Ash - 17 mos

My monthly Superbear pic

Size:  Mom hasn't measured me lately, but I'm still wearing 12 mo pants/shorts, 12-18 mo shirts, and 18 mo pj's.  Last time I got on the scales (with clothes/diaper) I was over 20 lbs!  Aunt Lindsey says my face looks longer; I'm starting to turn into a toddler.  I have an appointment next month with the doctor, so we'll get the official stats then.

I've mastered walking and carrying things

Physical development:  I've mastered walking and have started to challenge myself by attempting to walk backwards or sideways.  I also LOVE helping mommy by pushing the cart at the grocery store.  At first I didn't want to stop, but now I understand we have to stop in the aisles to get the food, and I like to help by dropping cans and boxes in the bottom basket of the cart before pushing again.  I've also started helping around the house in lots of ways.  I help clean up my toys before nap & bedtime, I help mommy move laundry from the washer to the dryer or from the dryer to the basket.  I also love to help unload and load the bottom rack of the dishwasher.  I've also started pushing in my chair after meals, after mommy saw my friend Nathan doing it at his house.  I also got to fingerpaint for the first time ever (see the photo journal HERE) and have been enjoying coloring with crayons each week at church, building my fine motor skills.  I have new toddler forks and spoons, and do exceptionally well getting food from my plate to my mouth considering I'm not even 1 1/2 yet!

chillin' with Dexter and a book

Verbal development:  I am enjoying reading books, especially anything about cars and trucks.  A particular favorite at the moment is Richard Scarry's Cars & Trucks & Things That Go.  I have also started to assert my independence with a little word called "no."  I am starting to have stronger and more complicated emotions, and have not yet learned how to verbalize them, so mommy is trying to teach me words for my feelings - like when I cry at the end of a book b/c it's over, especially when I'm tired.  I speak in multi-word phrases and sentences, use descriptive words, and mimic many things I hear. I am using prepositional phrases properly, but still working on my pronoun usage.  Right now I often ask "pick it up" when when I want to be held, and generally don't know which pronouns to use in which situations.  It's very confusing!

Sick all over - glassy eyes, marks on my head from falling, and fingers in my ears from the congestion

Other developments: I am still eating yogurt with no issues, but when mommy tried to mix some cow's milk into my almond milk, I got sick.  This may or may not have been caused by the milk, but it means we had to cut it out till I got better, so we'll try it again soon.  Also, some of my hair has had a sudden growth spurt, so it may be time for me to get my first haircut soon.

look at that crazy hair!

Routines:  Bedtime and nap-time have started to get difficult because of my overwhelming emotions, which are at their peak when I need sleep.  I have a hard time dealing with the ends of books and songs, and the goodbye that is "night night."  Mommy & daddy are working to try to be patient and help me through this growth period.  Otherwise I'm enjoying the summer weather, taking trips to the park or backyard and running errands in the morning between breakfast & lunch.  I've also started going for stroller rides 3 x's a week with my parents and the pups so they can get some exercise.

backyard!

Special events: I've always had a warm head and sweaty feet, and the sudden onset of summer weather means mommy's been putting me in shorts to try to keep me from sweating so much.  Along with shorts and early walking skills has come my very first skinned knee!  We were at Palmer Park taking pictures with a photographer and I fell on the path and scraped my knee a little.  It didn't hurt too much, so I just got up and kept walking, but mommy took some pictures anyway and said it made me officially a toddler boy.

scrapes on my knee :)

My favorites:  I love all the books about cars/trucks/tractors that mommy got me at the library (she finally thought to check the non-fiction section).  I have also been particularly snuggly with my lovey Ellie Brown and my old standby burpie, especially since I've been sick a couple times this month.  Also mommy pulled out some 18 mo pj sets and one of them has a monster truck on it, and it's my new favorite shirt!  I'd wear it every day if I could.

Daddy's favorites: Daddy got his first snuggles from me when I wasn't feeling well and mommy was too busy cooking dinner to hold me.  I'm too much of a wiggle-worm usually, but I just laid my head on his chest and watched video game reviews online with him.  He also liked the bookmark that I finger-painted for him.

helping mommy load the dishwasher

Mommy's favorites: At the beginning of the month, mommy loved the slurping noise - "oop aaaah" - that I was doing constantly.  Her new favorite is when I help her out with the chores, and that I've mastered the "love" part of I love you (I used to just say "I you").

lunch at Tucano's for Father's Day

Upcoming: Nanoo & Pop-Pop are visiting for a few weeks!  They're spending the first part of their trip with Aunt Lindsey on the other side of town, but then they'll come stay with us for the last part of their trip.  They already came over and babysat me while mommy & daddy went to see the new Superman movie without me, and we got to go to dinner to celebrate Father's Day with them.  But I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them, having them in the house, and maybe even taking my first trip to the zoo with them.  Mommy keeps telling me I can see REAL giraffes and lions and elephants there.

imagining all the fun I'm going to have in the next few weeks