Our big 17 month old!

Dearest Liam,

Today felt like one of those days that I needed to write in letter form vs just free writing about you... You hit 17 months on Sunday and as always, I'm shocked that you're so big. Standing at close to 32 inches (and possibly some change, you were squirmy as I tried to measure you since you prefer to stay very busy) and around 25 pounds, you look more and more like a big boy every day and less and less like my sweet little baby.

You've had your first haircut, you eat quite a bit of table food, you love to try and spoon feed yourself... You are becoming quite the "independent" little toddler these days. Yesterday you tried your first hamburger (from Five Guys) and loved every single bite. Sunday night you dipped your French fry in ketchup (then queso after your daddy trie to deter you from ketchup - you are your mothers son) after you watched your daddy do it. You are such a little myna bird!!

Today, as you played on your peekaboo animal app on our iPad, you mimicked the sound of a cow mooing after intently listening to each animals sound as it appeared behind the barn door. You learn so quickly! In the past week(ish) you've added "go go!", "all gone", as well as what suspiciously sounded like "apple" to your vocabulary and we can watch you as you process more. You have learned to communicate what you want quite effectively: you take your snack cup to the pantry door if you're hungry (not really a new thing), you put your cup in the water dispenser of the fridge if you're thirsty (new), you run over and try to grab a banana off the counter I that's what you're in the mood for (also pretty new)... You run and point to a light switch if you want the ligght on... You grab the remote and point it at the tv and shriek if you want Mickey on for noise or go watch. I've discovered that sometimes you like it on just to hear the repetitive songs they do each episode.

You're also very precise about how you like things: you put your toys in containers, you put your pacifier or water bottle on a table when you're finished with it (most of the time), you like your lava lamp and music to be turned on before bedtime or naptime but off once you are up, you can't stand your tray to have food on it or to have on a bib once you're done eating, you don't like your hands or face to be dirty, if we eat in the living room you bring me your bumbo to sit in...

You've also started helping me with simple chores like unloading the dishwasher or loading/unloading the washer or dryer. You absolutely love to do this, and even though it may slow me down some days, I love how much you want to help out. You try to help with pushing the vacuum as often as you can, but this is nothing new.

I know this talking thing is about to take off like you when you learned to turn over, crawl, and walk... You played with it a little and then just ran with it!! Any day now your vocabulary is just going to explode. Not that I'm pushing for that, but I can just tell that it's not far away! I love the sound of your voice when you do say what you can... It's so soft and sweet! However, I would love for this phase of you screaming at the top of your lungs randomly to go away quickly. I'm sure that its a test and you want to see how your father and I will handle it, but we are both over it. You are our permission to do something else now! :)

I love seeing you grow and turn into this brilliant little boy... I can't wait to see more. I love you, I love you, I love you.
Mommy