Dear William,
On May 8, 2013, you turned 17 months (or 1 year 5 months) old.
STATS/TEETH:
You are weighing in at 31 pounds 9 ounces. Your sizing in clothes (2T) and shoes (size 6) are still the same. You had your first “tiny ear infection” that caused you to run a fever, and so you also had your first course of antibiotics this past month. You were so miserable and we didn’t even know it. You loved the flavoring of the medicine and would beg for more (video link). After the course of antibiotics was done, your sleep magically cured itself, as did your appetite for food and nursing. It’s official, though, you have weaned yourself from bottles and I put them away. You no longer like them and prefer to drink mommy’s milk from a cup and water from either a cup or a straw.
No new teeth this past month, we’re just waiting for those canine teeth to cut through and your 2nd year molars to start making their descent.
NEW WORDS: “Eat.” “More.” “Cereal.” “Nose.” “B-ball” for basketball and when he sees a basketball hoop. “That’s a ball.” “Bye bye Daddy.” “Boo, Daddy!” “Star.” “Taco.” “Totally.” “Cool.” “Bus.” “Poop.” “Cup.” “Bowl.” “Up!” “There you go.”
SIGNS: “Eat.” “More.” “Please.” “Bus.”
* You whispered for the first time this month.
* Music class started up again and you just love the class so much. You grin your way through the welcoming song and often will get up and stand right in front of the teacher and watch her with rapt attention. Sometimes, instead of using instruments, you use your body as the instrument and clap your hands in time to the rhythm of the songs.
* You LOVE the Baby Signing Time DVDs.
* This month has been all about “DADDY!!”
Video Link – he likes to eat!
NURSING/FOOD:
You had your first PB&J sandwich on 04/28/13, and loved it. Of course, being able to eat peanuts opens up a whole new realm of foods for you. Nursing has returned to normal… you now consistently nurse once or twice in the evening, nurse to sleep, you have a middle of the night nursing and nurse upon waking. Daytime nursing is often quick, but always a long session before your nap. Pumped milk consumption by you is still hit and miss, so your grandma has started mixing it into your oatmeal and yogurt. Sometimes you’ll drink it from the cup, but you have made it very clear that you prefer to get your mommy’s milk directly from the source.
PB&J sandwich, peanut butter is sticky & yummy.
You do very well with a spoon and handling your food with it. Most of the time you have it the right way and 95% of the time you’re able to get food on it by yourself. I purchased you your own set of “toddler” silverware a couple days ago, and you used the spoon from that set for the first time on your 17 month birthday and did not want let it go. They fit your hand perfectly! Since you were about a year old, we’ve been serving you your food in your own bowl or set on a plate… you like to “organize” your food, but most of the time you eat just fine off the your plate or bowl (as opposed to putting food on your tray). You also continue to be a joy to take out to restaurants, and you enjoy eating… your father and I often end up waiting for YOU to be done so we can leave the restaurant.
SLEEP:
Once you started feeling better (thank you, antibiotics), you have returned to having solid, restful sleep. No more coughing. No more stuffy nose. No more ear infection pain. Life is good. Predictable. Wake around 7am, nap around 12:30pm, bedtime around 7:30pm to 8pm. We still nurse once in the early morning hours and I savor that time with you.
THINGS WE DID/PLACES WE WENT:
*Sea World on Saturday, 04/13. Didn’t care for the Pets Rule show. Oddly, didn’t see Shamu, but you loved Elmo.
*Church on Sunday, 04/14, got your first owie on your hand when you fell on the pavement, I didn’t even know you had hurt yourself… also, you spent a lot of time collecting trash instead of playing on the playground.
*Went up in the big orange balloon on 04/20, rode the carousel, and played at the playground there. This is something we need to do more.
*Pool party on 04/21 with your cousins. Lots of fun in the sun!
*Big Bear 04/27-04/28. Loved the pancakes and enjoyed relaxing.
*Santa Ana Zoo 05/04. We rode the choo-choo train!
*Pool Party on 05/04 with your cousins. More fun in the sun.
PLAYTIME AND CHILDREN INTERACTION:
It is interesting to watch you interact with other children. So far you seem to have a very non-confrontational way of handling situations. If another kid grabs your toy or instrument, you will take a couple steps back and look at them with a “WTH?” expression. One little girl tried to educate you on what you were supposed to do with a bouncy zebra at the playground (get on it and ride), but you just stood there, stared at her and when she finished her dissertation and demonstration, you walked up to it and pet it some more and poked it in the eye. Those things are not for riding, they’re for petting. You love speed bumps and love to push your Cozy Coupe over them again and again. You don’t seem to be intimidated or afraid of other children, more that you’re fascinated and amused by them…oh, and you LOVE to watch people run.
THINGS I WANT TO REMEMBER: How funny you are when we’re walking through Target, you see the signs of people smiling and you smile back at them. How when you’re swinging in the backyard, you are obsessed with the pinwheels and want to hold them while you swing. How when I’m pushing you in your Step 2 car, you like to put your foot down and wait for someone to notice… stop the car, ask you to put your foot up, and then you jerk it up… you do the same thing when in the WeeRide seat on the bicycle. You love to grab bubble wrap and pop it and say, “Pop! Pop!” (Video link) How you love to sit in the bathtub and play. I have to drain the water to inspire you to get out, and you sit there and wave at the water as it leaves, and then ask, “Where’d it go?”. How you found the sponge thing we used to use for you when you were a newborn to lay you on and give you a bath… you think it’s a surfboard and stand on it. How sometimes when I go to get you out of your crib, and say, “Come here!!” You throw yourself down on the mattress and “hide” in the corner with the biggest silly grin on your face. How you love to run in your room and hide behind the nursing chair. You also love to turn your AngelCare monitor on, and then when the alarm goes off, your eyes get big and you say, “Ohhhh! What’s that??” You also love to get into things and when I come up behind you and ask what’s going on, you take a couple steps back and ask, “What’s that?” How funny it was when you had pooped, and we were out of cloth wipes, so I got a paper towel and put warm water on it. You laid there, holding your ankles … let go long enough to sign “more.” You liked the warm water wiping. haha When I tell you the wipe is going to be cold, you smile and say, “brrrr!”
Feet out of WeeRide foot holders.
Surfing on newborn bath sponge
One of the best things about you is that you love to smile and laugh. You love being able to communicate and I’ve always thought that you had an awesome sense of humor, even when I was pregnant with you. Call me crazy, but even then it seemed you would do things just to make me laugh. I see that in you as a constant part of who you are. You will do something and then grin when I “get” your joke… and it’s the most awesome thing in the world to do something with the specific intent of making you laugh, and you “get” my jokes. You love being tickled, and then you laugh and laugh, breathlessly you pause until your heart and breathing slow to normal and then you sign “more!!” vigorously…. and it all happens again.
Living life out loud happy, and then… more. Times a million. That’s you.
Love, Momma
Jammie J's Quest 
