Journey to Our VBK Family: 17 Months

My Dearest Tater,

Today, August 19, 2011, you turned 17 months old. I can't believe that you are almost a year and a half! You are no longer my baby, but my little boy.

You are in size 4 diapers during the day and size 5 diapers at night. You wear mostly 18 month clothing and I've even started putting you in 2T clothing because you're a big boy. We weighed you about a week ago and you weighed 25 lbs. 13 oz. You are not really getting heavier these last few months, just getting taller and taller!

You have become quite the talker here recently. You say a ton of words, way too many to list, and are trying to put words together to make phrases. I love to listen to you talk and to hear your little voice. When we say "One, two", you say "three". There are even times when I've heard you say "One, two, three" all by yourself. You will repeat pretty much everything we say.

Within the last few months, you have become CRAZY about books. You've always loved looking at them, but now, you would rather look at books then play with toys. There are days when you will go through every book on your bookshelf!

You can now do a front roll by yourself. You can jump and gallop! You love to jump off of the landing by our stairs and you even jump off of the couch. Your are one active little boy. I looked into getting you into gymnastics class, but you missed the age cutoff by just one month.

Tomorrow, if it's not too smokey outside, you are going to run your 1st race! It's a 1 mile fun run and Daddy is so excited that you might be able to do it. He's going to go with you, of course, and I'll be there to take pictures.

Your Gramma said that your prove the theory that an object in motion will stay in motion! I can't agree with her more.

You have 16 teeth and LOVE to eat. You still love fruit and oranges seem to be your favorite. You love to use a spoon and a fork, but still have trouble getting the food onto them. It's a learning process, that's for sure. If we give you food on a plate, you will eat food off of it for a while and then dump it onto your highchair tray.

You have just recently started going to sleep on your own at naptime and at bedtime. I so miss snuggling with you and rocking you to sleep, but you're a big boy now. We still rock you every now and then, but for the most part, you will read and talk in your crib until you go to sleep.

For the most part, as of this week, you are now a 1 nap a day baby. It's still a work in progress, but we're getting there.

You are constantly full of smiles and laughter. You love to tell people hi when we are out in public. You love the attention you get!

You are such an outdoors lover. You would much prefer to spend all day playing outside than inside, even when it's sooo hot outside.

You love playing in the water, whether it's a pool, a sprinkler, or just splashing around in water in our concrete backyard. I'm convinced that it won't be long before you learn to swim. You already know to move your arms and legs and to hold your breath. Such a smart little boy. You LOVE to jump into the pool and you love to be thrown around in the water.

You still love music and have recently fallen in love with a CD that your Nana got for you. You are learning songs like the The B-I-B-L-E and Deep and Wide. You even know some of the words of The B-I-B-L-E and you sing "B-I-B-I-E" all the time. When the song This Little Light of Mine comes on and they say the part about hiding it under a bush, you shout "No!"

I still think that you're going to be left handed, but there are some things that you do better with your right hand. Daddy has taught you to put a piece of fruit or cereal on the spoon with your yogurt at breakfast and you do a great job with your right hand when placing it on the spoon. We think sometimes that your depth perception is off a little due to your eyesight, but you aren't letting that slow you down.

You are such a little problem solver. Just yesterday, I bought a step stool to put in the bathroom to help the girls when they need to wash their hands. You, though, have decided that not only is it good for jumping off of, you also found out that it helps you reach the things on the kitchen counter and things on top of the washing machine.

You never used to be attached to a stuffed animal, but since the move, you have become very attached to a little monkey that your Nana bought for you. You will carry it around and hug on it. You love to bite and chew on it, and thankfully, Nana was able to find us another one so that I can wash the yucky one without you missing your monkey at naptime or bedtime.

You, my Tater, bring us so much joy. You are so loved and I hope that you always know just how much.

Daddy and I were talking today about how we wouldn't trade you for any other child, ever! Even when you wake up bright and early, ready to go, go, go. :)