Apologies for my tardiness, but I meant to post an update on Jahan since he turned 9 months on 25th April 2004 (click here for photos). So if you're the boring sort who's interested in these details, you can...
Stats: He's 8.35 kg (25th %), and approx 72 cm (50th %). I find it hard to believe he's only grown 1 cm in two months, but do you think we can hold him down long enough to measure his length accurately?!?
Gross Motor skills: Jahan has developed in leaps and bounds in terms of his mobility. I have already described how freely he cruises, climbs, crawls, creeps and crouches. Jahan can now lean against furniture and have his hands free to play with toys. He walks confidently while holding onto furniture with one hand and half-turning his body in the direction of his movement. However, although he can stand up with me holding one of his hands, he cannot yet walk with my assistance alone.
Fine Motor Skills: With these, Jahan is a little slower to develop (as is to be expected when there's a whole lotta climbing to be done instead). However, in the last week, he has perfected the pincer grip and is beginning to examine textures with his index finger. However, he is not yet interested in clapping, waving "bye-bye" or mimicking actions as do some babies his age. Additionally, he still refuses to drink from a bottle or a cup without assistance.
Cognitive & Explorative Skills: (Is "explorative" a word?) I have noticed three things in particular with regards to these. Firstly, that Jahan is actively looking for objects he drops while standing (he bends down and looks under the coffee table when he drops a toy). Secondly, I think Jahan is beginning to recognize himself in the mirror. I have noticed him staring at himself in the mirror while playing with his buttons. And thirdly, Jahan seems to be a little less interested in climbing over things, and a little more keen to explore under and around things. Last week we borrowed Jeyanth's activity table, and all Jahan wants to do with it today is crawl under it from various angles (he is particularly amused when he has to wiggle his little padded bottom to get through the other side!:)
Language Skills: Jahan's language skills do not seem to have come too far since I last documented them at seven months. However, he no longer screeches, and his repetoire of consonants has increased to include "ta-ta", "na-na" and "wah". He imitates sounds such as "brmm-brmm", and in addition to his name and the word "no!", Jahan now clearly understands several other words including "bye-bye", "bathing", "dancing" and "yum-yum" (meaning food).
Behavioural and Social Skills: At home, he is a happy, well-adjusted child, who is getting better at amusing himself by playing with toys, crawling around furniture, listening to music etc. He is now happy to simply have me sit in the same room as him, drinking my coffee and reading my book, without needing to interact with him constantly.
However, Jahan's ongoing seperation and stranger anxiety has skyrocketed over the last month. Although most books indicate that stranger awareness tends to culminate at this age, Jahan's behaviour around strangers is certainly on the extreme end of the normal anxiety curve. He will become very clingy, grumpy, and withdrawn in the presence of unfamiliar people, and is unlikely to relax even after several hours.
Thus our decision to start him at a Family Dare Carer twice a week. More about that soon...
Posted by Dayan at May 1, 2004 02:54 PM