The physical milestones are most noticeable, like Max playing catch with Dave this weekend. He caught the ball by himself, with both hands, the two of them standing several feet apart. And he did it again and again. Dave and I are aware of physical things Max isn't yet doing, like jumping and swimming, so when he does them we're awed. "YEAH, MAX!" jump-up-and-down awed (that's me, Dave gives him a high five).
The cognitive developments tend to take us by surprise, mainly because they're things we hadn't realized Max wasn't doing. Like, say, choosing items off a menu. Or caring about how his hair looks. Or understanding the meaning of "today" and "tomorrow." It's easy to notice the physical stuff that's not happening for Max, mainly because we see Sabrina or other kids doing them. But all those everyday thought processes and realizations, not so much.
So when Max thinks to do something new, it's both exciting and fascinating. I wonder what's happening in his brain, what connection was made, what light just blinked "on." Like this weekend, when he asked to spritz air freshener after using the bathroom. Definitely not an achievement in the What To Expect books. Definitely not something I would have brought up during a visit to the neurologist ("So, doc, do you think Max will be into air freshener anytime soon? What's the timeline on that, do you suppose?")
I've used the stuff for Max post-potty, and he's never suggested it himself. But when Dave was helping him out in the bathroom yesterday, he opened the cabinet beneath the sink and pointed to the canister. This is progress—in terms of cognition, consideration and self-awareness. Come to think of it, he's more advanced than Dave is in that department.
