Eli's Growth Markers

This guy has stayed little for so much longer than my other children that he really takes me by surprise when he hits a growth marker- it's one of the pluses of having a child with DS, I enjoy the baby phase longer! Back in May on our CA trip we discovered the beginnings of his first tooth. When I was first pregnant with Elias the kids wanted to name him toothless and we were beginning to wonder if that was what he'd really be, after all the other two had their first tooth at 3 months! (Nursing was a beast!). By the time they were a year old they had a full set of teeth and here was poor Eli nearly a year without a single one!

So he's been sporting a cute new smile with that one pearl but we saw nothing until just the other day when I stuck a cookie in his mouth and yelped! Apparently three are coming in at once, the incisor on the bottom and his two upper canines. Kinda weird for order but were excited since he loves food and at times it's difficult to modify it for his gummy mouth.

I had been working with him on learning to sit up from a prone position but he showed no desires of doing so until I left for my trip to Maryland. The stinker! I was a little sad to miss it but Kent got it on camera for me.

But this new skilled posed a problem of sorts, whenever he was on his tummy he'd pop up to sitting and refuse to take steps towards crawling. It was such a circus act with Kent holding up his backside pushing his knees in walking motion while I moved his hands. We'd use all sorts of motivators, food, moving all toys a distance away, etc. He finally figured out this was not going away and began 'crawling'. I say this in the loosest of terms since its some strange movement between his sitting up, lunging forward, arms doing an army crawl and toes gripping and pushing. It was effective on the carpet but useless on tile (funny to see though!). At times, due to fatigue, he'd just plant his face sideways in the carpet and put his bum up in the air and push himself along earning a nice rosey cheek for his trouble. Just today though I think he's gotten the hang of it and moves quickly to follow us from room to room. There'll be no stopping him now!

Just last week he was sitting on the floor playing as kent and I were enjoying our Sees candy lollipops. Apparently he wanted some and kept grabbing at me but I was a little preoccupied with my show. The next thing I lockdown to see him standing next to me, he had pulled himself up and used the couch to prop himself so his little hands could reach for the candy. With all that effort I just had to reward him with a few good licks. Unfortunately he refuses to do it when our therapist is here and just gives that impish smile when I try to encourage him! Such a cutie pie!