Well, kiddo, you are 16 1/2 months! I can't even believe how much fun it is to watch you do so many new things!
You have quite the awesome bed-head when you wake up. Your hair is definitely not long enough for a haircut, but it's getting there. Our after-breakfast ritual of cleaning your hand and face with a wash cloth now includes the taming of your hair as well.
I'm fairly certain that this photo will some day end up in the collection of those we save to black-mail you when you're in high school. It was just too good not to shoot.
You say... stay. toby. and gracias. You sign please/por favor, but you haven't tried to say it yet.
You understand abajo (down) and point down. You say perro (dog).
Your way to telling me that something is on the floor is saying "uh oh" (read, "can you pick that up, mommy?") You have said gracias.
Your universal word for all kinds of things is ya. It's kind of your Papa's and my universal word for everything too. It usually means already or I'm coming or all done. It's sort of like mmm-hmmm in English.
You have said más (more). And you immitated me when I said crap. Ahem. Oops! You call for your Papa all the time, only you immitate me, so you say "Aaaaale!" You continue to say papa and mama (your first word). You frequently tell the dog bad boy. You say carro all. the. time.
When you're not saying actual words, you just make noise while you wag tongue back and forth over your teeth and you figure it's just as good as talking. I mean, you understand what you're saying.
You are quite the cuddler! That is an extra little gift from God because, well, I'm quite the cuddler too. You have a mild attachment to the knit blanky that Grammy made you.
Some days it's more pronounced than others. Some days you seem not to care at all and others, you insist on having it over your knees for breakfast. That's because I won't let you have it on top of your tray and in your food. Often you cuddle gentle and softly and other times your idea of cuddling is shoving your forehead into my mouth and your fingers up my nose. It's a bit different, but I'll take it. You're a boy. I get it.
You got over your hesitation to leave us for child care at church after just a few weeks. Now you LOVE it and you get excited whenever we go. While you're at church child care, you eagerly play with the other kids and you asks for the cart ride around the building. You are a delight to the child-care workers and they rave about how wonderful you are. I, of course, just stand there gleaming.
Any day now, you're going to let go and just walk.
As it is now, you walk while holding one finger of each of my hands and you pull me along more than you hold on to me for balance. You definitely don't need my balance all the time, but you don't know it yet and I'm not telling you yet.
This picture was snapped in the split second of confusion after I had let go of your hand and you were more concerned about the fact that I was not holding on than the fact that you were actually falling. Because you weren't. Until a split second later.
You push your walker (and anything else you can push) across the floor and run it into things. It's great fun for you.
You hi-five with your Papa and you and he say "ojitos" and blink both eyes at each other and then crack up. It's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. I know. I say that about every thing you do. Still, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Kiddo, you're my pride and joy and the 2nd love of my life.
Love,
Mommy (a.k.a.
)P.S. Oh yes! And now, for the much awaited for - ok, well maybe only by the grandparents and the parents - video collage of all your new moves this month. This video took me hours and hours to put together, because I had to create it about five times before I figured out why it wasn't working. So I'm (ahem) REALLY hoping that EVERYONE watches all 9 minutes of toddler-moves that are probably only interesting to um, me. In any case, here you go!