, in it–as we learned when I found John’s shoes in our kitchen trash can.

Every Friday morning I take him to a playgroup for kids with special needs ages 18 months to two years. He LOVES the ball pit.

They have an indoor playground area that he’s a fan of, now that he can climb up the stairs and (with help) go down the slide. Here he is at the top, giving me his “more” or “yes” or “I want some, please” sign, signifying he wants to slide down.

He still has the one tooth. I think it’s getting lonely. When I want some peace and quiet I give Wes a Biter Biscuit because it takes him at least 15 minutes to gnaw through one. But it’s m-e-s-s-y.

Wes is the proud owner of a camp chair, complete with cup holder. It’s supposed to be for toddlers, but he’s still a little small for it. To get out, he has to kind of fall out.

He likes the Zumba-green pool noodle I bought to use for Limbo in my Zumba Kids classes next month. It’s a lot bigger than he is, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

Wes is turning into quite the climber, much to our joy and chagrin. This morning I was sitting next to him on the living room couch and for the first time saw him climb onto the arm rest in order to reach the window blinds behind the couch. And later this morning I was sitting at the dining room table while he played on the couch nearby. When I heard him whimper I looked over to find him here, with his leg stuck between the table and the couch:

Hmmm. Will have to keep a closer eye on him now.

Lastly, any of you who have met Wes while he’s asleep knows he’s a loud sleeper. He not only breathes loudly, but he’s a snorer, too. I think it might be related to the Down syndrome, which makes his nasal passages narrower than other kids’. Recently I videotaped him during a nap when he was unusually loud. I think it’s the loudest I’ve ever heard him.

Video of Wes snoring

Today Wes has a fever of 100.6. Much thanks to Tylenol for changing him from a hot lethargic lump who slept for 5+ hours earlier today to the current baby who is happily rolling an old popcorn tin around the kitchen floor.

Some pictures of us and Wesley, courtesy of my sister. They’re from last week when we ate at The Roof in SLC to celebrate my big brother getting his Ph.D. from the U.

Here you can see Wes doing his single, signature sign that means “more” or “yes” or “I’m happy.”

And another one of Wes, wherein you can see his token tooth. It appears to be coming in crooked, but I guess considering my teeth and John’s, that shouldn’t surprise us.

What a happy little guy.

Wes got his first bloody nose today, poor guy. He biffed it, nose-first, on the cement porch floor. When I retrieved him and saw blood dripping onto the cement I was scared he had lost his first (and only) tooth. Then I saw his nose and the blood pouring out.

Thankfully it was evening and John was home. When he saw Wes, John gathered him in his arms and helped him stop crying (which took a little while). John’s cotton polo shirt was remarkably absorbent and helped sop up Wesley’s messy face.

We gave him a bottle, which he happily drank, and than some Tylenol, just in case. After fifteen minutes he was back to climbing all over the furniture and us, and for the rest of the night you’d never have know he biffed it earlier.

I was just thinking about how I bought Baby Orajel a year ago, when Wes was about six months old, in case he was teething. I hope it hasn’t expired yet.

The other thing we’ve had on hand for a looooong time without needing is Biter Biscuits. Though they’ve been in the cupboard, I haven’t given them to him often because they are m-e-s-s-y. And a pain to clean up because once the mushy biscuitness is on his face it dries and gets caked on fast. And we all know how much little kids adore having their cheeks rubbed raw with a Clorox wipe. I always silently cursed the makers of these things when I tried to clean up Wes after eating one.

But now I worship the makers of Biter Biscuits. Because right now Wes is sitting in his booster seat, gnawing and gnawing and gnawing at a biscuit. It’s been twenty minutes. It’s been blissfully quiet. And the biscuit is only half gone.

Wes is getting his first tooth.

If you can manage to pry his hand away from his mouth you can see a little white nubber on the bottom gum in front.

What a week! First he picks up his first sign, and now his first tooth.

Nineteen months of waiting and we get a double whammy in one week!

Wesley gets visits from three different therapists four times each month: physical, occupational, and speech. Sometimes these visits are exhausting for me because they remind me how much work I have to do with Wes. And other times, like today, they make me gush with joy to realize what great progress Wes is making.

I have to first point out Wesley’s MAJOR MILESTONE: His first sign.

Let me just say that I’ve been using signs with Wes since he was about two or three months old. When I take him to the library Sing and Sign Time I’m always amazed at the little seven-month-old babies that can sign “milk” like it’s no big deal, and here I’ve been working on it with Wes for over a year, and NOTHING.

Since he was little I’ve been SHOWING the signs to him, and in the last few months I’ve been making him DO them himself (by taking his arms or fingers and making him sign). In the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed that I only have to bring my hands towards his elbows, as if I were about to help him move them to make the sign “more,” but when he sees me coming at him he’ll move his arms himself. Even that was great progress.

Then today, for the first time, all I have to do is say, “Show me ‘more'”–and he does it! All by himself, without me helping him at all.

His sign for “more” is a bit of a convoluted mix between the “milk” sign and “more.” But hey, it works. And he gets this wide, goofy grin on his face every time he does the sign. He really knows he’s communicating with me.

I guess success tastes sweeter the longer you have to wait for it. Because I’m feeling super excited by this. I’ve waited OVER A YEAR for it!

Now he does his “more” sign for everything–milk, more toys, snacks, pretty much whatever I’m asking him about. But that’s OK. Let’s get him settled with one sign and then maybe he’ll figure out there’s more than one in the world.

Check out these videos of him using his signing skills:

More video 1

More video 2

Anyway. Back to the therapists. Today his speech therapist came and Wes did great. She asked me if he’s using his pointer finger to point yet and I said no, although we’ve been working on it.

Well, then she pulls out these flash cards with pictures on them and flips through them with him, and when she says, “Where’s the _____?” he would use his pointer finger to point at the picture. Yeah. I know. Little stinker was holding out on me. He doesn’t curl his other fingers down, but clearly I can see him using his pointer finger, even though his other fingers are outstretched.

She also brought a toy that looks like a lawnmower with little balls that pop up as you push it. That toy gave Wes such a big smile! He loved pushing and pulling it around. AND as he played with it I saw him back up. Walking backwards is something his physical therapist has been wanting him to learn how to do. She just came last week, and when she came I didn’t think I’d ever seen Wes back up while standing. But in the last few days I’ve seen him do it several times, including today with that toy. If the therapists didn’t come I wouldn’t know what to look for. I wouldn’t even know to rejoice in the fact that Wes can walk backwards. But hurray! He can.

So I’m happy for Wes today. He’s getting things. When he wants to, but still, he’s getting them.