17 Months

I seriously cannot believe that you are 17 months old!  You have changed SO much in just the last couple of months I can hardly believe it.  You are in to absolutely everything and are such a little chatterbox.  You try to mimic everything I say (even a not so nice word, I'm ashamed to say) and you want to do everything you can yourself!  You love our puppies, and sometimes I have a hard time trying to decide if you're asking for "puppy" or "Pappy."  Before I always just assumed you were talking about Pappy, but now you go to the window and look outside at the dogs when you say "puppy."  You have turned into a picky little eater (which makes me nervous), but will pretty much gobble down macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and french fries anytime that's on your menu.  You LOVE ketchup.  You stick your whole hand in ketchup when I'm not looking, then you lick your little hand clean!

You still love Mickey Mouse and dance and clap whenever Mickey comes on.  But, you also have a new love.  Elmo.  Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang have captured your little heart and I love that!  You get so excited when we see Elmo anything.  You shout "Em-Mo!!!!!!!"  You now have two stuffed Sesame characters--Elmo and Ernie.  You love to cart them around all over the house.  It was so funny watching you try to bring both of them down the stairs yesterday.  You would throw Elmo down the stairs so you could hold on to Ernie, and then you'd just cry out and reach for "Em-Mo."  I just got tickled.  Then, this morning, you had a rescue operation to get "Em-Mo" back from Simon.  You ran into my bathroom clutching on to Elmo shouting "NO NO NO NO NO" with Simon trailing quickly behind you!  

You are such a smart cookie!  You can count to five with Mommy (when you feel like it), and you use "Thank You" without being prompted most of the time!  I'm astonished every time I hand you a sippy cup or toy and you look at me and say "Tank You."  You are such an outgoing and, well, wild child!  You are definitely your Daddy's child, because Mommy tends to be a lot more quiet.  You aren't bashful at all (again, your Daddy) and can make friends so easily.  

You have not only changed so much in your personality, but also your size and looks!  You don't look like a baby to me at all anymore.  You look like such a big boy!  You're around 24 pounds and I really don't know how tall you are right now.  You wear 12-18 month clothes and can wear some 18 month clothes.  You have gigantic little chubby feet--you wear a 6 Wide!!!! 

Every month it just gets better and better to be your Mommy, and I know your Daddy feels the same way.  You are the light of our lives, and I'm SO tickled that God decided to make me your Mommy.  Love you, little man!