What's new in Finley's 15 month world

This quick post is mostly for my own reference, but perhaps you'll enjoy it, too.

Tricks and things that Finley can do now as he approaches 15 months:

1. walk backwards (usually into one of our laps)

2. hold a phone to his ear (most often upside down or backwards), usually following one of us saying "Hello? Hello?" to him

3. putting lids and caps on things (cups, containers, etc)

4. loving pretend cooking tools: wooden spoons, cups, new wooden pot set from his VA grandparents), spatulas, pitchers

5. showing more love to his stuffed penguin, Agent P, than ever before--squealing with joy while rolling around on the floor with him or picking him up and then barreling into one of us for a big hug

6. attempting to eat with a fork (stabbing food and then pulling it off with his other hand to stuff it into his mouth)

7. opening the pantry when he's hungry (or just to find something new to play with)

8. carrying around our nice, loud, heavy calphalon pot lids (sometimes two at a time)

9. trying to sit on anything raised up (fireplace, toy bins, my dad's guitar case) and then swinging his legs once he sits

10. trying to pull/carry anything with a handle (tool kit, pitcher, my dad's guitar case)

11. throwing balls for his own enjoyment and laughing when he sees where they go before chasing them down

12. being a total chatterbox: Finley is constantly chit-chatting with those around him. Us, people at the supermarket, his friends at daycare, pretty much anyone who makes eye contact with him. While no official first words have been spoken, progress is evident! When you offer him something (food or beverage) he will sometimes say, "ys." Last week, my dad said that Finley said "up" while raising his arms to get picked up. On Saturday, my cousin swore Finley repeated the word "horse" when they were playing with some barnyard figures. The last couple days, Finley's been echoing me with the words "shoes" and "ball" with his own versions "soos" and "ba". Then, the other night Dan offered his some cheese and Finley responded with "chs". Not really English, but closer than he's ever been!

13. helping put his coat on (putting his arm in the coat sleeve and moving any object he's holding from one hand to the other when it's time for the other arm) and take it off (I unzip and pull one sleeve off and then he pulls the other off and hands it to me to hang up)

14. he's learned to wiggle and loves to wiggle when he's really happy in his new high chair and whenever he turns on of his musical toys, he wiggles to the tune. so funny!

15. laughing, laughing, laughing: Finley has a terrific belly laugh and while he's very good at making himself laugh, there are lots of ways we can get him going. A new game he and I created involves him pulling a pair of socks out of the laundry basket, bringing them to me, and then I toss them at him--seriously, that's the game. I managed to get a little of it on video, see the fun below!

15 things to note just as we hit the 15 month mark. Woo-hoo!