"No!"

It has arrived. Finn has started to say "no." He and I went out to lunch just the two of us yesterday. He's not a very attentive date. I was trying to pop food into his mouth as his head was whipping around every which way, trying to look at all the other diners simultaneously. I was trying to get one more bite in him and his mouth was evading me. I said, "Do you want one more bite?" He shook his head "no." "No?" I asked. He continued to shake his head and said, "No!" <sigh> I can't say as I'm looking forward to this phase.

I think he is understanding more and more of what we say, but that only means that he is becoming increasingly frustrated when he can't communicate what he wants. This evening he was pointing straight at me while he was in his highchair. I offered him several things, each of which was met with a shake of his head and a frustrated whine. Finally I said, "I don't understand what you want." To which Finn responded with violent head shakes and a scream. This boy needs to learn to speak in full sentences quickly!

I was giving him a bath this evening. Usually, Ben prepares the bath while I prepare the boy, but this evening it was just me, so I started the water, got the boy naked and then let him run around the bathroom while I made sure the water was an even temperature.  Then suddenly, SPLASH! Finn threw the bathroom scale into the tub from behind me. He thought that was great fun, despite my stern admonishment. Just wait, soon I will be fishing things out of the toilet!

We have been trying to get Finn to clap for months. He likes to watch us clap, have us clap his hands, even clap our hands for us, but he will not clap his own hands. Of course this is one of those major developmental milestones that, even though I know there is nothing wrong with him, annoys me that he hasn't done it "on time."  This evening, Ben was sliding packages of diapers across the floor to smack into other packages of diapers, which Finn was finding truly exciting. I was sitting on the couch and clapping and Finn started waving both hands at me and then brought them together once. I got all excited and started clapping for everything. Finn would wave at me every time I clapped (kind of like the had wave that deaf people use as the sign for applause). And one time during all that clapping and hand waving I saw him bring his hands together several times. Finally! I think I'm going to call it good and say that he now can clap. Nothing to worry about now until the 18-24 month milestones!