17 months

Wow, where have the last 1 year, 5 months gone? Tyler is now 17 months old. That night we went to our first Level 4 Gymboree class. This class was much better for him because the other kids moved just as much as he did. The only bummer is that our Level 3 class was with his friends Keaton and Emma so it will be a little adjustment meeting new friends in this new class.

Here are a list of what he is doing at 17 months:

Favorite foods:
Tyson grilled chicken cubes
Black beans
Watermelon
Fruit cups
Chocolate donuts
Cinnamon cookies
Mini carrots
Grapes
Blueberries
Fusion juice
Milk

New words:
Mi- milk
Moe - Mongo
Mor - more
Ma - Mom
Da - Dad
Ba - book
Doe - donut
Bya - bye
Oh no - Oh no
Bla - block
Brr - bird

He still uses dog, ball, no, duck and ma all the time. Many of his words sound very similar but I can tell the difference. It's fun to watch and hear him say new things every day. He has also changed his babbling from tickle, tickle, tickle to more of a gurgle. I think it'll be any day now before we hear a great deal more words.

Other milestones:
Walks down stairs holding someones hand
Walks up stairs holding someones hand
Climbs onto the barstool
Uses a fork to pick up fruit and beans
Pulls out a colander to tell me he wants blueberries or grapes
Takes things out and puts them back away
Puts shapes in his shape sorters
Dunks the basketball (he's been doing this for a few months but I haven't shared it here yet)
Waters plants
Scoops sand into a bucket and can dump it out
Builds great things with his Mega Bloks
Rides his push toys by pushing backwards with his feet (he'll figure out how to go forward soon, I'm sure)
Finds objects in his book (points to ball, dog, cat, shoes and bear)
Signs bear
Rocks in his rocking chair
Pulling everything out of everywhere and leaving a mess all over our house! =)
Cuddling with blankets - he has two favorites - his Aden & Anais blankets and his fuzzy Swaddle Designs stroller blanket
Pulling toys around the house (his corn popper, his duck on a string, his phone on a string)
Zerberts - he loves to blow zerberts on anyone's skin - arms, tummies, legs, cheeks
Biting - he is definitely a biter but says "no" after since that is what we say. He now cuddles afterward since he knows it is wrong. Hopefully this little habit/milestone will go away soon
Putting coins in his play piggy bank
Walking on his tip toes
Leaning - he likes to lean as he is looking for something. It's sooo darn cute!

Body Parts He Can Point To:
belly button (lifts up his shirt - too cute)
feet
ears
eyes (sometimes his own, but usually just mine)
nose (again, sometimes his own, but usually just mine)
fingers (just learning to identify them - sometimes it works, other times it doesn't)


He is also really into reading books right now. Among his favorites at the current moment are:
Hop on Pop
Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumbs
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Baby Bear, Baby Bear
Goodnight, Gorilla
The Big Red Barn
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?
My Little Miracle
Goodnight Moon
Guess How Much I Love You
I Love You
Snuggle Puppy
How Do I Love You?
The Foot Book

There are many other books he likes but these are the favorites right now. We could read them over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Sometimes 10+ times in one sitting. I've become very good at memorizing and can "read" them anywhere which is sometimes a saving grace for a tired or sad little boo-boo!

Two weeks ago he also had an ear infection. This was his third ear infection. Poor little guy is such a trooper. It takes me a day or two to figure out what is wrong because even when he doesn't feel well he is still a happy little boy. After seeing the doctor we went to get a blood test to test for food allergies. Last week one of the results came back for celiac disease - an allergy to glutens - as unusual. We are awaiting news from a pediatric G.I. to determine the next steps. I'm hoping that he doesn't actually have this allergy but if he does we will figure it out. As long as he is healthy otherwise we are in good shape!

These last 17 months have been the most amazing! Tyler is such a joy to both Collin and me. He has brought us closer together as a couple and as a family. Every day there are new discoveries, new giggles and great times together. I'm so thankful for everything he has brought to us and feel so blessed to be a mom to such a wonderful baby boy!