17 months

Today Micah is 17 months old!! I just cannot believe how time has been flying. I also cannot believe he is going to become a big brother in the next month, too! As always, Micah has been adorable. I love watching him learn and figure things out now, and I definitely think we are starting to see significant language development. He is not afraid to let us know what he wants!

His current favorite words seem to be "Hi" "Bye" "Basketball" and "Birdie." He also loves to shake his head "No." He seems to be stringing multiple words together sometimes, too. He usually calls me "Mommy" now and not just "Mama." He loves sitting with me and reading stories, and he often points to pictures in the books and uses the right words to identify the pictures. He loves to read Good Night Moon at night before bed. He will say "Moo" when he sees the cows now! He can also point to the red balloon and the kittens, and he sometimes will say cow and kitty. One of his favorite books is called "Squishy Fish," and on one of the last pages of the book, it says "But the best thing my squishy fishies do, Is give great big hugs and kisses, too." Every time we get to that page, Micah gets a big smile on his face and he leans in close to give ME a hug and lifts his face to get kisses. I melt each and every time!

Speaking of kisses, Micah is a wonderful kisser. He loves to come over and give us hugs and kisses. He also loves to give his toys and his friends (and even some pictures in books) hugs and kisses. He can just be so sweet and cuddly sometimes.

He is starting to recognize his body parts, and he sometimes tries to sing along with different songs. He seems to understand what we are saying to him, too...unless, of course, we are saying "No." He is expanding the television he likes - we now watch Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and Word World. I think these PBS shows are quite clever and educational, and Micah seems highly entertained by them. We watch 1 or 2 of the half hour shows or a 1 hour show most days.

He loves to point out the birds every time we are outside, and he climbs up onto the chair by the window to look outside and watch the birds and his basketball hoop. He has become a true pro at climbing on and off the couches and chairs. He loves to climb behind the back pillows on the couch and "hide" behind them.

I love watching Micah interact with the dog. He leans in to give her kisses and cuddle with her, and she often kisses him back. He is just so happy all the time.

He is still very skinny - I don't think he has gained much weight, but I guess we'll find out at his appointment next month. He does seem to be growing taller and stronger, though. We are mostly putting him in the 12-18 month size clothes now...but they are definitely big. He loves to climb on things and play on slides. He LOVES being outside, and I think he'd stay outside running around all day if I let him. I wish we had a bigger yard for him.

I think he is finally making some significant progress on his teeth. He definitely has 2 new teeth on the bottom, and I believe that 2 more teeth (I think the bicuspids) may have cut through the top gums as well. There are 4 other swollen bumps in his mouth (at least I think there are - he really doesn't let me in to check it out). So, if my count is correct, he now has cut 10 teeth, with 4 more on the way. Based on his behavior the past few days (a little cranky, a little clingy, hitting his face a bit with his hand, and waking up crying from a nap after only 1 hour), I think we may have another tooth update in a few days. I think I mentioned that he has a small chip on his front left tooth - we still do not know how that happened, but it does not seem to bother him at all.

We are starting to have some behavior challenges. Micah seems to have developed some possessiveness about toys. He will sometimes scream loudly at other children when they get too close, and will occasionally pull a toy away from another child. He does not yet seem to understand the concept of "sharing." We are working on that...I try to remove him from the situation if he is behaving badly, and I try to prevent him from keeping any toys he has stolen. Hopefully, this is a phase he'll outgrow (or at least he'll respond better to reprimand once his language skills improve).

So...happy 17 months, baby boy! I love you with all my heart, and each day you are with me, you bring so much joy to my life. I am amazed watching you grow and develop, and I cannot wait to see the person you become. I hope that your kindness continues to grow, and that your wonderful smile continues to bring happiness into this world. I hope that your offers to share your food and toys grow into a deeper generosity of spirit, and that you develop your talents...maybe music that you seem to love so much right now, or your love for animals, or whatever other secret skills and talents you have within you.