It's now March 18, 2002, and Stephen will be 22 months old on Friday. Wow! He had a haircut last night, so don't be too shocked when new pictures are up from after March 17! Also, take note, I am taking pictures of Stephen wherever we visit.
His likes and dislikes are still in the previous installment, and his word list is on a separate page, too, since it was getting so long. I'll try to update that weekly or so; he is now adding words at a rate of 3-4 per week, so it's a challenge to keep up with him. He finally says "Mama" and means it, which is a relief and a thrill for me; he'd point to me if David asked who or where Mama was, but wouldn't say the word at all -- like he didn't want to.
He has a major bus obsession, and points to them wherever he sees them -- whether they're on TV, on the road, off the road, on store shelves, books, etc. I never realized how many buses there were around! Of course, he doesn't really differentiate between buses, trucks, and trains; they're all called "bus," though if I correct him to "train" he says, "Choo choo!" His obsession is fueled by the fact that I've designed pages for both the local bus companies, COAST and C&J Trailways. On our last visit to C & J, the company owner gave him a small toy bus, which he carries with him everywhere now. I'm making him a play quilt with roads through different patchwork countrysides, and will make him fabric vehicles to go with it when the quilt is done. (And of course I'll post a picture :)
What else? Hmm. He's getting more interactive with other kids his age. We walk to the library ever other day or so, and there are usually a couple of kids playing on their train table (Thomas/Brio trains). He's very friendly with other kids -- often he'll hand them cars to add to their trains -- and takes great delight in watching them, if they're older than him. When building with blocks, he hands them to another child to make a tower -- seems more interested in facilitating than actually doing things himself, when other kids are around. He's also quite tolerant when bratty kids take things from him -- I think it bothers me more than it does him! I imagine this will change in a few months, but who knows.
Enjoy these pages if you came straight to them, but you may also want to have a look at the rest of the site (maybe) to see what Stephen's mommy has been up to. Hugs to all of Stephen's family, friends, and admirers!