You are 16 months old today! You have grown so much since your first birthday- your hair is longer, your feet are bigger, your vocabulary has grown (up, down, please, more, go, dance, bath, eat, done, bye-bye, dada, mama, this, and motorcycle), and you are certainly more independent. You are way more little boy than baby, which is a great thing since you’ll be a big brother in a few short weeks.

We had such an awesome spring- we went to the beach (you love running into the waves), we made you eat tons of new foods (you tried the sand on your own), and we took a little trip to Biloxi, Mississippi where your Dad had laser eye surgery, and you took your first serious steps on your own (and fell and gushed blood from your mouth). We took lots of walks to the library and went to the park just about everyday to swing. We were trying to enjoy the nice weather before the crazy heat of summer locked us indoors.

You started walking at the same place that you were born, Naval Hosptial Pensacola. It was just a few days after your Dad had his surgery and you and I were in the waiting room while your Dad was having his eyes checked. You were pushing the stroller around and then just abandoned it and went right on your merry way down the dermatoligists wing. That was a few months ago and now I can’t hardly remember when you couldn’t walk. You’ve been contained by shut doors and baby gates, but I have the feeling that they are only temporary restrictions- you could get over that pesky gate if I wouldn’t stop you from climbing over it, and you could certainly open the doors if it weren’t for those old-fashioned glass doorknobs that are so darn hard to turn. You’ve learned to very politely knock when you come to a closed door and use this technique when you’d like to go outside, or when either Mom or Dad are taking a shower.

You have developed an amazingly robust laugh. You know that lounging around in Mom and Dad’s bed means “tickle time” and on more than one occassion have taken one of us by the hand and brought us to our bed for said activity. You will tell us to “go!” when we stop tickling you, which means that you would like more, and we are always more than happy to hear that sweet deep laugh and watch your face scrunch and grin.

Feeding you has been an adventure. Your reptoire is very limted: bread, applesauce, cheerios, trix, goldfish crackers, appleslices, milk, and juice. Oh, and dirt, sand, paper, bath water, rotten wood, and just about anything from the trash. We’ve resorted to feeding you smoothies to vary your diet- you’ll gobble those right up, no matter what we put inside. It’s usually a vanilla yogurt and apple juice mix with either green beans, peas, or corn blended in. You gobble that up. But whipped cream? no. Rasberries? no. Cheddar cheese? no. I’m telling you kid, you’re missing out on the best foods around.

You like to use utensils, no matter what you’re eating. This goes beyond simply the spoon or spork that we provide on your tray. You have quite masterfully used a business card, and a bowl still half-full of applesauce to consume your meals.

You have this thing for big people chairs. We have several around the house that you like to climb into and when it suddenly gets very quiet around the house I know that I can either find you sitting in my chair playing with my computer, or sitting in the chair in the linving room, waving at yourself in the mirror.

I didn’t think that this could happen, but you become more adorable by the day. You are amazingly sweet and thoughtful, but also unquenchably active and curious. I am reminded by you everyday what is important. Thank you so much little man for being who you are. The best is yet to come.

xo
mama

Tags:   jack5 Comments