Growth: You seem like you’re getting taller everyday. I think you’ve definitely hit a few growth spurts. You can reach things that you couldn’t reach before and thus more child proofing needs to take place. You like to go up on your tip toes to reach those other things that are still just out of reach. 

Teeth: That fourth molar has finally pushed through. You had a few fussy moments with this one, but then it popped, and out went the fussiness. You also have your two upper canines, which just popped through the other day. It seems that your feeding habits change while you’re teething. I notice you drink more and eat less, which would make sense if your gums are hurting. 

Development: Your world suddenly got much larger as you’ve recently discovered the sky above. You love to point out helicopters, airplanes, and birds. You like to think of all of your loved ones as personal transportation devices and are keen on pulling at our clothes until you get us to follow you to wherever it is you want to go. Most of the time you forget where it was you wanted to go or what it was you wanted to do by the time you convince us to get off our butts. Though more times than not you direct me to the hallway so you can play with the thermostat. You like to flip it open and push all the buttons. I think you could do this all day long. I signed you up for a little gym class. You were shy on your first day. No tears, but you came across as a boring kid with zero personality. It was humerus for me to see you so stoic. I have no doubt that when we go back for the second class and beyond you will loosen up and show them the crazy little rascal that you are at home. Although I must say, when they brought out the push toys you darted for that lawnmower pretty fast. You love the people that love you and when given the time to warm up to new faces, you are very adaptable and sociable. You have a fantastic personality and a mean array of expressions. What’s the deal with your baths though? Why do you refuse to sit down? You spend the whole time standing in your bath and it’s the weirdest thing to me. I want nothing more than to sit in your bubble bath but am quickly deterred when I watch you pee. And I know when you pee because, of course, you’re standing. You follow directions well and are able to pick up your toys and put them in the bucket when asked. 

Eating: I still feed you puree, but not everyday and not without mixing it with cereal or greek yogurt. You’re back on your blueberry kick and scarf those done faster than a squirrel can eat a nut. You’re not one for sitting in your highchair and have discovered how to stand up in the thing despite the buckle across your lap. You then proceed to fall into what we call a “trust fall” and flail yourself at one of us. My back loves this game. In any case, you cannot be in your highchair unsupervised for even a second. Much of your eating is done “on the run” as you can only tolerate sitting in confinement for a small period of time. Then you run around like a mad man while we try to shovel food into the chute as you hurry past us. You’re still picky, but you eat a lot of what you like. This morning, for example, you drank 9 ounces of milk and ate half of a whole wheat bagel wtih cream cheese and a handful of raspberries. 

Talking: You love looking important and like to grab your “paypee” (pen and paper) and make pretend scribbles. You’ve started to declare things as yours by stating, “Me”. You love a picture book of animals your grandma Vickie and grandpa Niles got you and are able to point out the bear, “b”, deer “dee”, and squirrel, “quil”. You also know the skunk stinks and each time we pass that page you make a scrunched up nose and breath extra hard. Your papa taught you that one. You also say “yum yum” after eating something you like. When you are about to do something you know you shouldn’t, you mimic us and say “no no no”, but then proceed to do it anyway. 

Favorites: You still love watching YouTube videos, the wiggles being one of your favorite. You also still LOVE brooms, trash cans, and other janitorial supplies in general. You’re still obsessed with our iPhones. I’m confident you could learn how to unlock it, but I refuse to teach you. Right now, the phone is only cool because mama and papa use it. Just wait til you discover all the apps. Then it’s really all over. I’m determined to prolong this as long as possible. You still love riding your little giraffe around and pushing anything, including the recycling bin and the suitcase, all over the house. You love being outdoors. You also love organizing things. 

Sleeping: We put you down for the night between 9pm and 9:30pm. You sleep soundly until 8am or so and sometimes drift back to sleep until 9am. You rock. You’re still taking a morning and afternoon nap, each one lasting a solid 2 hours. So, you sleep a lot which explains why you’re a firecracker when you’re awake. 

Upcoming: We looked into swim lessons while we are in Hawaii, but are unsure if that will work out or not. Either way, I’d love for you to be pool safe by the summer. I’d also like to have your new room complete so we can transition you out of the crib well before your little brother arrives. Oh yes, get used to the idea of brothers and sisters too cuz your papa said the other day that if all kids are like you he wants nineteen. NINETEEN! Please start acting up…