Time to Play

One of the most fun things I've experienced as a mom is observing Shepherd learning to play. In the past couple of months, his personality and his curiosity have blossomed. Now that he is mobile and upright, he has begun to interact with toys and become really interested in their shapes, sounds, appearances, functions, and, of course, their tastes. Everything goes in Shepherd's mouth.

I took out tupperware, spoons, and plastic pitchers for Shepherd to play with, too, and he likes to push empty canisters and bottles across the floor. He has several board books and one cloth book, but he doesn't quite know how to turn pages (except for the cloth book) yet. I'm eager for him to be interested in the pages of the book, but for now, I read until he starts to get squirmy. 

One of Shepherd's newest forms of play is mimicking us. During a conversation with my mom yesterday, I coughed, and immediately after, Shepherd would exaggerate blinking and make spitting noises. I caught him the first time, and thought it was a fluke, so I kept doing it. Sure enough, he knew what I was doing and what he was doing, so every time I coughed, he would close his eyes and pretend he was coughing, too. It was hilarious, and he looked like Jeanne in I Dream of Jeanne. I barely caught it on video. 

I love how fun our relationship is becoming, and I can't wait to see Shepherd's little personality continue to blossom.